Re: [COUNSELORS-SOCJUST-L ] Announcing the October 2009 Issue of the Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology and the Special Section Personal Narratives on Activism for Social Justice and Systems Transformation

[Michael D'Andrea]

Aloha Rebecca and Tod and to all the members in the CSJ Family:

I want to extend public appreciation to Rebecca and Tod for their commitment and the countless hours they invest serving as the co-editors of the Journal of Social Action in Counseling and Psychology (JSACP). The announcement that the co-editors recently sent out regarding the new issue of the JSACP promoted me to write this brief email of appreciation.

From my perspective, the willingness of Rebecca and Tod to serve as co-editors of the journal is one of the most important aspects of our collective efforts to move the social justice counseling paradigm forward as a transformative force in the counseling profession by increasing the knowledge base related to this vital area through timely releases of new issues of the journal.

I hope other members of CSJ and counselor educators and practitioners will make their own commitment to submit an article for possible publication in the journal that relates to an issue they are working on that is a passion in their lives.

Thank you Rebecca and Tod for moving us forward in this way...

In peace and with much appreciation....

Michael D'Andrea

On Thu, Oct 22, 2009 at 2:18 PM, Rebecca Toporek <rebecca...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Announcing the October 2009 Issue of the Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology and the Special Section Personal Narratives on Activism for Social Justice and Systems Transformation www.psysr.org/jsacp/ As editors of the Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, the e-journal co-sponsored by Psychologists for Social Responsibility and Counselors for Social Justice, we have designed this Special Section as the first in a series to help pave the way for more effective activist scholarship for social justice and peace on the part of counselors and psychologists. Specifically, we hope that this Special Section provides concrete examples of what social change work looks like and how we might go about reflecting systematically on our experiences in this work. Special Section: Personal Narratives on Activism for Social Justice and Systems Transformation (Part 1) The mission of the journal is to promote reflection on community change and system transformation in which counselors and psychologists play a role. The journal aims to highlight 'engaged scholarship' and the very important social change work done by professionals and activists that would not normally find its way into publication. The journal thus attempts to break down the divide between theory and practice in one of the most critical areas of our work: social transformation. The articles contained in the Special Section Series, Personal Narratives on Activism for Social Justice and Systems Transformation, highlight the experiences of notable psychologists and counselors who have invested much of their personal and professional life toward addressing inequities, advocating for social change, and developing themselves personally toward anti-oppression. We invited these colleagues to reflect on their trajectories as activists over the year. We hoped to find answers to questions such as these: How do individuals come to choose the path of social action? How do they maintain resilience in the face of obstacles? How is consciousness raised about self, self-in-relation, and social issues in a way that facilitates social action? What lessons are learned over time and through difficult experience? In this edition of the Personal Narrative Series, Frederick Bemak, Anne Anderson, Michael D’Andrea, Rita Chi-Ying Chung, and Michael Hutchins each talk about their developmental trajectory, influences that have called them to action, and their aspirations and experiences as social justice advocates. Their reflections convey challenges and passions shaped and fueled by the privileges and barriers they have experienced. It is our hope that these narratives will help us all find wise courses of action and inspire us to stand up to difficult challenges as we work for peace and social justice. Regular Contributions In addition to the Special Section, this issue of JSACP presents two additional contributions. The first article in this section, Advocacy: The T.R.A.I.N.E.R. Model by David Hof, Julie Dinsmore, Scott Barber, Ryan Suhr and Thomas Scofield, highlights a counseling training model of advocacy that integrates professional advocacy with social justice advocacy training. The second article, Supporting Social Justice Advocacy: A Paradigm Shift towards an Ecological Perspective by Arie Greenleaf and Joseph Williams, proposes a shift in the way that professionals and educators in counseling and psychology conceptualize and intervene with clients integrating a more ecological approach in order to adequately address injustice. We are pleased to present this issue of the Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology and thank the authors and editorial board for their efforts in helping to bring this to fruition. Rebecca L. Toporek and Tod Sloan Editors

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Michael D'Andrea
University of Hawaii