Feminist Therapy EXTRA CREDIT

Feminist

 

 

What is Feminist Therapy?

Feminist Therapy involves the integration of feminist philosophy and principles into the therapeutic process. Gender, the way gender experiences influence people’s lives, and how these factors relate to the individual’s current distress are of central interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Mothers" of Feminist Therapy

 

 

Dr. Jean Baker Miller

(1928 - 2006)

 

 

Carolyn Zerbe Enns

 

 

Oliva M. Espin

Laura S. Brown

 

 

Principles of Feminist Therapy

1. The personal is political
2. Commitment to social change
3. Women's and girl's voices and ways of knowing are valued and their experiences are honored
4. The counseling relationship is egalitarian
5. A focus on stregnths and reformulated definition of psychological distress
6. All types of oppression are recognized

 

 

 

Goals?

Empowerment, valuing and addirming diversity, striving for change rather than adjustment, equality, balancing independence and interdependence, social change, and self-nurturance.

 

 

 

 

Techniques

 

• Gender-role analysis - explores the impact of gender-role expectations on the client's psychological well-being and draws upon this imformation to make decisions about future gender-role behaviors. Gender-role intervention places this concern in the context of society's role expectations for women.
• Power analysis - helps clients understand how unequal access to power and resources can influence personal realities.
• Biblotherapy - reading about feminist perspectivies on common issues in women's lives. Reading is supplementing what is learned in therapy sessions.
• Assertivness training - women become aware of their interpersonal rights, transcend sterotypical gender roles, change negative beliefs, and implement changes in daily life.
• Reframing and relabeling - reframing includes a shift from "blaming the victim" to a consideration of social factors in the environment that contribute to the client's problem. Relabeling is an intervention the label or evaluation applied to some behavioral characteristic. 
• Social action - as clients become more grounded in their understanding of feminism, therapists may suggests that they participate in community out reach.
• Group work - a way for women to discuss their lack of voice in the society in self help groups.

 

 The Role of Men?

 

 

Men can be feminist therapists, and the principles and practices are useful in working with male clients, indivuals fromdiverse racial and cultural backgrounds, and people who are commited to addressing social justice issue in counceling practice. Some feninist therapists regularly see men, especially  with abusive men and in batterers' groups.

 

 

 



Link:

http://feministtherapyassociates.com/FeministTherapy.html



References:
Corey, Gerald (2012). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. 9th ed.
Belmont,California: Brooks/Cole.