Feminist Therapy

Question 1

Feminist Therapy

Answer 1

1. Power differences between women and men and how that differential impacts on both sexes behavior
2. intrapsychic events always occur and must be interpreted w/in an oppressive social context
3. personal is political
4. symptoms are:
   
   1. related to the nature of traditional feminine roles/conflicts
   2. survival tactics or a means of exercising personall power
   3. arbitrary labels by society to impose sanctions/control

GOAL: identifying and altering the oppressive forces in society that have affected clients’ lives. Empowerment for women to become self-defining and self-determining.

Techniques:

• Striving for an Egalitarian Relationship: recognize the power difference in therapy and strive for ‘power with’ not ‘power over’.
  
  • Use self-disclosure, demystifying the therapy process, encouraging clients to set goals and evaluate progress.
• Avoiding Labels: avoid pathologizing client’s problems and de-emphasize traditional assessment and diagnosis.
• _Avoiding Revictimization: _ place ressponsibilit for abuse on the abuser and emphasize the woman’s strengths.
• Involvement in Social Action: to be effective they must be social and political activists.

Question 2

Feminist Therapy &

non-sexist therapy

object relations theorists

Answer 2

Feminist and Nonsexist therapists: both recognize the impact of sexism and avoid the use of gender-biased techniques.

Feminists: prioritize the role of sociopolitical factors on a woman’s psychological functioning and the need for social change.

Nonsexist Therapists: focus more on individual factors and modifying personal behavior.

Feminist Object relations theory: (Chodorow):

• sexual division of labor (parenting as female job)
• the mother-child relationship: self-in-relation theory proposes that many gender differences can be traced to differences in the mother/daughter and mother/son relationship.
  
  • males are taught to separate from mom, but females are taught to remain attached.
  • males defined by separation but women are defined by relationship.
  • this impacts self-esteem, values, achievement oerientation, and beliefs about gender roles.