Unifying Liberation Psychology and Humanistic Values to Promote Social Justice in Counseling

Abstract

The unification of liberation psychology and humanistic values can provide counselors with a powerful tool for promoting social justice in counseling. In this article, the authors present and compare the principles of each theory. A discussion is delineated on how unifying liberation psychology and humanistic values may promote a comprehensive understanding of human concerns.

Incorporating Humanistic Values and Techniques in a Culturally Responsive Therapeutic Intervention for African American College Students

“…Chavez, Fernandez, Hipolito‐Delgado, and Rivera (2016) linked humanism with liberation psychology to promote social justice counseling. In this article, we provide examples of related concepts such as deideologization, access, equity, participation, problematization, and conscientization (Chavez et al, 2016). Moreover, our focus on strengths, empowerment, and the mobilization of natural healing resources for marginalized people reflects virtues emphasized across social justice counseling, liberation psychology, and humanism (Afuape & Hughes, 2015; Freire, 1996; Tate, Rivera, Brown, & Skaistis, 2013).…”

“…Originally coined by Paulo Freire (1996) conscientization or conscientização is a critical consciousness , whereby students begin to understand that their individual experiences with injustice are part of a collective experience of injustice. Participation involves finding community and support for standing up against injustice, including political and social activism (Chavez et al, 2016).…”

“…By linking students’ individual stories to a collective experience of injustice, AFAM facilitators sow the seeds for solidarity, collective action, and psychological liberation—that is, an understanding of the cultural/contextual factors at the root of problems (Chavez et al, 2016; Ivey, Ivey, & Zalaquett, 2018). These kinds of sociopolitical understandings are central to the healthy development of African American emerging adults as they come of age in the face of racial marginalization and discrimination (Cross & Cross, 2008; Hope, Hoggard, & Thomas, 2015; Umaña‐Taylor, 2016).…”

“…Effective facilitators in AFAM find a way to stay with students’ difficult emotions, while also creating space for hope and optimism. Hope and optimism are core components of humanism, liberation psychology, and psychotherapy writ large (Chavez et al, 2016; Wampold, 2012). Helping students to find hope and optimism without minimizing the struggle that is real can be challenging, but a here‐and‐now focus that validates students’ anger, hurt, and disappointment while also seeking to enhance their capacity for hope and optimism is at the heart of tapping into students’ potential to grow and enact change.…”

“…In AFAM, students deideologized daily and weekly experiences within this racial frame (Grier‐Reed et al, 2018). Involving considerable cognitive and emotional labor, the liberatory processes of deideologizing and denaturalizing (i.e., critically examining) a White racial frame led AFAM students to also problematize and resist it (Chavez et al, 2016; Grier‐Reed et al, 2018). Importantly, spaces like AFAM where African American emerging adults can value their race, value African Americans as a group, and resist assimilation into mainstream culture are important for positive development and well‐being (Hope et al, 2015).…”