Final answer:
The statement regarding the goals of therapists in reducing suffering, enhancing relational resilience, and fostering social justice is true. This is achieved through various methods like client-centered therapy, communal projects, promoting mutual empathy, and initiating social activism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that therapists aim to lessen the suffering caused by disconnection and isolation, increase clients' capacity for relational resilience, develop mutual empathy and mutual empowerment, and foster social justice is true.
Therapeutic goals often include the reduction of individual suffering by enhancing the quality of connections, fostering environments for client-centered therapy, and emphasizing crucial therapeutic conditions such as unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy, as proposed by Carl Rogers. Community psychologists extend these goals further into the communal space, implementing projects aimed at reducing prejudice, empowering marginalized groups, and encouraging social activism and the building of strong, resilient communities.
These approaches have been applied in several ways, including arts-based projects to create a level playing field among clients, staff, and evaluators, thus enhancing mutual empathy and empowering all involved. Another example is providing psycho-social support with a relational needs approach to refugees and hosting debrief sessions to foster communication and address conflicts. Additionally, reducing historical trauma through healing-centered engagement that celebrates identities and builds community relations is aligned with these therapeutic intentions.
Efforts also include the promotion of social justice by exposing participants to new perspectives on issues such as gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial equality, and by preparing them for roles and opportunities in activism. It is worth noting that the application of these approaches must acknowledge and address policies, power dynamics, and systemic challenges to be effective, as highlighted by the experiences shared in community psychology practices.