Intersectional Psychology

IP0102 Social Justice in Psychology

What is social justice in psychology, and what does social justice mean in the context of counselling practice? By understanding this, you can assess and support people holistically. Considering the social determinants of mental health leads to more accurate case conceptualisation, a stronger therapeutic alliance, and improved client outcomes.
You can download a transcript of this episode on intersectionalpsychology.com.
Are you a healthcare provider in need of CPD points? You might prefer to watch a different version of this episode here and then answer a short quiz to earn 2 Clinical CEUs, accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
Chapter timestamps
00:00:00-00:08:06 Welcome to social justice in psychology
00:08:07-00:15:02 Why psychology and social justice are BFFs
00:15:03-00:19:23 Barriers to advocacy
00:19:24-00:35:21 Practical advocacy
00:35:22-00:37:41 Challenges and risks
00:37:42-00:40:54 The call to action
00:40:55-00:43:44 End credits
References
Abraham, M.S., Harrison, G., Peralta, S., Wells, J., & Hunter, B. (2022). Recommendations for Integrating a Social Justice Framework into Clinical Practice: A qualitative analysis with implications for psychology training programs. Journal for Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, 14(1), 17–36 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.33043/JSACP.14.1.17-36 
Andrews, E.E., Pilarski, C.R., Ayers, K., & Dunn, D.S. (2023) Advocacy: The seventh foundational principle and core competency of rehabilitation psychology. Rehabilitation Psychology, 68(2), 103-111 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/rep0000492 
Brewster, M. E., & Molina, D. A. L. (2021). Centering Matrices of Domination: Steps Toward a More Intersectional Vocational Psychology. Journal of Career Assessment, 29(4), 547-569. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727211029182 
Burnes, T. R., & Christensen, N. P. (2020). Still wanting change, still working for justice: An introduction to the special issue on social justice training in health service psychology. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 14(2), 87–91. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000323 
Calvez, S., & Cummings, J. A. (2022). Getting on the path to indigenisation: Embracing (re)conciliation in Canadian psychology. Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne, 63(4), 569–575 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000344 
Cole, E. R. (2020). Demarginalising women of color in intersectionality scholarship in psychology: A Black feminist critique. Journal of Social Issues, 76(4), 1036–1044. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12413 
Coles, S. M., & Pasek, J. (2020). Intersectional invisibility revisited: How group prototypes lead to the erasure and exclusion of Black women. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 6(4), 314–324. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000256 
Crenshaw, K. (1991) 'Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Colour'. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp. 1241-1299 [online]. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1229039 
Crenshaw, K. (2014) The structural and political dimensions of intersectional oppression. Intersectionality: Foundations & Frontiers Reader. New York: Westview Press.
Elmadani, A., & Post, P. (2023). Factors related to social justice advocacy among play therapists. International Journal of Play Therapy, 32(4), 208–217 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000206 
Gqola, P.D. (2015) Rape: a South African nightmare. Cape Town: Melinda Ferguson Books.
Hill Collins, P., & Bilge, S. (2020). Intersectionality, 2nd ed. Malden: Polity Press.
Shin, R.Q., Welch, J.C., Kaya, A.E., Yeung, J.G., Obana, C., Sharma, R., Vernay, C.N., & Yee, S. The intersectionality framework and identity intersections in the Journal of Counseling Psychology and The Counseling Psychologist: A content analysis. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 64(5), 458-474 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000204 
Hoefer, R. (2019) The Dangers of Social Justice Advocacy. Social Work, 64(1), 87-90 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swy047 
Kozan, S., & Blustein, D. L. (2018). Implementing social change: A qualitative analysis of counseling psychologists’ engagement in advocacy. The Counseling Psychologist, 46(2), 154–189 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000018756882 
Lee, E., Greenblatt, A., Hu, R., Johnstone, M., & Kourgiantakis, T. (2022) Microskills of broaching and bridging in cross-cultural psychotherapy: Locating therapy skills in the epistemic domain toward fostering epistemic justice. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 92(3), 310-321 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000610 
Mallinckrodt, B., Miles, J.R., & Levy, J.J. (2014). The scientist-practitioner-advocate model: Addressing contemporary training needs for social justice advocacy. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 8(4), 303-311 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000045 
Rosenthal, L. (2016). Incorporating intersectionality into psychology: An opportunity to promote social justice and equity. American Psychologist, 71(6), 474–485 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0040323 
Truth, S. (1851) 'Women's Rights Convention', Anti-Slavery Bugle (New-Lisbon, OH), 21 June, 4 [online]. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83035487/1851-06-21/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=06%2F01%2F1851&index=2&date2=12%2F31%2F1851&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=Ohio+right+rights+Rights+Sojourner+Truth+Women+women&proxdistance=5&rows=20&ortext=&proxtext=sojourner+truth+&phrasetext=&andtext=women%27s+rights+ohio&dateFilterType=range&page=1 

IP0101 Intersectionality? In This Psychology?

