Reflections on an Anti-discriminatory Stance in Psychotherapy

Abstract

Research at York St John (RaY) is an institutional repository. It supports the principles of open access by making the research outputs of the University available in digital form.

Social justice in counseling psychology practice: Actualizing the ethics of compassion

“…Without such understanding, practitioners risk diminishing the experience of suffering, lacking the idiographic appreciation of clients (Johnstone & Boyle, 2018). Compassion demands an awareness of the political, cultural, socioeconomic contexts which inform the "response-ability" to the embodied other pragmatically, through continuing professional and personal development (Sarantakis, 2017). Beyond the therapy room, compassion fuels a commitment to uncover oppression so that practitioners can articulate how their practice can be an expression of social justice instead of maintaining the status quo (Palmer & Parish, 2008).…”

“…Consonantly, a review of the literature (Strauss et al, 2016) pinpoints the distinctive elements comprising compassion, namely: the acknowledgement of the other's suffering; the appreciation of suffering as existential given; the access to the suffering other; the acceptance of the response to the suffering other; the alleviation of the other's suffering. Consequently, if counseling psychology is ethics in action (Cooper, 2009), as a multilayered unfolding process, compassion arguably encapsulates practitioners' commitment to respond to the other's suffering, by emphasizing how their humanistic value base can be catalyst for change to inform a reflective antioppressive and antidiscriminatory practice (Campbell-Balcom & Martin-Berg, 2019;Sarantakis, 2017).…”

Emergency remote learning during the pandemic from a South African perspective

“…(Hugman 2003 p.1037) Social discrimination of minority groups are the unfair treatment based on prejudice. (Sarantakis 2017 p.135) Cognitive discrimination is when psychological and pragmatic determinations is placed into specific categories to demonstrate biased opinions and judgments of specific groups. (Sarantakis 201, p.135) The behaviour of cognitive and social discrimination is the manner of reasoning that one makes daily decisions and thus is intertwined with behaviours and patterns of individuals.…”

“…(Sarantakis 201, p.135) The behaviour of cognitive and social discrimination is the manner of reasoning that one makes daily decisions and thus is intertwined with behaviours and patterns of individuals. (Sarantakis 2017 p.135) The behaviour and practices of anti-discriminatory practices is dictated by awareness and critical thinking of self-reflection of one’s behaviour and choices, together with the knowledge of legislation that prevents discriminatory practices and behaviour in organisations. (Sarantakis 2017 p.139) There should be active voices of the management and leadership in support of anti-discriminatory practices and behaviour, which sets the example for all employees to follow.…”

“…(Sarantakis 2017 p.135) The behaviour and practices of anti-discriminatory practices is dictated by awareness and critical thinking of self-reflection of one’s behaviour and choices, together with the knowledge of legislation that prevents discriminatory practices and behaviour in organisations. (Sarantakis 2017 p.139) There should be active voices of the management and leadership in support of anti-discriminatory practices and behaviour, which sets the example for all employees to follow. (Sarantakis 2017 p.139) Similarly, effective communication is pivotal for learning, all voices of the students must be heard by the lecturers, regarding the different needs and wants in order to engage with the subject material.…”