AFTA Keynote 2019 Vikki Reynolds PhD RCC
Justice-Doing with each other: Doing Dignity and respect amidst the darkness of our work
Vikki’s work bridges the worlds of social justice activism and community work, bringing teachings from communities of struggle with histories of solidarity and ‘shouldering each other up’ in dark times. These communities are under attack from structural oppressions, mean spirited and cruel politics.
Vikki will consider these reflexive questions: How can we hold onto respect and dignity for each other when we’re struggling? How can we hold onto our solidarity and our fabulous and painful histories of joint struggle against multiple oppressions including colonialism, white supremacy, legislated poverty, hetero-patriarchy, capitalism and the prison industrial complex? How do we stay in dialogue, with respect, across time, without getting caught up in using power-over practices or re-enacting the abuses of power we are fighting against? How do we enact the analysis and justice-doing we want to create more of? How can we nurture ‘Cultures of Critique’, embrace hopeful scepticism, build solidarity and enact our collective ethics as social justice movements? When resisting powers that work to divide us, how do we enact collective accountability, embrace groundless solidarity and infinite responsibility, and co-create an ethical stance of believed-in hope?
Reflections/critiques:
I am honoured by the following generative and important reflections and critiques of my AFTA keynote by three allies who generously contributed to this project:
Jessica ChenFeng PhD, LMFT, is Associate Professor of Medical Education and Associate Director of Physician Vitality at Loma Linda University, and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. Her research, writing, and clinical work centers around sociocontextual issues such as gender and power, Asian American identity, and Christian spirituality. Most recently, she co-authored the book, Finding Your Voice as a Beginning Marriage and Family Therapist. Jessica identifies as a second-generation Taiwanese American liberative educator and lives in Montclair, California, with her husband, their young toddler, and miniature Schnauzer. She loves trees, sourdough bread baking, connecting over coffee, and lightly sweetened jasmine milk tea.
Travis Heath is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He has practiced in Los Angeles, California, is currently a licensed psychologist working in private practice in Denver, Colorado, and is co-founder of Rocky Mountain Narrative Therapy Center (RMNTC). The work he has been focused on includes shifting from a multicultural approach to counseling to one of cultural democracy that invites people to heal in mediums that are culturally near. Writing he has contributed to has focused on the use of rap music in narrative therapy, working with persons entangled in the criminal justice system in ways that maintain their dignity, narrative practice stories as pedagogy, and a co-created questioning practice called reunion questions. His practice has been apprenticed by David Epston, substantially influenced by the work of Makungu Akinyela, and inspired by collaborators such as marcela polanco, Tom Carlson, Sasha Pilkington, and Kay Ingamells. He has been fortunate enough to run workshops and speak about his work in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Norway, United Kingdom, and United States. He is scheduled to teach in Auckland, New Zealand in November, Mumbai, India in January 2020, and Ystad, Sweden in August 2020
Navid Zamani is a licensed Marriage and Family therapist practicing in San Diego. His work is structured around supporting families experiencing domestic violence, and conceptualizes these experiences from a poststructural, decolonial feminism situated in Narrative practices. His interests in counseling, philosophy, and music are blended together with an interest in relational ethics, the politics of revolutionary love, and leaning into complexity. He currently teaches at San Diego State University and is the Head of Clinical Services at License to Freedom, a non-profit that supports refugees and immigrants from the Middle East who are experiencing domestic violence issues.
Practice and Research as Activism. Vikki Reynolds in conversation with Leah Salter
from Murmurations Journal.
Resisting the neutral and medicalised language of psychology
Radio Interview with 3CR Community Radio in Melbourne, Australia
Recent Dulwich Centre projects:
Resisting Calling-Out Culture: “Leaning in” with respect and dignity.
Haciendo justicia entre nosotres. Apoyándose en dignidad y respeto subtitles by PRANAS Chile
Influence and critique of Intersectional Feminism in Therapy and Community Work
Feminisms, Narrative Practice & Intersectionality
Resisting Burnout With Justice-Doing Part 1: Collective Care & Ethical Pain
Resisting Burnout With Justice-Doing Part 2: “Trauma” & Resistance
Resisting Burnout with Justice-Doing Part 3: Client-Centered Responses to Burnout
Resisting Burnout With Justice-Doing Part 4: Sustainability & Transformation
Resisting Burnout with Justice Doing
Family and Community Services, Practice Conference
New South Wales, Australia | September 7-8, 2016
Vikki Reynolds on Dignity
Center for Response Based Practice
Vancouver, Canada | April 19, 2017
Justice-Doing in therapy & community work- Vikki Reynold & Mike Boucher
Re-authoring Teaching, Inc.
The Collab Salon | November 2016
“Zone of Fabulousness” Q & A with Vikki Reynolds
University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work
Calgary, Canada | September 2016
Shona Russell & Vikki Reynolds interview
Re-authoring Teaching, Inc.
The Collab Salon | June 2016
Radical Therapist Podcast #15: Activism in Therapy: An Ethic of Witnessing w/ Vikki Reynolds, PhD
February 14, 2016
Relocating the problem of disability: Norm Kunc, Emma Van der Klift, Vikki Reynolds and Aaron Munro
Dulwich Centre | September 2015
This video explores the intersection of Critical Disability Theory with the principles of Narrative Practice. Norman Kunc & Emma Van der Klift are narrative practitioners who have disabilities; Norman has cerebral palsy and Emma is Autistic. In a conversation with Vikki Reynolds and Aaron Munro, Emma and Norman provide two insider perspectives that can help narrative practitioners understand the importance and the process of “relocating the problem of disability.”
Keynote, Social Justice Activism & Community Work: Tensions Points of Connection & Hopeful Scepticism
Center for Response Based Practice, Mind the Gap Conference
Vancouver, Canada | 2015
Honouring Women’s Resistance to Violence and Oppression
Hoopla, A Women’s Health Carnival organized by Positive Women’s Network in partnership with WAVAW and Options for Sexual Health
Vancouver, Canada | October 9, 2014
Film, Under the Rainbow
BC Poverty Reduction Coalition
British Columbia, Canada | 2014
Jackie Wilgress and Vikki Reynolds reflect on Vikki’s training ‘Justice Doing’
Family Worker Training & Development Programme
Vancouver, Canada | October 22, 2013
Resisting and transforming rape culture: An activist stance for therapeutic work with men who have used violence
Working With Men Who Use Violence, A Talking Circle
Parramatta, Australia | October 2013
Keynote, Being Imperfect Allies: Addressing power and being accountable
British Columbia Teachers’ Federation Conference, Our Social Justice Movement: Inspiring schools and communities
Richmond, Canada | April 16, 2011
Resisting burnout in feminist activism
Interview on the F Word August 1, 2011 (Opens in new window)
Activism and Solidarity: the Role of Activists in Academia, Ally Work, and Direct Action
Conversations with activists: 2010 series
University of Victoria, | January 19, 2010
