Journal Article

Enhancing Multicultural and Social Justice Competencies in Canadian Counselling Psychology Training

Wada, Kaori, Arthur, Nancy, Cohen, Julie A., Kassan, Anusha, Goopy, Suzanne

2022

Overview

Multicultural (MC) and social justice (SJ) training have been areas of exploration within the field of counseling psychology and have gained continual traction within the supporting Canadian literature. This article provides a critique of the current ways in which MC and SJ training are understood within the field of counseling psychology, how they are taught, and how this training is taken up and perceived by graduate students. We discuss the importance of counseling psychology continuing to move beyond dichotomizing MC and SJ competencies from foundational counseling competencies, to expand past traditional strategies of pedagogy, and to further commit to engaging in practices of decolonization, community involvement, and ongoing faculty training. Recommendations for instructors and graduate training programs are made to support more critical systemic dialogs for the advancement of an MC and SJ agenda in Canadian counseling psychology programs. Une formation en matière de multiculturalisme (MC) et de justice sociale (JS) constitue un domaine d'exploration au sein du domaine de la psychologie du counseling et continue de faire des adeptes, comme en témoigne la littérature connexe au Canada. Cet article fournit une critique des façons actuelles dont la formation en MC et en JS est comprise dans le domaine de la psychologie du counseling, de la façon dont ces notions sont enseignées et de la façon dont cette formation est utilisée et perçue par les diplômés. Nous discutons de l'importance pour la psychologie du counseling de dépasser la dichotomisation des compétences en MC et JS et des compétences fondamentales en counseling, d'élargir les stratégies de pédagogie au-delà des modèles traditionnels et de s'engager davantage envers les pratiques de décolonisation, la participation communautaire et la formation continue des membres du corps professoral. Les recommandations relatives à des programmes de formation pour les professeurs et les diplômés visent à soutenir des dialogues systémiques plus critiques afin d'améliorer la situation du MC et de la JS au sein des programmes de psychologie du counseling au Canada. Public Significance Statement This article is a critical review of the literature that pertains to multicultural and social justice training in Canadian counseling psychology. It contextually examines MC and SJ principles in light of its history, and in its training, application, and reception in the field. This article offers suggestions and recommendations to enhance MC and SJ training in counseling psychology and to recommit to social justice initiatives in the field.

• Publisher: Educational Publishing Foundation,Canadian Psychological Association
• Subject: Canadian literature / College faculty / College students / Community involvement / Counseling / Counseling Psychology / Counselor Trainees / Cultural competence / Culture / Decolonization / Educational programs / Ethnicity / Graduate Psychology Education / Graduate students / Human / Multicultural counseling / Multiculturalism / Multiculturalism & pluralism / Oppression / Professional Competence / Psychologists / Psychology / Sexual orientation / Social education / Social Justice / Students / Teaching / Training