ABSTRACT
This chapter describes evolution of the author’s personal and professional experiences as a Psychologist, exploring shared development throughout life as impeded by societal inequality and blossoming through collective strivings for justice. Drawing on concepts in adult development and aging of reminiscence as “time travel,” the chapter uses personal narrative and critical reflexivity to explore how this approach to knowledge for social change emerged from lived experiences as a daughter and granddaughter of Eastern European Jewish immigrants to Cuba, who left for the United States after the Cuban revolution and struggled to protect family continuity and survival through multiple uprootings. The author describes changing impacts of her own life-course development as interwoven with changes in the field of Psychology, in her evolving writing and advocacy towards achieving culturally sensitive gender equity, and in her multiple roles as clinician, practice-based researcher, teacher, and advocate. A recent experience facing a cancer diagnosis and intensive treatment has offered the opportunity to continue learning from challenging experiences while contributing to knowledge across disciplines of how cultural resources and the shared work of creating just communities expand collective abilities to grow, thrive, and transform ourselves and our environments towards justice as foundational to health and healing.
