Decolonization is liberation: Operationalization of decolonial model of counseling using liberation psychology principles with the Latine population(s)

Abstract

The need for culturally affirming mental health interventions for Latine communities has been documented in the literature. Most of this literature centers around best practices, barriers to care, and Latine cultural values. Although much of this literature calls for providing services that acknowledge the specific needs of these communities and value ancestral knowledge, there is a void in the literature when exploring liberatory mental health interventions. Therefore, the present manuscript aims to offer readers a five-stage counseling model centered on the decolonization process. The model integrates the principles of liberation psychology as interventions and outcomes, beginning with the stages of decolonization presented by Enriquez and further developed by Laenui. Furthermore, the model unpacks the principles of liberation psychology, such as deideologization, and provides bases to challenge the dominant social forces that shape realities. In addition, liberation psychology approaches imply Native counseling approaches, indicating that counselors must be familiar with precolonial cultures. The manuscript ends with recommendations for practitioners and implications for the counseling field, including the need to acknowledge trauma, given that colonization was a violent event.