Counselling in the Time of Socio-Political Polarization
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Authors
Morrison, Natalia
Issue Date
2024-04-22
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
socio-political polarization , counselling , values , cultural competence , bias , intellectual humility , countertransference , self-disclosure , therapeutic alliance
Alternative Title
Abstract
In the last decade, socio-political polarization has become increasingly strong and prevalent around the world. It manifests as a greater support for extreme views on the political and ideological spectrum and is accompanied by negative feelings towards people with opposite views. Polarization leads to entrenched social and political positions, decreased dialogue, and deteriorated social cohesion. As such, it poses significant challenges to individuals and communities in the realm of public discourse, workplaces, interpersonal relationships, and mental health. In counselling settings, polarization presents as clients heightened emotional distress, interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts, social isolation, and decreased overall wellbeing. In this light, counsellors are tasked with addressing diverse political perspectives, supporting clients with exploration of their values and alleviating their emotional and psychological distress. At the same time, socio-political polarization can impact counsellors on a personal and professional levels and present them with ethical dilemmas inherent to politically sensitive and emotionally charged issues. This paper explores multidimensional dynamic of socio-political polarization in its current state, its implications for counselling practice, the role of counselling in this context, and strategies of navigating therapeutic work with politically diverse clients.
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Citation
Publisher
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
openAccess
openAccess