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The importance of preparing counselors to be social justice-oriented practitioners is established, though there is a need for models of social justice training. In this study, we describe a pilot program of the Social Justice Consultation Corps. We identify the theoretical foundations, describe activities, and present implications for future directions.

When young adult women and men engage in sexual encounters, the former have significantly fewer orgasms than the latter. This gendered orgasm disparity, often referred to as an orgasm gap, is theorised to be due to a multitude of societal issues. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a Psychology of Human Sexuality university course, which covered the orgasm gap and the cultural factors responsible for it, would be effective at enhancing women's sexual pleasure and functioning. Specifically, this study compared women university students enrolled in this course to those in a Psychology of Personality course (i.e., no sexual content) and a Human Sexuality and Culture class (i.e., sexual content but not specifically covering the orgasm gap). Participants (N = 271 women) answered pre-test and post-test questions regarding their sexual practices, attitudes towards women's genitals, cognitive distraction during sexual activity, entitlement to sexual pleasure, orgasm quality, and partner communication during sexual activity. Students in the Psychology of Human Sexuality improved on virtually all the measures of sexual functioning from pre-test to post-test. Those enrolled in the other courses evidenced minimal or no changes. Implications and future directions are discussed.

The authors pay homage to Black feminists and Black feminism as they reflect on the impact of Black feminism on their lives. The authors challenge readers to examine the ways that anti-Black racism (ABR) persists within the field of psychology and introduce ten strategies from their experiences and research on Black feminism-informed interventions that facilitate resistance and prevention through radical healing. In addition to the strategies offered, readers are provided with next steps and recommendations for addressing ABR in psychology and facilitating radical healing through Black feminism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of preparing counselors to be social justice‐oriented practitioners is established, though there is a need for models of social justice training. In this study, we describe a pilot program of the Social Justice Consultation Corps. We identify the theoretical foundations, describe activities, and present implications for future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior studies have demonstrated that sexual minority college students are two to four times more likely to experience sexual victimization (e.g., sexual assault and/or unwanted or uncomfortable sexual experiences) compared to their heterosexual counterparts. However, research that has focused on the detrimental effects of sexual victimization on health outcomes has paid more attention to heterosexual college samples and community-based adults. Understanding how sexual victimization influences mental health and substance use outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and asexual (LGBQA) emerging adults in college is warranted given that this developmental period represents a critical risk period for trauma exposure, risk behavior, and psychological distress. Thus, the current study tested how sexual victimization was associated with depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms among 234 diverse college students who self-identified as LGBQA. Additionally, social support was tested as a moderator. Findings indicated that sexual victimization was related to greater depressive symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and AUD symptoms. In addition, perceived social support moderated the relation between sexual victimization and depressive symptoms, however, in a direction contrary to hypotheses. In particular, higher sexual victimization was associated with greater depressive symptoms among LGBQA students with higher levels of social support (b =.29, p =.00), and was not significant among LGBQA students with lower levels of social support (b =.13, p =.26). The current study highlights the need to consider the detrimental effects of sexual victimization on health outcomes among LGBQA college students, as well as the mechanisms through which social support may be influencing these relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transgender Women of Color are more likely to experience oppression at the hands of healthcare providers than their transgender White counterparts. However, there is a paucity of research on the experiences of Latina transgender women in the United States. Aims: Using an intersectionality theory framework, the present study aimed to investigate the factors that contribute to Latina transgender women's decision to seek or refuse healthcare services and Latina transgender women's experiences with healthcare providers in the United States. Methods: A community sample of 15 Latina transgender women at a large metropolitan city in Florida participated in a focus group to explore their experiences with seeking out and accessing healthcare services. Results: Thematic analysis revealed five themes: 1) experiences in seeking healthcare, 2) the effects of hormones on mental health, 3) resistance, 4) imparting collective knowledge, and 5) recommendations to healthcare providers. Conclusions: Through collective dialog these women gave voice to their needs and pains in the context of healthcare while also positioning themselves as agentic, resistant, and aware of the power of collectivism in the process of healing. The current findings support and extend calls for training improvements related to transgender populations, giving voice not only to the need for training but specifying immigrant Latina transgender women's desire for such training. Also, elements related to Latinx cultural values (e.g., convivencia, familismo) must be considered when working with Latina transgender women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research adopting a sex positive and intersectional framework for investigating Black women's sexualities is scarce. We conducted a 46-year (1972–2018) content analysis of sexualities research focussed on Black women. It sought to examine which sexualities topics were published most; whether the publications aligned with sex-positive, neutral or negative discourse; what methodologies were used; and differences in how various identities were investigated among Black women. Using human coding, we applied an integrative approach to the content analysis. Results found 245 articles meeting criteria. Approximately one-third of articles within the analysis focussed on the topic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and sexual risk behaviours among Black women. Only 6.5% of articles utilised a sex-positive discourse. Quantitative articles were the most published methodology, and publications disproportionately overlooked Black women's intersectional identities. