Combining historical context and clinical guidelines, and personal narratives, this book offers a comprehensive discussion about the relevance, importance, and potential of counseling and counseling psychology professionals engaging in positive peacebuilding work. The book emphasizes the necessity of possessing counseling skills as part of the positive peacebuilding process. It also discusses how the outcome of this process can promote peace while mitigating cultural and structural violence. This volume is germane to all professionals involved in peace related pursuits.

Lawrence H. Gerstein, Ph.D., (he/his) is a Ball State University George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Counseling - Psychology, Director of the Ball State Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Director of the Ball State doctoral program in counseling psychology, and Co-Editor of the Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Divisions of Counseling Psychology, Peace Psychology, and International Psychology, Fulbright Scholar and Specialist, and trained mediator with expertise in peace studies, de-escalation, countering violent extremism, and cross-cultural/national research, training, and practice. Gerstein is a co-author of Theories and Applications of Counseling and Psychotherapy: Relevance Across Cultures and Settings, and co-editor of the International Handbook of Cross-Cultural Counseling: Cultural Assumptions and Practices Worldwide, Essentials of Cross-Cultural Counseling, and Handbook for Social Justice in Counseling Psychology: Leadership, Vision, and Action. He has received 2.3+ million dollars in funding including six United States (U.S.) Department of State grants and one U.S. Institute of Peace grant to perform peacebuilding and violence prevention work in the U.S., India, Jordan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia, Israel, Taiwan, and Myanmar. Gerstein has led peacebuilding programs for faculty, teachers, administrators, law enforcement personnel, and/or other professionals. He has been honored with numerous awards including the APA Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology Award, the APA Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence: Peace Psychology DivisionIgnacio Martín-Baró Lifetime Peace Practitioner Award, and the APA Society for Counseling Psychology Leona Tyler Award.

Elizabeth (Liz) M.Abrams, Ph.D., (she/they) is a Co-Chair and Professor in the Integral Counseling Psychology (ICP) program at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco, CA. Her clinical work, teaching, and scholarship are allgrounded in a foundation of relational, feminist, liberation, and peace psychologies, and has specialized training and experience in Buddhist psychology, mindfulness-based approaches, and trauma work. Liz’s identity as a researcher is closely tied to their clinical and teaching work. She was trained as a qualitative methodologist and a participatory action researcher (PAR).Liz sees research as acomplementto the everyday work of social justice and grassroots activist communities rather than as anintervention.

Aashna Banerjee, Ph.D., (she/her), is an Assistant Professor in the Integral Counseling Psychology program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), San Francisco, where she bridges peace psychology, feminist-liberation theory, and cross-cultural scholarship and counseling practice. Her work sits at the intersection of counseling psychology, international populations, and identity-based power, privilege, and oppression, with particular focus on sexual violence prevention, gender-based issues, and positive psychology. A Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Fellow, she also serves on the Advisory Board of the Ball State Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. Since 2013, her research, clinical, and community work has centered prevention, equity, and justice across diverse global contexts. In all her professional roles, Aashna draws on feminist, multicultural, liberation, and social justice frameworks to empower individuals and communities to resist oppression and enhance well-being. She is especially committed to mentoring emerging counseling psychologists in developing decolonial and justice-oriented practice.