Using the emancipatory communitarian approach to increase LGBTQI advocacy

Abstract

Prilleltensky’s emancipatory communitarian approach (ECA) is proposed as a theoretical framework for American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model school counseling. The ECA emphasizes self-determination, compassion, collaboration and democracy, human diversity, and distributive justice. The ECA may benefit marginalized communities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) students, within the auspices of school counseling practices, supports, and programming. We discuss commonalities of ECA with the ASCA Model, methods in which ECA principles can be taken up, and implementation at the confluence of ECA and the ASCA Model in a case study.

Keywords:

• ASCA
• emancipatory counseling
• LGBT
• school
• social justice

Acknowledgment

The first author thanks Brian Hutchison, Ph.D., for introducing him to the emancipatory communitarian approach.