Self-Monitoring, Loneliness, EAPs, Social Justice, Cross-Cultural Psychology, and Peacebuilding: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

This article expands on the author's invited presentation given in Minneapolis in August 2022 as the recipient of the 2020 Leona Tyler Award. Four phases (New York, Georgia, Illinois, and Indiana) of the author's life are described. Challenges and opportunities of the author's pursuit of research and other activities on impression management, loneliness, Employee Assistance Programs, social justice, cross-cultural psychology, and peacebuilding are discussed. Further, the importance of counseling psychologists demonstrating cross-cultural validity and equivalence and reducing bias in the science and application of psychology, and educating students is deemed a social justice imperative. Given the polarization and lack of civility in societies worldwide, the need for more counseling psychologists to function as bridge or peace builders in addition to advocates and activists also is highlighted. Lessons learned, recommendations to move the counseling psychology discipline forward, and appreciation to individuals' instrumental in the author's life are discussed as well.