Constructing the Developmental Model of Relational Consciousness Positionalities in Counseling

Michell Temple; Shawnna Jantz; Paula Tipton

doi:10.29333/ajqr/18015

Michell Temple ¹ ^* , Shawnna Jantz ¹, Paula Tipton ¹

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AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 10, Issue 2, pp. 162-187

https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18015

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Abstract

For decades, professional counselors have considered the importance of multiculturally competent practice. Counselors affirmed with the adaptation of the Multicultural Social Justice and Counseling Competencies that social oppression influences professional practice. These competencies call for counselors to gain knowledge, awareness, skills, and actions to address relational dynamics and societal forces of power, privilege, and oppression. We aimed to describe how counseling professionals’ (CPs’) perceptions of these dynamics have influenced relational patterns across the scope of professional counseling. Twenty-one (N = 21) participants from diverse backgrounds examined their lived experiences of power and privilege dynamics as students, pre-licensed counselors, counselors, supervisors, and counselor educators. The findings of the constructivist grounded theory study led to the formulation of the Developmental Model of Relational Consciousness Positionalities, which describes the attitudinal commitments of CPs’ progressive awareness of power and privilege. The model offers implications for ongoing change across the types of relationships within the counseling field.

Keywords: Positionalities, power, privilege, multicultural and social justice, professional counseling

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Citation

Temple, M., Jantz, S., & Tipton, P. (2026). Constructing the Developmental Model of Relational Consciousness Positionalities in Counseling. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 10(2), 162-187. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18015

Temple, M., Jantz, S., and Tipton, P. (2026). Constructing the Developmental Model of Relational Consciousness Positionalities in Counseling. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 10(2), pp. 162-187. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18015

Temple M, Jantz S, Tipton P. Constructing the Developmental Model of Relational Consciousness Positionalities in Counseling. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2026;10(2), 162-187. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18015

Temple, Michell, Shawnna Jantz, and Paula Tipton. "Constructing the Developmental Model of Relational Consciousness Positionalities in Counseling". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2026 10 no. 2 (2026): 162-187. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18015

Temple, Michell et al. "Constructing the Developmental Model of Relational Consciousness Positionalities in Counseling". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 10, no. 2, 2026, pp. 162-187. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18015

Temple M, Jantz S, Tipton P. Constructing the Developmental Model of Relational Consciousness Positionalities in Counseling. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2026;10(2):162-87. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/18015