Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 12
Introduction
Feminist therapy puts gender and power at the core of the therapeutic process. It is built on the premise that it is essential to consider the social and cultural context that contributes to a persons problems in order to understand that person. A central concept in feminist therapy is the psychological oppression of women and the constraints imposed by the sociopolitical status to which women have been relegated.
A profusion of research on gender bias emerged in the 1970s, which helped further feminist therapy ideas, and organizations began to foster the development of feminist therapy. Association for Women in Psychology (AWP) American Psychological Association (APA)
The 1980s, were marked by efforts to define feminist therapy as an entity in its own right, and individual therapy was the most frequently practiced form of feminist therapy work on the different voice of women and the morality of care and the work of Miller and the Stone Center scholars on the self-in-relation model of womens development were influential in the development of a feminist personality theory. This changed dramatically and became more diverse as it focused increasingly on specific problems and issues such as body image, abusive relationships, eating disorders, and incest and sexual abuse, and the feminist philosophies that guided the practice of therapy also became more diverse.
The third wave of feminism embraces diversity with its inclusion of women of color, lesbians, and the postmodern and constructivist viewpoints espoused by many in the most recent generation of women. Postmodern feminists provide a model for critiquing the value of other traditional and feminist approaches, addressing the issue of what constitutes reality and proposing multiple truths as opposed to a single truth. Women of color feminists believe it is essential that feminist theory be broadened and made more inclusive. Lesbian feminists share commonalities with many aspects of radical feminism. Global-international feminists take a worldwide perspective and seek to understand the ways in which racism, sexism, economics, and classism affect women in different countries.
It is clear that there is no single, unified feminist theory. Feminist therapists believe gender is central to therapeutic practice, that understanding a clients problems requires adopting a sociocultural perspective, and that empowerment of the individual and societal changes are crucial goals in therapy.
Key Concepts
Six Characteristics of traditional theories that reflect outdated assumptions about the role gender plays in behavior:
Androcentric theory -uses male orientated constructs to draw conclusions about human nature o Gendercentric theories -propose two separate paths of development for women and men. o Ethnocentric theories -assume that the facts pertaining to human development and interaction are similar across races, cultures, and nations.
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Heterosexist theories -view a heterosexual orientation as normative and desirable and devalues same-sex relationships. Intrapsychic orientation -attributes behavior to intrapsychic causes, which often results in blaming the victim. Determinism -assumes that present personality patterns and behavior are fixed at an early stage of development.
Gender-fair theories- explain differences in the behavior of women and men in terms of socialization processes rather than on the basis of our true natures. Flexible-multicultural theory-uses concepts and strategies that apply equally to both individuals and groups regardless of age, race, culture, gender, ability, class, or sexual orientation. Interactionist theories-contain concepts sepcific to the thinking, feeling, and behaving dimensions of human experience and account for contextual and environmental factors. Life-span perspective- assumes that human development is a lifelong process and that personality patterns and behavioral changes can occur at any time rather than being fixed during early childhood.
A womans sense of identity and self-concept develop in the context of relationships. Many of the techniques of feminist therapy foster mutuality, relational capacities, and growth in connection. Gender schema theory provides another perspective on the development of womenthe gender schema is an organized set of mental associations people use to interpret what they see. Engendered lives are used to describe beliefs that the gender is the organizing principle in peoples lives. Feminist therapists teach their clients that uncritical acceptance of traditional roles can greatly restrict their range of freedom to define the kind of person they want to be. They can also experience mutual behavioral characteristics such as accepting themselves as being both dependent and independent at different times, being interdependent, giving to others and being open to receiving, thinking, feeling, and being tender and tough.
Feminist therapists help clients to depathologize womens experiencing and to change society so that womens voices are honored and womens relational qualities are valued.
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They focus on the individuals symptoms and not the social factors that cause dysfunctional behavior May represent an instrument of oppression They may reinforce gender-role stereotypes and encourage adjustment to the norms of status quo May reflect the inappropriate application of power in the therapeutic relationship Can lead to an overemphasis on individual solutions rather than social change Have the potential to reduce ones respect for clients
Feminist therapists believe women have many more reasons to experience depression than men, and they often frame depression as a normative experience for women. Women are often financially disadvantaged or dependent, relationally submissive, and strive to please others by anticipating their needs. Depression may result from womens internalized perception, belief, and experience of not being in control of their lives or bodies and feeling less valuable than men. An alternative form of assessment preferred by feminist therapists is gender-role analysis, which involves a cooperative exploration by client and therapist of the impact of gender on the clients distress.
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Empowerment: getting the most from each session, clear expectations, identifying goals, and working toward a contract that will guide the process Self-disclosure: is not just sharing information and experiences. Also involves a certain quality of presence the therapist brings to the sessions Gender-role Analysis: explores the impact of expectations on the clients well being or distress and draws upon this information to make decision about future gender-role behaviors. Gender-role Intervention: placing it in context of societys role expectations for women. The aim is to provide insight into the ways that social issues are affecting the problem.
Power Analysis and Power Intervention: becoming aware of the power difference between men and women in society and empowering to take charge of ones self and life. Also includes recognizing different kinds of power that clients possess or to which they have access. Bibliotherapy: Books that address the consequences of societys obsession with certain issues. Can explore and enhance therapy by reactions to what they are reading. Assertiveness Training: Become aware of their interpersonal rights, transcend stereotypical gender roles, change negative beliefs, and implement changes in their daily lives. Reframing and Relabeling: Reframing implies a shift from blaming the victim to a consideration of social factors in the environment that contribute to a clients problem. Relabeling is an intervention that changes the label or evaluation applied to some behavioral characteristic. Group Work: Group work alone is often the preferred modality for some issues that women experience in out culture. Self help groups and advocacy groups help women experience their connectedness and unity with other women. Social Action: Participation in activities can empower clients and help them see the link between their personal experiences and the sociopolictal context in which they live.
Men can be nonsexist therapists Men can be pro-feminist therapists when they embrace the principles and incorporate the practices of feminism in their work. This entails being willing to confront sexist behavior in themselves and others, redefining masculinity and femininity according to other than traditional values, working toward establishing egalitarian relationships, and actively supporting womens efforts to create a just society.
Gestalt therapy and feminist therapy share the goal of increasing the clients awareness of personal power. Cognitive behavioral therapies and feminist therapy are compatible in that they view the therapeutic relationship as a collaboration and the client as being in charge of setting goals and selecting strategies for change. Feminist therapy suggests that a counseling theory should be gender-fair, flexible-multicultural, interactionist, and life-spanorientated. A feminist therapy approach can contribute to broadening the theoretical base of other therapy models as well as enriching all of our lives by encouraging positive social activism in our communities and throughout the world.