Feminist Therapy Handout
Feminist Therapy Handout
Feminist Therapy Handout
PAGE 1
Womens movement in the 1970s and 1980s
In the 1970s, research on gender-bias emerged and helped further feminist
therapy ideas and formal organizations began to foster the development
and defining of feminist therapy.
Self-in relation model (Relational-cultural model) validated relational and
cooperative dimensions of womens experience
PAGE 2
Women of color
Believe that it is essential that feminist theory be broadened and made more
inclusive.
Want to include an analysis of multiple oppressions, an assessment of
access to privilege and power, and to emphasize activism.
Lesbian
Heterosexism is at the core of womens oppression. Also, womens
oppression is related to sexualized images of women.
Their perspective calls for feminist theory to include an analysis of multiple
identities and their relationship to oppression and to recognize the diversity
that exists among lesbians.
Global international
Take a worldwide perspective and seek to understand the ways in which
racism, sexism, economics, and classism affect women in different
countries.
They see the need to address those cultural differences that directly
contribute to womens oppression.
PAGE 3
Principles of Feminist Therapy
The personal is political.
Commitment to social change.
Womens and girls voices and ways of knowing are valued and their
experiences are honored.
The counseling relationship is egalitarian.
A focus on strengths and a reformulated definition of psychological distress.
All types of oppression are recognized.
PAGE 4
Roles and Functions of the therapist
Feminist therapists are:
Committed to monitoring their own biases and distortions, especially
the social and cultural dimensions of womens experiences.
Committed to understanding oppression in all its forms sexism,
racism, heterosexism and they consider the impact of oppression
and discrimination of psychological well-being.
The value being emotionally present for their clients, being willing to
share themselves during the therapy hour, modeling proactive
behaviors, and being committed to their own consciousness-raising
process.
They work to free women (and men) from roles that have constrained
them from realizing their potential.
Therapists and the clients take active and equal roles, working
together to determine goals and procedures.
They avoid assuming a therapist role is of an all-knowing expert,
assuming instead the role of a relational expert.
PAGE 5
Therapist makes a client and active partner in determining any diagnosis by
making use of appropriate self-disclosure.
Therapists respect the clients decision to proceed or not proceed with a
particular therapeutic technique.
PAGE 6
Reframing and Relabeling
In reframing, rather than dwelling exclusively on intrapsychic factors, the
focus is on examining societal or political dimensions
Rebelling is an intervention that changes the label or evaluation applied to
some behavioral characteristic.
Social Action
Therapists may suggest to the clients to actively become involved in
activities such as volunteering at a rape crisis center, lobbying lawmakers,
or providing community education about gender issues.
This empower the clients by helping them see the link between their
personal experiences and the sociopolitical context in which they live.
Group Work
Emphasizes support for the experience of women.
Provides women with a social network, decrease feelings of isolation, create
an environment that encourages sharing of experiences, an help women
realize that they are not alone in their experiences (Eriksen & Kress, 2005).
PAGE 7
Therapists must understand fully and respect the cultural values of clients
from diverse groups.
PAGE 8
Contributions
Gender-sensitive practice and awareness of the impact of cultural context and
multiple oppressions.
Emphasis on social change, which can lead to a transformation in society.
Proper focus of the therapy includes addressing oppressive factors in society
rather than expecting individuals to merely adapt to expected role behaviors.
Building community, providing authentic mutual empathic relationships, creating a
sense of social awareness and the emphasis on social change are all significant
strengths of this approach.
The principles and techniques of feminist therapy can be incorporated in many
other contemporary therapy models and vice versa (Enns, 2003).
PAGE 9