Digital Storytelling Methodologies: Recommendations for a Participatory Approach to Engaging Underrepresented Communities in Counseling Psychology Research

• Published in: Journal of counseling psychology 2021-04, Vol.68 (3), p.271-285
• Main Authors: Fish, Jillian, Syed, Moin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Action Research; Advocacy; Communities; Community psychology; Counseling Psychologists; Counseling Psychology; Counselling psychologists; Data Analysis; Digital Storytelling; Dissemination; Empowerment; Human; Immigrants; Inequality; Paradigms; Psychological research; Psychologists; Qualitative Methods; Qualitative research; Quantitative analysis; Research methodology; Social change; Social Justice; Storytelling; Underserved populations
• ISSN: 0022-0167; 1939-2168
• DOI: 10.1037/cou0000532

While counseling psychologists made substantial proposals to advance qualitative research since the special issue on related methods was published 15-years ago (Haverkamp, Morrow, & Ponterotto, 2005), the field continues to demonstrate an overreliance on quantitative methods. Though important for producing knowledge we can depend on, excessive use of these methods poses a barrier for counseling psychologists to address the needs of the communities that are at the core of our discipline's values-those who are marginalized and underserved in society. In alignment with our values of social justice, advocacy, and empowerment, we propose counseling psychologists adopt a methodology within a critical paradigm to better address issues of inequality and inequity when working with underrepresented communities, such as digital storytelling. Rooted in a movement to increase access to art for marginalized communities in the 1970s and 1980s, digital storytelling is an arts-based research methodology that captures first-person narrated accounts of peoples' lives through the use of stories, photos, and videos, and empowers communities to be a part of research to create social change. We provide recommendations for using digital storytelling in counseling psychology research as outlined through 5 phases, including Phase I) digital storytelling's critical paradigm, Phase II) project development, Phase III) implementation, Phase IV) data analysis, and Phase V) dissemination. While doing so, we draw on examples from 2 digital storytelling projects we are familiar with, Immigrant Stories and OrigiNatives, providing a framework for a digital frontier in counseling psychology research. Public Significance Statement This article outlines recommendations for using digital stories as a collaborative method for conducting research with individuals from marginalized and underserved communities. Specifically, these recommendations are intended to assist counseling psychologists in using digital storytelling to address inequities and inequalities in a manner consistent with the field's values.