The Psychotherapist as Advocate: A Model for Therapeutic Alliance through the Counselor Advocate Scholar Model
Information
Recorded
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Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
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Explain at least three connections between cultural competence and the Counselor-Advocate-Scholar (CAS) model
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Describe two ways the CAS model is important to ethical counseling practice
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Identify two strategies that can be used to assess and support under-resourced communities within their caseload
Educational Goal
The educational goal of this presentation is to increase knowledge and skills about the CounselorAdvocate-Scholar model as an aspect of addressing cultural competence and systems of oppression.
Description
During our work as psychotherapists, we continue to build skills to help address the clinical diagnoses and traumatic encounters our clients bring into the therapy office. While we build upon our understanding of culture and identity as a framework for understanding client concerns, one area continues to challenge clinicians: The role of the advocate. This training will explore Ratts and Greenleaf’s (2018) Counselor Advocate-Scholar model to address cultural competence and systems of oppression.
Participants will explore this model and its connection to the varying identities and challenges clients bring into the clinical space. There will be a review of various codes of ethics which address advocacy as an ethical responsibility for client care. We will explore several case studies to help crystallize our understanding of the CAS model and identify ways to broach and uplift clients whose concerns are connected to oppressive systems.
Target Audience
- Counselor
- Marriage & Family Therapist
- Social Worker
- Substance Use Disorder Professionals
Presenters
Dr. Marlon Johnson (He/Him) serves as a licensed professional counselor in private practice at Johnson Counseling and Consulting and as an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. Dr. Johnson’s clinical work centers on Black mental wellness, queer and trans-inclusive mental healthcare, and community mental wellness activities. He utilizes Narrative theory and Quare theory to help clients feel seen and safe to explore their identities and experiences within the counseling environment. He also has experience with foster care family supports, Child-Centered Play Therapy, group interventions for adolescents experiencing resistance and trauma, and college and career readiness counseling within rural communities.
As an educator, Dr. Johnson trains students and scholars to think critically about cultural inclusion and advocacy, assessment methods, and career interventions. As a researcher and advocate, he integrates an intersectional framework while exploring Black and Queer identity development, uplifts mental health access and equity, generates inclusive career development strategies, and engages narratives of faith, race, and sexuality.