Chapter12 Feminist Therapy Summary

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy
Chapter12: Feminist Therapy
Questions?
• What are the differences in terms of gender-role socialization from this couple?
• What kinds of messages do you learn in terms of being a woman or being a man?
• How these gender-role expectations could impact you as a therapist?
Four Approaches to Feminist Therapy
1. Liberal Feminism
• Focus
• Helping individual women overcome the limits and constraints of their socialization patterns
• Major goals
• Personal empowerment of individual women
• Dignity
• Self-fulfillment
• Equality
2. Cultural Feminism
• Oppression stems from society’s devaluation of women’s strengths
• Emphasize the differences between women and men
• Believe the solution to oppression lies in feminization of the culture
• Society becomes more nurturing, cooperative, and relational
• Major goal of therapy is the infusion of society with values based on cooperation
3. Radical Feminism
• Focus
• Seek to change society through activism
• Therapy is viewed as a political enterprise with the goal of transformation of society
• Major goals
• Transform gender relationships
• Transform societal institutions
• Increase women’s sexual and procreative self-determination.
4. Socialist Feminism
• Also have goal of societal change
• Emphasis on multiple oppressions

• Believe solutions to society’s problems must include consideration of:
• Class
• Race
• Other forms of discrimination
• Major goal of therapy is to transform social relationships and institutions
Key Concepts of Feminist Therapy
• Problems are viewed in a sociopolitical and cultural context
• The client knows what is best for her life and is the expert on her own life
• Emphasis is on educating clients about the therapy process
• Traditional ways of assessing psychological health are challenged
• It is assumed that individual change will best occur through social change
• Clients are encouraged to take social action
View of Human Nature
• Gender-fair
• Differences between women and men are due to socialization processes
• Flexible-multicultural
• Apply equally to both individuals and groups regardless of age, race, culture, gender, class,
sexual orientation, and ability.

• Interactionist
• Consider contextual and environmental factors
• Life-span-oriented
• Human development is a lifelong process and change can occur at any time
Principles of Feminist Therapy
• The personal is political
• Personal and social identities are interdependent
• The counseling relationship is egalitarian
• Women’s experiences are honored
• Definitions of distress and “mental illness” are reformulated
• There is an integrated analysis of oppression
Goals of Feminist Therapy
• Five goals:
1. Equality, 2. Balancing independence and interdependent, 3. Empowerment, 4. Self-
nurturance, and 5.Valuing diversity • Two dimensions: • personal transformation (e.g.,
recognize personal power) • social changes (e.g., value equality relationship, stress
interdependence, define themselves instead of defined by societal demands)
Therapist’s function and Role • Use gender and power analyses to understand clients and
their concerns • monitor their own biases • Understand oppression in all forms • Value being
emotionally present for their clients, sharing their experiences, and modeling proactive
behaviors • Use techniques from other approaches • Hold beliefs in common with humanistic
and person-centered approach • Therapeutic relationship is not sufficient
Client’s Experience in Therapy • Clients are active participants • Initially, clients may look
to the therapist for advice • Gradually, clients trust more in their own power • After feeling
understood, they get in touch with their feelings or “prohibited” emotions • Therapists share
their struggles with gender-role oppression and clients realize that they are not alone • Expand
support system outside of therapy, engage in social change, and feel empowered.
Relationship Between Therapist and Client • The therapeutic relationship is based on
empowerment and egalitarianism • The structure of the client-therapist relationship models
how to identify and use power responsibly • Counselor self-disclosure to reduce the power
differential and • Honor clients’ experiences • Include the client as an active partner in the
assessment and treatment process • Help clients to recognize how they define themselves and
relate to others are influenced by gender-role expectations.
Intervention Techniques in Feminist Therapy • Gender-role analysis and intervention •
To help clients understand the impact of gender-role expectations in their lives • Provides clients
with insight into the ways social issues affect their problems • Power analysis and power
intervention • Emphasis on the power differences between men and women in society • Clients
helped to recognize different kinds of power they possess and how they and others exercise
power
Intervention Techniques in Feminist Therapy • Bibliotherapy • Reading assignments that
address issues such as • Coping skills • Gender inequality • Gender-role stereotypes • Ways
sexism is promoted • Power differential • Society's obsession between women and men with
thinness • Self-disclosure • To help equalize the therapeutic relationship and provide modeling
for the client • Values, beliefs about society, and therapeutic interventions discussed • Allows the
client to make an informed choice
Intervention Techniques in Feminist Therapy • Assertiveness training • Women become
aware of their interpersonal rights • Transcends stereotypical sex roles • Changes negative
beliefs • Implement changes in their daily lives • Reframing • Changes the frame of reference for
looking at an individual's behavior • Shifting from an intrapersonal to an interpersonal
definition of a client’s problem
Intervention Techniques in Feminist Therapy • Relabeling • Changes the label or
evaluation applied to the client's behavioral characteristics • Generally, the focus is shifted from
a negative to a positive evaluation
From a multicultural perspective
• Contributions
• Have the most in common with multicultural perspectives
• Direct actions for social change
• Recognize sexism, racism, and other levels of oppression and privilege

