Learning to Embody a Social Justice Perspective in Couple and Family Therapy: A Grounded Theory Analysis of MFTs in Training

This action research study explores how four MFT students shifted from a cognitive understanding of equity and power to an intrinsic and automatic internalized process as we participated in research in which we observed, coded, and engaged in structured reflexive conversations about relational power using a data bank of Socio Emotional Relationship Therapy sessions. We reviewed and analyzed ten of our recorded two-hour reflexive conversations to develop grounded theory that explains our experience of learning to embody a relational power lens, which consists of five interconnected phases: (a) developing a theoretical understanding of relational power, (b) critically observing live therapy, (c) noticing and attending to the felt sense of witnessing power, (d) engaging in transformative conversation, and (e) applying to personal practice. Our findings provide guidance for clinical training programs who wish to facilitate the experience for clinicians-in-training to understand and address societal power processes in clinical practice.