The fierce ethical urgency of decoloniality in therapy: From understanding to action

Disentangling psychology from the grip of methods, values, ways of knowing, and power structures considered normative within Western societies, all of which have been used to justify dominance and coloniality, presents a complex challenge and an ethical imperative. Psychology must rise to this challenge. This article invites readers to reflect on how coloniality influences the lives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the United States and people from the Global South. The article examines the history of imperialism and colonialism. It considers how Western psychology's ideas (i.e., psyimperialism) were spread and imposed on others (i.e., psycolonization). This approach fell short of meeting psychology's ethical responsibilities. The article then discusses why it is critical to broaden the scope of our perspective beyond reflexive acceptance of Western ways of thinking, especially those that violate our ethical values, and weigh other approaches. We conclude with a call to action, offering questions and suggesting strategies that may be useful in moving beyond intentions and commitments to effectively decolonize our practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).