Chapter 12: Feminist therapy Flashcards
contemporary feminist therapists
Jean Baker Miller
Carolyn Zerbe Enns
Thema Bryant-Davis
Lillian Comas-Diaz
Laura S. Brown
Jean Baker Miller
collaborated with diverse groups of scholars and colleagues on the development of relational-cultural theory
expanded and explored new applications of this theory (diversity, social action, and workplace change)
Carolyn Zerbe Enns
explored how diverse forms of feminist theory are likely to influence the priorities and psychotherapy practices of feminist therapists
explores the impact of women of color and transnational influences on feminist therapy
Thema Bryant-Davis
incorporates spirituality and expressive arts for healing and growth
enhancing the cultural context of trauma recovery
Lillian Comas-Diaz
focused on feminism of color, and social activism/liberation
Laura s brown
founding member of the feminist therapy institute and member of the theory workgroup
contributions to thinking about ethics and boundaries
feminist counseling
built on the premise that it is essential to consider the social, cultural, and political context that contributes to a person’s problems to be able to understand the person
feminist psychotherapy
a philosophical orientation that lends itself to an integration of feminist, multicultural, and social justice concepts and uses a variety of psychotherapy approaches
feminist perspective
offers a unique approach to understanding the roles that women and men with diverse social identities and experiences have been socialized to accept and to bringing this understanding into the therapeutic process
history and development
can be traced to the late 1800s,
foundation was laid in the 1960s women’s movement
pushed for therapy to move from intrpsychic perspective to one understanding cultural/oppressive forces
the morality of care in women (Gilligan), and the self-in-relation model (Miller and the stone center scholars) were influential on evolution of feminist personality theory
1980s- focused on more diverse issues (abusive relationships, incest, eating disorders, etc.)
intrapsychic perspective
psychopathology
perspective that believes the sources of woman’s unhappiness reside within her
a shift from this to
self-in-relation model (relational-cultural)
influential in the evolution of a feminist personality theory
Brown (2018) definition of feminist therapy
postmodern, technically integrative approach that emphasizes the analysis of gender, power, and social location as strategies for facilitation change
constructs of feminist theory
gender fair
flexible-multicultural
interactionist
life-span-orientated
gender fair and culturally inclusive approaches
explain differences in the behavior of women and men in terms of socialization processes rather than as our “innate” natures, thus avoiding dichotomized stereotypes in social roles and interpersonal behavior
flexible-multicultural perspective
uses concepts and strategies that apply to individuals and groups regardless of age, race, culture, gender, ability, class, or sexual orientation, or other social positionally
interactionist intersectionality view
contains concepts specific to the thinking, feeling, and behaving dimensions of human experience and accounts for contextual and environmental factors
life-span perspective
assumes that human development is a lifelong process and that personality and behavioral changes can occur at any time rather than being fixed during early childhood
feminist perspective on personality development
emphasizes that societal gender-role expectations influence a persons identity from the moment or prior of birth and become ingrained in adult personality
Gilligan (1977/70s) recognized that theories of moral development was researched exclusively with white males
the concepts of connectedness and interdependence are central to women’s development
engendered lives (Kaschak 1992)
the belief that gender is the organizing principle in people’s lives
masculine defines the feminine (men define the beauty standard of women)
recent trends in feminist therapy
feminists recognize that many women are searching for a connectedness with others as well as possibilities for autonomy
women’s relational qualities are seen as strengths and pathways for healthy growth
relational-cultural theory (RCT)
emphasizes that growth occurs in connection
describes a process of relational movement in which people move through connections, disconnections, and enhanced transformative relationships throughout their lives
therapist aim in therapy
reduce the suffering caused by disconnection and isolation, increase clients capacity for relational resilience, develop mutual empathy and mutual empowerment, and foster social justice
transnational feminism
a recent development in feminist therapy, seeks to encompass the complexity of massive changes that have occurred and are occurring in the 21st century
has a broad, global lens to move towards inclusiveness
practices reflexivity
reflexivity
entails self-examination regarding how they rely on euro-centric knowledge and unconsciousy support oppressive patriarchal systems
positionality
involves therapists examining their own multiple and intersecting social identities and sources of power and privilege
principles of feminist therapy
- their personal is political and critical consciousness
- commitment to social change
- women’s and girls voices and ways of knowing, as well as the voices of others who have experienced marganilization and oppression, are valued, and their experiences are honored