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When young adult women and men engage in sexual encounters, the former have significantly fewer orgasms than the latter. This gendered orgasm disparity, often referred to as an orgasm gap, is theorised to be due to a multitude of societal issues. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a Psychology of Human Sexuality university course, which covered the orgasm gap and the cultural factors responsible for it, would be effective at enhancing women's sexual pleasure and functioning. Specifically, this study compared women university students enrolled in this course to those in a Psychology of Personality course (i.e., no sexual content) and a Human Sexuality and Culture class (i.e., sexual content but not specifically covering the orgasm gap). Participants (N = 271 women) answered pre-test and post-test questions regarding their sexual practices, attitudes towards women's genitals, cognitive distraction during sexual activity, entitlement to sexual pleasure, orgasm quality, and partner communication during sexual activity. Students in the Psychology of Human Sexuality improved on virtually all the measures of sexual functioning from pre-test to post-test. Those enrolled in the other courses evidenced minimal or no changes. Implications and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancing beyond individual-level approaches to coping with racial trauma, we introduce a new psychological framework of radical healing for People of Color and Indigenous individuals (POCI) in the United States. We begin by providing a context of race and racism in the United States and its consequences for the overall well-being of POCI. We build on existing frameworks rooted in social justice education and activism and describe a form of healing and transformation that integrates elements of liberation psychology, Black psychology, ethnopolitical psychology, and intersectionality theory. We briefly review these conceptual foundations as a prelude to introducing a psychological framework of radical healing and its components grounded in five anchors including: (a) collectivism, (b) critical consciousness, (c) radical hope, (d) strength and resistance, and (e) cultural authenticity and self-knowledge. We conclude with a discussion of the applications of radical healing to clinical practice, research, training, and social justice advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite hip-hop’s popularity, little attention has been paid to its effects on youth gender performances on social media. This study has analyzed how youth who identify with three popular hip-hop songs interpreted the songs’ messages and performed their gender on the social media application Instagram (IG). Posts (N=450) from IG users were examined using modified consensual qualitative research procedures. Ten categories emerged that illustrate the range of gender performances which youth engaged in, each of which occurred within one of four domains: (a) mixed messages (self-love and visibility; relationships); (b) reified messages (party life; provocations; conspicuous consumption); (c) challenged messages (growth; making new meaning; teamwork); and (d) neutral messages (humor; other). The findings from this study illustrate the influential role of hip-hop music on youth gender performance in a natural context (IG). IG posts often mirrored, and in turn contributed to, the narrow range of acceptable gender performances in hip-hop, suggesting the need for youth media literacy skill development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this conceptual article, we assert that psychology should be transformed to adopt the explicit goal of working toward the liberation of people oppressed by society rather than striving for mere equality. To achieve such a transformation, it is necessary to reenvision graduate training in psychology. Graduate training in psychology is an important vehicle by which psychologists can become prepared to use research and practice to eradicate inequities in society. Therefore, we propose six pillars for liberation-focused graduate training in psychology: critical unlearning/ unknowing, cooperative modes of production, prioritizing indigenous knowledge, embedded interdependence, systems-level action, and prioritizing members of oppressed groups. Although this conceptualization may engender resistance, we argue that there are many potential pathways by which graduate training may use liberation psychology to work equitably with oppressed groups to seek justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing research supports the link between individual expressions of hope and psychological well‐being. In this paper, we draw on psychological theories of hope, racial and ethnic studies, and the literature on radical healing to propose a framework of radical hope. Although the proposed multidimensional framework integrates cultural practices of People of Color in the United States, it is flexible enough to be adapted to other contexts. The paper begins by providing a brief review of the literature that conceptualizes the concept of hope in the field of psychology as a prelude to comparing the concept to the interdisciplinary notion of radical hope. Based on this body of work, we then introduce a culturally relevant psychological framework of radical hope, which includes the components of collective memory as well as faith and agency. Both components require an orientation to one of four directions including individual orientation, collective orientation, past orientation, and future orientation. The framework also consists of pathways individuals can follow to experience radical hope including (a) understanding the history of oppression along with the actions of resistance taken to transform these conditions, (b) embracing ancestral pride, (c) envisioning equitable possibilities, and (d) creating meaning and purpose in life by adopting an orientation to social justice. We conclude with a proposed research agenda for radical hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]