ABSTRACT
I believe that therapists, supervisors, and educators have a role in promoting social justice, equity, and fairness in the wider community. Embracing one’s identity as an activist means turning responsibility into defined action (Caldwell, 2016). Just as human rights activists are committed to helping others enhance the quality of their lives, we recognize and are sensitive to the powerful connection between relational struggles and the socio-cultural context in which they are embedded (Hardy, 2001). This stance is summarized (p. 21):
As family therapy educators, my colleagues and I are passionately committed to training therapists who are equipped to assist couples and families with their struggles of everyday life. In our unrelenting quest to accomplish such a goal, we constantly remind our students to think about couples, families, and the experience of suffering in broad, complex ways. Thus the skills that we endeavor to teach, as well as the wisdom we hopefully impart, is never divorced from the larger sociocultural context.
