Incorporating Multicultural Competence Into Social-Justice Counseling-Psychology Training

This article presents the findings of a descriptive content analysis of 54 multicultural and diversity-related course syllabi drawn from counseling and counseling psychology programs accredited by the American Psychological Association and the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs. Results suggest that most courses adhere to the knowledge, awareness, and skills paradigm of multicultural competence. However, actual course content varies considerably. Whereas the findings identify social justice content as a growing presence in multicultural courses, there is a need to more clearly outline the fundamental points of distinction and overlap between multicultural competence and social justice advocacy in counselor and counseling psychology training.

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Expanding Multicultural Competence through Social Justice Leadership

The Counseling Psychologist ◽

10.1177/0011000003031003003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 282-289 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Patricia Arredondo ◽

Patricia Perez

Keyword(s):

Social Justice ◽

Multicultural Competence ◽

Counseling Psychology ◽

Historical Perspective ◽

Multicultural Competency ◽

Case Conceptualization ◽

Political Implications ◽

Standards And Guidelines ◽

Advocacy Strategies ◽

Martin Luther King

Social justice and multicultural competence have been inextricably linked for nearly four decades, influencing the development of multicultural competency standards and guidelines and organizational change in psychology. This response provides a historical perspective on the evolution of competencies and offers clarifications regarding their scope, actual counselor behavior, relationship to case conceptualization, and political implications. Advocacy strategies of social justice leaders such as César Chávez, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks are highlighted and recommended for incorporation in a counseling psychology social justice agenda.

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Moving From Contemplation to Preparation: Is Counseling Psychology Ready to Embrace Culturally Responsive Prevention?

The Counseling Psychologist ◽

10.1177/0011000007304596 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 840-849 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Eve M. Adams

Keyword(s):

Social Justice ◽

Stages Of Change ◽

Multicultural Competence ◽

Counseling Psychology ◽

Culturally Responsive ◽

Learning Opportunities ◽

Cultural Responsiveness ◽

System Level ◽

Change Model ◽

Preventive Interventions

The confluence of prevention, multicultural competence and cultural responsiveness, and social justice is embryonic but holds much promise. The author uses the stages of change model to heighten awareness of how counseling psychologists are situated to provide well-developed system-level interventions and to examine the organizational and individual barriers to doing such work. The author then highlights the benefits for counseling psychology of engaging in preventive interventions. Strategies are provided to enhance the integration of prevention in training programs' curriculum in both the applied and research elements of the program. By providing learning opportunities that expose trainees to community interventions with disenfranchised populations, counseling psychology's commitment to social justice and multiculturalism will be more fully realized.

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Social justice interdependence among students in counseling psychology training programs: Group actor-partner interdependence model of social justice attitudes, training program norms, advocacy intentions, and peer relationships.

Journal of Counseling Psychology ◽

10.1037/cou0000390 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 141-155

Author(s):

Brian TaeHyuk Keum ◽

Matthew J. Miller

Keyword(s):

Social Justice ◽

Training Program ◽

Peer Relationships ◽

Counseling Psychology ◽

Training Programs ◽

Psychology Training ◽

Actor Partner Interdependence Model ◽

Psychology Training Programs

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Multicultural Competence, Social Justice, and Counseling Psychology: Expanding Our Roles

The Counseling Psychologist ◽

10.1177/0011000003031003001 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 253-272 ◽

Cited By ~ 303

Author(s):

Elizabeth M. Vera ◽

Suzette L. Speight

Keyword(s):

Social Justice ◽

Social Change ◽

Social Action ◽

Multicultural Competence ◽

Multicultural Counseling ◽

Counseling Psychology ◽

Counseling Competencies ◽

Multicultural Counseling Competencies ◽

Professional Activities ◽

Psychology Literature

The construct of multicultural competence has gained much currency in the counseling psychology literature. This article provides a critique of the multicultural counseling competencies and argues that counseling psychology's operationalization of multicultural competence must be grounded in a commitment to social justice. Such a commitment necessitates an expansion of our professional activities beyond counseling and psychotherapy. While counseling is one way to provide services to clients from oppressed groups, it is limited in its ability to foster social change. Engaging in advocacy, prevention, and outreach is critical to social justice efforts, as is grounding teaching and research in collaborative and social action processes.

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