Theses Doctoral

Moving Beyond Multiculturalism: Counseling Psychology Curricula to Facilitate the Development of Social Justice Oriented Psychologists

Manosalvas, Kiara S.

Although social justice advocacy is a core competency of counseling psychology training, a lack of formalized training prohibits trainees from engaging in advocacy efforts, specifically at the community and systems-level (Alexander & Allo, 2021). Moreover, prior research has suggested that counseling psychology trainees are feeling ill-equipped to integrate advocacy and macrolevel interventions into their professional roles. Given the limited research on how psychologist educators integrate social justice advocacy into the counseling psychology curriculum and the effectiveness of these teaching strategies (Koch & Juntunen, 2014; Pieterse et al., 2009), this study aimed to explore the pedagogical strategies that prepare trainees to engage in social justice efforts--particularly at the meso- and macro-level.

This exploratory consensual qualitative research (CQR) investigation analyzed interview data from 13 counseling psychology faculty members. The study found that the faculty members emphasized community-based and relational learning approaches, which allowed students to critically reflect on their own identities and biases and become more aware of the systemic nature of social injustices. Additionally, the study found that the faculty members utilized a variety of pedagogical tools, including case studies, role-playing, and group discussions, to facilitate students' learning of community and systemic level interventions. The results also examined the challenges that faculty members faced in effectively integrating social justice-oriented content into their courses. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for training and education, professional practice, theory, and policy.

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More About This Work

Academic Units
Counseling Psychology
Thesis Advisors
Velez, Brandon L.
Degree
Ph.D., Columbia University
Published Here
October 18, 2023