All counseling looks at issues through a particular point of view or theoretical perspective—psychodynamic or cognitive, for example. The approach informs the way you interpret a client’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings and ultimately how you develop the treatment plan. Social justice counseling puts the individual within the context of society, meaning it doesn’t look only at what’s going on with you; it explores how what’s going with you is influenced by social forces like racism, sexism, white supremacy, transphobia, ableism, capitalism, and so on.
