Feminist Therapy

1. Feminist Therapy Jean Baker Miller, Carolyn Zerbe Enns, Oliva M Espin, Laura S. Brown

2. Background • Role of social, political and cultural context in individual’s problems • Power: central aspect in human relations • Perspective of psychological theories: White European middle class men • Male gender role as normative • The dominant group tends to consider what is different from them as deviant or “not as good”

3. Women’s movement of the 1960’s • Reaction against limited female gender roles • Gender socialization affects women’s development and well-being • Cultural conceptions of gender serve as an organizing principle in people’s identity • Traditional therapy: way to maintain the status quo • Need for psychological theories that take into account women’s perspectives and political realities

4. 1970’s and 1980’s • Research on gender bias • Self-in relation models: validate relational and cooperative dimensions of women's experience • Research emphasis on body image, eating disorders, abusive relations, sexual abuse • Expanded focus to: multiple oppressions, multicultural competence, and social justice • Incorporate ideas about gender socialization in working with men -- Men’s Movement

5. Gender Roles Theory: Traditionalvs. Feminist • Androcentric: male-oriented constructs constitute the norms used to draw conclusions about humans, including female nature • Traditional women’s gender roles and dispositions of connectedness and inter-dependence are devalued & independence and autonomy are exalted • Relational cultural theory- challenges the Androcentric view • Women’s identity and self-concept develop in the context of relationships • Accepts the notion of intrinsic gender differences

6. Gender Roles Theory: Traditionalvs. Feminist • Gendercentric: There are two separate innate (biologically rooted) paths of development for women and men. • Socio-cultural and power analyses challenges the Gendercentric view (socialization process) • Traditional women’s gender roles and dispositions have been acquired/learned in the context of women’s subservient position • Rejects the notion of intrinsic gender differences

7. Common Themes in Feminist Philosophies • Gender socialization is central to therapeutic practice for men & women • A socio-political and cultural perspective is essential in understanding people’s problems • Ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, class, age & disabilities • Symptoms may be self-preservation responses to an oppressive environment

8. Goals of Therapy • Empowerment • Help clients free themselves from the internalized constraints of gender role socialization and oppression • Societal change • Social change to eliminate sexism and other forms of oppression

9. Techniques and Strategies • Egalitarian counselor-client relationship • Actively engage client in setting the direction, goals, length and procedures of therapy • Therapist Self-disclosure • To decrease power differential • Gender Role Analyses/Intervention • Emphasize societal as opposed to intra-psychic origin of problems • Examine how internalized societal expectations regarding gender roles are related to client’s issues • Internalized homo-phobia, racial devaluation

10. Techniques and Strategies • Power analysis • Raise awareness of power difference between men and women in society. • Help clients recognize different kinds of power they possess and how they and others exercise power– personal and societal levels • Assertiveness Training

11. Techniques and Strategies • Bibliotherapy • To help educate clients about societal issues • Increases clients’ expertise and decreases power differential in therapy • Social Action • Encourage clients to actively influence social change regarding women/other oppressed groups • Helps empower clients by making the connection between society and personal problems

12. 1972 2011

13. Contributions • Brought awareness to the impact of the cultural context and multiple oppressions • Gave validity to women’s perspectives • Sexual conduct in therapeutic relations has been recognized and sanctioned • Strengths in women's qualities of nurturance and cooperation (rather than competition) are recognized • Established as proper focus of therapy to change oppressive conditions rather than just expect clients to adapt to them

14. Limitations • Feminist therapy does not take a neutral stance regarding gender roles • May put undue pressure on clients to follow a specific direction • Not all clients may be interested in engaging in social action • Over-emphasis on environmental factors may • Neglect exploration of the intra-psychic world • Motivate clients to forsake responsibility for themselves in the face of an unjust world