Explore the concept of intersectionality in psychology, from its roots in Black feminist activism through to its importance to mental health practice in a diverse, multicultural society. 
You can also read a transcript of this episode.
Are you a healthcare provider in need of CPD points? You might prefer to watch a different version of this episode here and then answer a short quiz to earn 2 Clinical CEUs, accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
Visual References
00:45:15.560 - The difference between equality, equity and reality: https://intersectionalpsychology.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/equality_equity_reality.webp
00:48:43.200 - The difference between equality, equity, and liberation: https://intersectionalpsychology.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/equality_equity_liberation.webp 
Chapter Timestamps
00:00:00-00:05:05 Introduction00:05:06-00:25:53 What is intersectionality really all about?00:25:54-00:28:49 Why psychology needs intersectionality00:28:50-00:36:24 Intersectionality in practice00:36:25-00:49:18 Challenges and pushbacks00:49:19-00:58:03 Moving forward (to transform psychology)00:58:04-01:00:54 End credits
References
Brewster, M. E., & Molina, D. A. L. (2021). Centering Matrices of Domination: Steps Toward a More Intersectional Vocational Psychology. Journal of Career Assessment, 29(4), 547-569. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727211029182
Cole, E. R. (2020). Demarginalising womxn of color in intersectionality scholarship in psychology: A Black feminist critique. Journal of Social Issues, 76(4), 1036–1044. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12413
Coles, S. M., & Pasek, J. (2020). Intersectional invisibility revisited: How group prototypes lead to the erasure and exclusion of Black womxn. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 6(4), 314–324. https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000256
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Womxn of Colour. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp. 1241-1299 [online]. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1229039 (Accessed 10 July 2024)
Crenshaw, K. & Grzanka, P.R. (2014). The structural and political dimensions of intersectional oppression. Intersectionality: Foundations & Frontiers Reader. New York: Westview Press.
Elmadani, A., & Post, P. (2023). Factors related to social justice advocacy among play therapists. International Journal of Play Therapy, 32(4), 208–217 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000206
Gqola, P.D. (2015). Rape: A South African nightmare. Cape Town: Melinda Ferguson Books.
Grzanka, P.R. (2018). Intersectionality and feminist psychology: Power, knowledge, and process. In C.B. Travis, J.W. White, A. Rutherford, W.S. Williams, S.L. Cook, & K.F. Wyche (Eds.), APA handbook of the psychology of womxn: History, theory, and battlegrounds, 585–602. American Psychological Association [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/0000059-030
Grzanka, P.R., Flores, M.J., VanDaalen, R.A., & Velez, G. (2020). Intersectionality in psychology: Translational science for social justice [Editorial]. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 6(4), 304–313 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000276
Hill Collins, P., & Bilge, S. (2020). Intersectionality, 2nd ed. Malden: Polity Press.
Shin, R.Q., Welch, J.C., Kaya, A.E., Yeung, J.G., Obana, C., Sharma, R., Vernay, C.N., & Yee, S. (2017) The intersectionality framework and identity intersections in the Journal of Counseling Psychology and The Counseling Psychologist: A content analysis. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 64(5), 458-474 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000204
Mallinckrodt, B., Miles, J.R., & Levy, J.J. (2014). The scientist-practitioner-advocate model: Addressing contemporary training needs for social justice advocacy. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 8(4), 303-311 [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000045 
Truth, S. (1851) 'Womxn's Rights Convention', Anti-Slavery Bugle (New-Lisbon, OH), 21 June, 4 [online]. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83035487/1851-06-21/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=06%2F01%2F1851&index=2&date2=12%2F31%2F1851&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=Ohio+right+rights+Rights+Sojourner+Truth+Womxn+womxn&proxdistance=5&rows=20&ortext=&proxtext=sojourner+truth+&phrasetext=&andtext=womxn%27s+rights+ohio&dateFilterType=range&page=1 

Brief Introduction to Intersectional Psychology

This is a brief introduction to what inspires Intersectional Psychology and what you can expect from this podcast. 
Transcript of this episode (Download)
References
Crenshaw, K. (1991). 'Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Colour', Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp. 1241-1299 [online]. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1229039 (Accessed 10 July 2024)
hooks, b. (2004). The will to change: men, masculinity, and love (1st ed.). New York: Atria Books.
King, M.L. (1967). The role of the behavioral scientist in the civil rights movement. Journal of Social Issues, 24(1) [online]. Available at: https://www.apa.org/topics/equity-diversity-inclusion/martin-luther-king-jr-challenge (Accessed 23 March 2025)

Intersectional Psychology Trailer

Find out what to expect from Intersectional Psychology, the podcast that explores psychology's role in promoting social justice.