- the counseling relationship is egalitarian
5.a focus on strengths and a reformulated definition of psychological distress - all types of oppression are recognized along with the connections among them
- reflexivity and positionality are key practices for feminist therapists
egalitarian relationship
marked by authenticity, mutuality, and respect
core of feminist therapy
therapeutic goals
become aware of their own gender-role socialization process
identify their internalized messages of oppression and replace them with more self-enhancing beliefs
understand how sexist and oppressive societal beliefs and practices influence them in negative ways
acquire skills to bring about change in the environment
restructure insitutions to rid them of discriminatory practices
develop a wide range of behaviors that are freely chosen
evaluate the impact of social factors on their lives
develop a sense of personal and social power
recognize the power of relationships and connectedness
trust their own experience and their intuition
TLDR: empowerment, valuing and affirming diversity, striving for change rather than adjustment, equality, balancing independence and interdependence, social change, and self-nurturance
therapists function and role
free of biased assumptions
theories and techniques are based on the lives and experiences of individuals as well as research supporting gender and other inequities
mainly focus on social equality and social interest
nonhierarchical; person-to-person approach
clients experience in therapy
clients determine what they want from therapy and are experts of their own lives
relationship between therapist and client
the structure of the client-therapist relationship models how to identify and use power responsibly
therapists state their values to see if it coincides with client
therapist tries to be aware of possible power-imbalance
the role of assessment and diagnosis
feminists find diagnosis to be very limiting due to their systems they are influenced by
reframe symptoms as resistance to oppression and as coping skills for survival
limits of diagnostic labels
- focus on the individuals symptoms and not the social 2. factors that cause distress
are part of a system developed mainly with psychiatry which reinforces dominant cultural norms - they may reflect the inappropriate application of power in the therapeutic relationship
- the can lead to an overemphasis on individual solutions rather than social change
- they have the potential to dehumanize the client through labeling
assessment
viewed as on ongoing process between client and therapist and is connected to treatment interventions
techniques and strategies
techniques are based on and tailored to the client
focus on consciousness-raising techniques the help women differentiate between what they have been taught is socially acceptable and what is actually healthy for them
therapeutic focuses
empowerment
self-disclosure
gender-role and social identity analysis
gender-role and social role intervention
power analysis
bibliotherapy
assertiveness training
reframing and relabeling
social action
gender-role analysis
assists clients in identifying the impact of their own gender-role socialization has played in shaping their values, thoughts, and behaviors
AKA social identity analysis
gender-role and social role intervention
places concerns in the context of society’s role for the client and help identify how the affect the client `
power analysis
an assessment strategy that helps members of marginalized groups understand their devalued stance in society and helps all clients become aware of the power differences between the sexes
become aware of differential power that is related to privilege/lack of in their social context
assertiveness training
teaches and promotes assertive behavior so clients recognize their interpersonal rights, pass stereotypes, change negative beliefs, and implement changes
reframing
includes a shift from playing the problem internally to a consideration of social factors in the environment
relabeling
an intervention that changes the label or evaluation applied to some behavioral characteristic
social action
social activism
can be used to empower clients and helps them see link between their personal experiences and the sociopolitical context they live in
feminist approach to group work
joining a group can learn how rooted their personal problems are in the system and inspire social action
feminist social justice applied to school counseling
the cost of traditional gender socialization as well as dominant masculinities and feminizes
intersectionality
importance of sociocultural and ecological contexts to understand students concerns
school counselors role
use strengths-based and resilience frameworks when choosing interventions
implement non-traditional interventions relevant to students needs
become involved in social change and advocacy on behalf of students, their families, and school systems
strengths from a diversity perspective
most multicultural of all approaches
promotes social, political, and environmental changes within the counseling context
“the personal is also political”
shortcomings from diversity perspective
the fundamentals of feminist Therapy may not work well with women who do not have those same goals
if therapist does not fully understand the culture of client, may impose their own beliefs and values
