Resistance as Praxis: A Call to Action
Michele D. Ribeiro, EdD, ABPP, CGP, APA-F, AGPA-F
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Our dear Newsletter Co-Editor, Dr. Tom Treadwell, invited Joe or me to write a commentary in response to Dr. David Songco’s poignant article in this issue of The Group Psychologist. I chose to center this column in alignment with David’s theme. Before reading further, however, I strongly encourage you to first read David’s beautifully written piece, which I experience as a profound call to action.
David reminds us that our complicity in remaining “neutral” can be as harmful as the psychological defenses we employ to explain away, distance ourselves from, or scapegoat the other—whoever that “other” may be in any given moment. Neutrality, when injustice is present, is not benign.
Building upon David’s reflections, I want to lift up another essential psychological practice: resistance. Resistance can take many forms. It is often expressed in everyday behaviors and, at times, through more visible acts such as disobedience, subversion, agitation, or symbolic opposition to injustice, oppression, and threats to well-being (Lilja, 2022; Steindl et al., 2015). Closely related is the concept of psychological empowerment—the act of engaging in resistance as a way of preserving self-respect and agency in the face of profound injustice. Without such engagement, individuals and communities are vulnerable to apathy, depression, and traumatic stress (Essex, 2022).
Recently, I was invited to lead a workshop at a friend’s yoga studio which I titled Holding the Weary Heart: Yoga for Emotional Restoration. The title emerged from the questions she felt her community was carrying:
- How do we take care of ourselves while living through injustice?
- How do we take action without falling into anger or despair?
- How do we care for ourselves when our families (Latinos, immigrants, and others) are suffering? Self-care feels like guilt. Protesting endlessly leads to burnout.
- How do we navigate families fractured by political differences that feel like betrayal?
- What does research say about mental health during political turmoil?
- What embodied practices help us ground ourselves?
At first glance, her request felt like a heavy lift. Yet as the twelve participants introduced themselves and shared their hopes for the day, something familiar emerged—the quiet formation of group cohesion. What unfolded felt less like a yoga class and more like a small group process I recognized well.
Participants spoke of feeling pulled toward anger, defensiveness, and deep hurt. They alluded to the temptation to project blame or locate a scapegoat—dynamics David cautions against in his article. Rather than reinforcing those splits, I invited them into their bodies. I asked them to notice tension and to practice releasing it. I encouraged them to explore what resistance looks like not only in the streets or online, but within their own nervous systems.
I invited them to “gather their energy rather than scatter it” (Ribeiro, 2005). Gathering energy means moving away from fragmentation and toward integration—within ourselves and with one another. It means recognizing the common humanity beneath our fear and fury. It means practicing self-compassion and extending compassion toward others, even when we profoundly disagree.
In essence, I invited the philosophy of nonviolent resistance articulated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
For us as group leaders and facilitators, resistance is not merely political—it is relational and ethical. We are called to use our skills to facilitate dialogue, reduce scapegoating, and interrupt cycles of psychological violence. This includes helping members recognize and metabolize embodied anger, hurt, and fear rather than enacting them.
Creating spaces of connection and healing is itself an act of resistance. When we help groups move from powerlessness to empowerment, from fragmentation to cohesion, from hatred to dialogue, we are engaging in transformative resistance.
I close with gratitude for David’s thoughtful words, which invite us to pause and examine what we may unknowingly collude with in our groups. May we allow our ethical commitments and moral compass to guide us—not toward neutrality—but toward healing.
References
Essex, R. (2022). How resistance shapes health and well-being. Journal of Bioethics Inquiry, 19(2):315-325. doi: 10.1007/s11673-022-10183-x. Epub 2022 Apr 6. PMID: 35384621; PMCID: PMC8984666.
Lilja, M. (2022). The definition of resistance. Journal of Political Power, 15(2), 202–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/2158379X.2022.2061127
Ribeiro, S. (2005). Personal Communication.
Steindl, C., Jonas, E., Sittenthaler, S., Traut-Mattausch, E., & Greenberg, J. (2015). Understanding psychological reactance: New developments and findings. Journal of Psychology, 223 (4), 205-214. doi: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000222. PMID: 27453805; PMCID: PMC4675534.