• Limitations
• Be cautious when working with clients from culturally different background (e.g., not
devaluing the collective cultural values)
Summary and Evaluation • Contributions • Gender-sensitive practice and an awareness of
the impacts of the contextual factors • Pay attention on gender-role socialization, power issues
in relationship, and external environmental factors. • Building community, providing authentic
mutual empathic relationships, creating a sense of social awareness, and the emphasis on social
change are all strengths of this approach • The principles and techniques of feminist therapy can
be incorporated in other therapy models.
Summary and Evaluation • Limitations • Avoid imposing their values on their clients •
Focus on contextual or environmental factors and move away from exploring the inner factors
can be both a strength and a limitation • Is a theory?---is a debate question • Developed by
White, middle-class, heterosexual women---may be biased due to this perspective

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Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy

Chapter12: Feminist Therapy

• How these gender-role expectations could impact you as a therapist?

Four Approaches to Feminist Therapy

• Personal empowerment of individual women

Four Approaches to Feminist Therapy

• Emphasize the differences between women and men

• Believe the solution to oppression lies in feminization of the culture

• Society becomes more nurturing, cooperative, and relational

Four Approaches to Feminist Therapy

• Seek to change society through activism

• Therapy is viewed as a political enterprise with the goal of transformation of society

• Transform gender relationships

• Transform societal institutions

• Increase women’s sexual and procreative self-determination.

Four Approaches to Feminist Therapy

• Also have goal of societal change

• Emphasis on multiple oppressions

• Other forms of discrimination

• Major goal of therapy is to transform social relationships and institutions

Key Concepts of Feminist Therapy

• Problems are viewed in a sociopolitical and cultural context

• Emphasis is on educating clients about the therapy process

• Traditional ways of assessing psychological health are challenged

• Clients are encouraged to take social action

View of Human Nature

• Differences between women and men are due to socialization processes

sexual orientation, and ability.

• Consider contextual and environmental factors

Principles of Feminist Therapy

• The personal is political

• Personal and social identities are interdependent

• The counseling relationship is egalitarian

• Women’s experiences are honored

• Definitions of distress and “mental illness” are reformulated

• There is an integrated analysis of oppression

Goals of Feminist Therapy

1. Equality, 2. Balancing independence and interdependent, 3. Empowerment, 4. Self-

nurturance, and 5.Valuing diversity • Two dimensions: • personal transformation (e.g.,

interdependence, define themselves instead of defined by societal demands)

and person-centered approach • Therapeutic relationship is not sufficient

Relationship Between Therapist and Client • The therapeutic relationship is based on

empowerment and egalitarianism • The structure of the client-therapist relationship models

relate to others are influenced by gender-role expectations.

Intervention Techniques in Feminist Therapy • Gender-role analysis and intervention •

client to make an informed choice

Intervention Techniques in Feminist Therapy • Assertiveness training • Women become

looking at an individual's behavior • Shifting from an intrapersonal to an interpersonal

definition of a client’s problem

Intervention Techniques in Feminist Therapy • Relabeling • Changes the label or

a negative to a positive evaluation

From a multicultural perspective

• Have the most in common with multicultural perspectives

• Direct actions for social change

• Recognize sexism, racism, and other levels of oppression and privilege

devaluing the collective cultural values)

Summary and Evaluation • Contributions • Gender-sensitive practice and an awareness of

in relationship, and external environmental factors. • Building community, providing authentic

be incorporated in other therapy models.