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Social Justice Counseling
The Next Steps Beyond Multiculturalism

First Edition


October 2011 | 288 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Social Justice Counseling is the next step toward alleviating the injustices faced by individuals in society and it is a natural extension of multicultural counseling. Issues of social justice are dominating conferences across the mental health disciplines, with a greater focus on alleviating broader social inequities such as equity, access and fairness for each individual. At a micro level social justice issues play out in the form of gender discrimination, sexual harassment, equal access to education, fair housing, and more. Traditionally counselors have been focused on the individual, however, in recent years there has been a shift for all mental health professionals to address issues of social class, race and ethnicity and more. This books offers a supplement to important issues regarding social justice and will highly enhance the content taught in multicultural courses.

The authors are leading authorities on social justice counseling and have led the way to create a specialization in social justice counseling at their school at George Mason University. This book is the first to bring all these concepts together, tie them to multiculturalism, and offer personal applications and tools for mental health professionals. It is theoretical yet highly practical in offering concrete steps toward becoming more social justice oriented.

 
Part I: Introduction to Counseling and Social Justice
 
1. Introduction
 
2. Theories of Multicultural Counseling
 
3. Theories of Social Justice
 
Part II: Multi-Level Model of Psychotherapy, Counseling, Social Justice and Human Rights
 
4. Development and Rationale for the Multi-Level Model of Psychotherapy, Counseling, Social Justice and Human Rights
 
5. Multi-Level Model of Psychotherapy, Counseling, Social Justice and Human Rights
 
Part III: Social Justice Journeys and Personal Applications
 
6. The Journey of an Asian Human Rights and Social Justice Road Warrior: Rita Chi-Ying Chung
 
7. Ther Personal Journey of a Social Justice and Human Rights Advocate: Fred Bemak
 
8. Social Justice Reflections of Graduate Students
 
Part IV: Critical Social Justice Tools
 
9. Change Models
 
10. Leadership and Social Justice
 
11. Advocacy and Social Justice
 
12. Myths and Realities of Empowerment
 
13. Interdisciplinary Collaboration as a Means Towards Social Justice
 
Part V: Social Justice Applications
 
14. Social Action Research and Social Justice
 
15. Model Higher Education Programs in Social Justice
 
Part VI: Social Justice in a Global World
 
16. Social Justice in a Global World
 
17. Conclusion

"This is an interesting book written by two internationally-minded and experienced counselor educators uniquely qualified to write it. Advocating a larger role for therapists in a society and world often shot through with social injustice, Professors Chung and Bemak show how multicultural counselors and other psychotherapeutic professionals can move to "the next level" in helping clients achieve social justice at home and abroad."

Clemmont E. Vontress, PhD
George Washington University

"This book answers the question " What has the last 25 years of multiculturalism meant to the field of counseling?" The Editors go beyond the obvious toward the next step. Their emphasis on Social Justice is a natural extension of the multicultural literature. This book looks at the question "What does multiculturalism mean in the long run?"  The authors suggest that conventonal counseling may be doing us a disservice by focusing on self-interest of the client and ultimately of the counselor. There is an alternative and that's what this book is about."

Paul Pedersen
Syracuse University

"This book is a delight to hold in my hand. I treasure the learning and new ideas that I gained from every chapter. Chung and Bemak have defined social justice broadly in a way that all can accept and endorse. It is required reading for us professionals and a critical text for students. I salute the authors for their major contribution to our field--perhaps the most important book since the year 2000."

Allen E. Ivey

"Social justice counseling and multiculturalism are inextricably linked and this timely text furthers a new worldview to guide relevant training, research and practice. The authors provide a space so their graduate students can give voice to personal social justice reflections, a further demonstration that social justice development is a journey. An innovative take-away from this cutting-edge book is the multi-level model of psychotherapy, counseling, social justice and human rights. Chung and Bemak maintain the focus on interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex and challenging social justice issues in a multicultural society."

Dr. Patricia Arredondo
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Past President, American Counseling Association

"With the publication of Social Justice Counseling: Applications, Theory, and Practice, Rita Chi-Ying Chung and Fred Bemak, define the scholarly and moral foundations for a new revolution in counseling psychology values, thought, and practice. Building upon the ethical and moral advances of multicultural counseling that made diversity an essential consideration in counseling methods, Chung and Bemak propose that the counseling encounter must promote a client’s recognition and acceptance of their individual, familial, and societal responsibilities, obligations, and duties. In our global era, with its demands for citizen participation and activism, Chung and Bemak have given the counseling profession a new set standards for guiding and evaluating the success of counseling processes and outcomes via an innovative multi-phase model (MPM). The clarity of their goals, the passion of their words, and the systematic use of practical examples and provocative questions assure this volume will become a “classic.”"

Anthony J. Marsella
Emeritus Professor, University of Hawaii

"Newsflash! Mere cultural sensitivity is no longer sufficient to engage people of color in meaningful and authentic ways. The new bar has moved from cultural awareness to cultural competence and proficiency with an eye on social justice, and Bemak and Chung have helped us all take a giant step forward in meeting that standard with this new text on SOCIAL JUSTICE COUNSELING. Their voice is crystal clear about what it takes to navigate the terrain of the counseling profession if one is serious about working effectively with those clients of color and others who live their lives at the margins of society. Bemak and Chung have helped all counseling professionals reconnect with their roots, where assisting clients in coping with the nation's misery index was part and parcel of our identity as helping professional.  Academicians and clinicians alike will undoubtedly applaud this effort and hail it as a useful tool in the arsenal of professional counseling initiatives."

Thomas A Parham, Ph.D
University of California Irvine

university chose alternative book

Ms Sharon Goldberg
School Of Social Work, Adelphi University
May 16, 2013

This is a fantastic text! I plan on using it not only in this class but also to refer to relevant chapters it in my Leadership Class as well as my Multicultural Counseling course - both graduate level. This book is easy to read and informative. I especially like how Chung and Bemak directly touch upon the hesitancy in the field of mental health counseling to step into an advocacy role. This book challenges professionals to think critically about redefining what it means to be a practitioner in our diverse society.

Professor Tara Fortner
School of Human Services, Springfield College - School of Human Services
March 28, 2012

I am excited to use this book as it is leading the way with engaging critical psychology, liberation psychology and counseling psychology.

Professor Monique LeSarre
Sch Of Professional Psychology, California Institution of Integral Studies
November 7, 2011

Rita Chi-Ying Chung

Dr. Rita Ch-Ying Chung is a Professor in the Counseling & Development Program at George Mason University. Her work has focused on cross-cultural issues in psychology and counseling, social justice in mental health, immigrant and refugee mental health and psychosocial adjustment, and child trafficking. Dr. Chung has worked in Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Rim and is a regularly invited speaker at national and international conferences. She has written over 80 journal articles and book chapters and co-authored a book entitled, Counseling Refugees: A Psychosocial Approach to Innovative Multicultural... More About Author

Frederic Paul Bemak

Fred Bemak is a Professor and Academic Program Coordinator of the Counseling and Development Program and Director and co-founder of the Diversity Research and Action Center at George Mason University.  He is also the founder and Director of Counselors Without Borders. He began his career working in Upward Bound, where he later became the Director, providing a foundation for his lifetime work in cross-cultural psychology. He has held administrative faculty positions at Johns Hopkins University and Ohio State University.  Fred has over 100 publications in professional journals and book chapters, and has co-authored 5 books. He has... More About Author

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