A “Both-And” Perspective Between the Society of Counseling Psychology and Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations

Abstract

This article is a response to the major contribution published in this volume regarding the history and relationship between the Society of Counseling Psychology and five ethnic minority psychological associations. Using a bothand approach, this response discusses the topics of (a) written and oral history, (b) interconnectedness and independence, and (c) micro and macro issues. It concludes with a story of five brothers to illustrate the strength of individuality and togetherness.

Relationships Between Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations and Counseling Psychology

“…Third, both Chung and Wu (2012) and Neville et al (2012) in their reactions noted that important contextual information was missing. Neville et al would have liked to see more information about the larger sociopolitical environment from which the EMPA emerged.…”

“…A second commonality across two of the reactions (Chung & Wu, 2012;Neville et al, 2012) was a clear sense that the relationships among the EMPAs and between EMPAs and SCP offer a potential for interconnectedness. At the same time, both sets of authors asserted the critical need for independence and distinctiveness unique to each cultural group and its ethnic minority professional organization.…”

“…Beyond these commonalities, each set of authors offered a unique framework or metaphor for understanding EMPAs and their relationship to SCP: (a) viewing SCP as an ally organization to EMPAs (Neville et al, 2012), (b) using a "both-and" perspective (Chung & Wu, 2012), and (c) understanding cohort influences on joining professional organizations by using the "bowling alone" analogy (Yakushko et al, 2012). We think each of these frameworks offers new insights that further our goal of better connecting SCP with the EMPAs, and we use these frameworks to make further recommendations in the ensuing paragraphs.…”

“…In addition, technology can make these interviews freely available to anyone with -an internet connection. Chung and Wu (2012) also used the "both-and" framework for understanding the micro and macro influences on the EMPA-SCP relationship dynamics. Their suggestion to examine macro-level influences on relationship dynamics between the organizations and to use collaborative meaning making is another excellent suggestion.…”

“…As the editors of the major contribution, "Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations: Connections to Counseling Psychology," we were eager to read the three responses by leaders of the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP): the current president of the SCP and his coauthor (Chung & Wu, 2012), one of the current American Psychological Association (APA) Council members representing SCP and her coauthors (Neville, Flores, & Dobson, 2012), and a past chair of the SCP Committee on Early Career Professionals and APA Committee on Early Career Psychologists and her coauthors (Yakushko, Wang, & Warrior, 2012). These authors have added richness to the major contribution by offering three new frameworks for better understanding current and the potential for stronger future relationships between SCP and Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations (EMPAs).…”