feminist therapy

Contemporary Feminist Therapists

  • feminist therapy does not have a single founder

  • this approach was developed based on a collective effort by many counselors

  • jean miller, carolyn enns, and laura brown are three feminist therapists who contributed significantly to the development of this approach

  • all contributors to this approach were women who shared the same vision to improve mental health treatment for women.

Introduction

  • The broad scope of feminist therapy goes far beyond gender considerations

  • multicultural and social justice issues are equally relevant to the therapeutic enterprise

  • feminist counseling is built on the premise that it is essential to consider the social, cultural, and political contexts that contribute to a persons problems in order to understand that person

  • Feminist therapists emphasize the qualities of authenticity and transparency that contribute to the flow of the therapeutic relationship

  • being empathically present with the suffering of the client is at the core of treatment

  • this approach is not about helping people adjust to conditions, rather, this therapy is about enhancing the client’s desire for connection and building network and community.

  • in conclusion, this approach emphasizes:

  • conveying empathy and deep respect for the client

  • understanding how disconnections affet the individual

  • creating a therapeutic relationship that facilitates healing

Principles of feminist therapy

  1. the personal is politcal and critical consciousness

  2. commitment to social change- not aiming for client change but also social

  3. the counseling relationsip is egaliterian- no power imbalance

  4. a focus on strengths and a reformulated definition of psychological distress- oppose the dsm

  5. all types of oppression are recognized along with the connections among them- promote awareness

  6. reflexivity and positionally- how they rely on ethnocentric and unconsciously support oppression patriarchal systems and self examine their own multiple and intersecting social identities and sources of power and privilege.

The Therapeutic Process

  • goals of feminist therapy include:

  • empowerment

  • valuing and affirming diversity

  • striving for change rather than adjustment

  • balancing independence and interdependence

equality and social change

Responsibility of therapist- self examiniation (be aware of biases) educating ourselves on forms of oppression

Therapeutic Techniques and Procedures

Feminist therapy does not prescribe any particular set of interventions, instead, this approach tailors interventions to client's strength with the goal of empowering clients.

• Consciousness-raising techniques that help women differentiate between what they have been taught is socially acceptable or desirable and what is actually healthy for them are commonly used in this approach.

Therapeutic techniques and procedures

  • some consciousness-raising techniques that feminist therapists use are

  • empowerment

  • self disclosure

  • gender role or social identity analysis

  • assertiveness training

  • reframing and relabeling