POST MODERN COUNSELING

Feminist Therapy
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

Our objectives for this session

• To widen our knowledge and understanding on

the issues of women and the rise up of the
Feminist therapy to help the women and their
struggles
• To master the Feminist therapy; its goals and
techniques and apply it in helping relationship.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

Out line of the course

1. Introduction
2. Historical Background
3. Feminist Therapy
4. Philosophy and Goals of Feminist Therapy
5. Techniques of Feminist Therapy
6. Conclusion
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

1. Introduction
• Feminist therapy is an outgrowth of feminism and, as such, is
intertwined with gender, race, and other sociopolitical
factors. Unlike most other theoretical orientations, feminist
therapy grew out of political and social consciousness.
• To best understand the therapeutic and philosophical stance of
feminist therapy, it is important to gain a grounding in the
sociopolitical factors that spurred consciousness and action
among oppressed groups.
• Consciousness-raising (CR) groups were nonhierarchical,
leaderless groups in which women met to discuss their
experiences as women. CR resulted in the analysis of patriarchal
and oppressive societal arrangements. The goal of CR groups
was societal transformation rather than individual adjustment
(Worell & Remer, 2003).
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
2. Historical background
• Feminist-informed counseling practice emerged from the civil rights and social change
movements of the 1960s and engendered awareness of women as an oppressed group in
U.S. culture. It is important to note that during this time, when feminism was called “the
women’s movement,” women of color were estranged from the movement (Brown, 1990).
Awareness of women as an oppressed group grew out of the privileged class of women who were,
for the most part, White and educated.
• Contemporary feminist therapies emerged from three aspects of the women’s liberation
movement of the 1960s:
1. Consciousness-raising groups,
2. Battered women’s shelters, and
3. The antirape movement (Worell & Johnson, 2001).
• The women’s liberation movement, as just noted, sought to change social, political, and
cultural beliefs about the role of women in the world. In lieu of the perceived patriarchal,
racist society, an egalitarian society founded on mutual respect and collaboration, the equitable
distribution of power and resources, and shared responsibility between women and men was
conceptualized (Kravetz & Marecek, 2001).
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
• The goal of CR groups was societal transformation rather than individual
adjustment (Worell & Remer, 2003). Two basic assumptions of
psychological thinking at that time were challenged: (a) women’s
distress is personal and (b) distress can only be alleviated by an
expert (Greenspan, 1993). Perhaps most important, CR groups
challenged the social mores of the times.
• Both battered women’s shelters and the antirape movement viewed
male violence against women as a major social problem (Worell &
Johnson, 2001). The etiology of this violence rested with the
perpetrator and the societal structures that supported violence against
women and was not due to an individual woman’s masochism. This was a
radical departure from how these issues had been treated by society,
generally, and by those in the professions of counseling and
psychology, specifically.
• At short, there are tree waves in the feminits movement as below.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

1) FIRST WAVE
• The first wave spanned the 19th century to the early 20th
century. Middle-class women in the 1830s formed charitable
and benevolent societies to help prostitutes and the
destitute. – moment of the foundation of the congregation –
February 1844
• During this time, this first feminist also focused on social
welfare and labor reform, advocating for reform of working
conditions in factories and for women and child laborers,
specifically limiting women’s working hours, developing
minimum wage, and banning child labor.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
2) SECOND WAVE
• The second wave of feminism in the United States began in the 1960s
and continued until the 1990s.
• In Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique, she analyzed the
time period after World War II and the social, cultural, and
political forces that reinforced notions of domesticity and femininity
and how they impeded women’s freedoms. She later co-founded the
National Organization for Women. Feminists advocated and argued for
issues such as abortion, domestic violence, discrimination, day care, and
other issues relevant to women.
• Within this social climate during the 1960s and 1970s, the mental
health system became a focal point for feminist psychologists,
counselors, and social workers. Feminist professionals focused on
two predominant themes.
• During the 1980s, effort was spent in defining the principles, stages,
and specific methods or interventions of feminist therapy.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
3) THIRD WAVE
• The third wave of feminism started in 1990 and continues today. With
roots in black feminist work, this wave is considered tremendously
diverse, with no one philosophical stance; however, the third wave is
viewed as a new feminist discourse for understanding gender
relations that takes into account the inadequacies of the previous
waves.
• Third-wave feminists give women the latitude to define feminism for
themselves, and they strive to make the movement more inclusive
and diverse. These feminists target young women who may believe in
feminism but are concerned with the negative connotations
• Third-wave feminists also maintain that the macro unit of analysis be
moved from the societal to the global level. Women’s lives are
affected by the global economy, and women in developing countries
are extremely diverse.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
3. Feminist Therapy
• Feminist psychologists argue that, in order to be a successful feminist therapist a
therapist should: examine sociological and psychological factors, help people
understand the impact of gender roles and power differences in society; and
differentiate sex and gender whereas sex is related to biological difference and
gender is related to socially determined thoughts, beliefs and attitudes about men
and women (Sharf, 2004, pg. 437).
• In relation to the principles in therapy and counseling, after close revision, feminists
contributed to the therapy field with following ideas: the personal is political (Social
change needed), the counseling relationship is egalitarian (equality of relationship
between a client and therapist), women’s experiences are honored (not dismissed
and discarded as of lesser value), definitions of distress and "mental illness" are
reformulated, and there is an integrated analysis of oppression (Sommers and
Flanagan, 2004, pg. 342).
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

• Hence, from feminist perspective, a successful therapist should be sensitive

to these concepts as this was not always the case with traditional male
therapists. According to feminist psychology, traditional male therapists work
was colored by theories of personality (Sharf, 2004 pg. 439). This led to
feminists to argue for the revision of personality theories. For example, Carol
Gilligan and J. B. Miller take different approaches in describing the development
of women´s personality and the role of relationship in this development (Sharf,
2004, pg. 441).
• Furthermore, as feminists argue, all these issues which need to be constructed
are deeply rooted in all stages of human development. Thus, feminist
psychologists react to developmental issues in childhood, adolescence and
midlife issues with contribution of specifics in each. For example, Karen
Horney who against the pycholanalitic of Sigmund Freud
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
• Feminists also consider midlife issues like menopause, devaluation of older
women, violence, rape, incest, domestic abuse and child abuse. These issues
are very important and sensitive and need to be addressed and objectively
approached (Sharf, 2004, pg. 443).
• There are many different feminist theories and types of therapy. In the field
of counseling and psychotherapy, the three most common feminist
therapies are radical feminist, cultural feminism and liberal feminism.
1. Radical feminism is the most historic and often the most controversial
feminist approach. It focuses on the inequality between men and
women and the ongoing oppression of women.
2. Cultural feminists tend to look more at the positive components of
the roles of women play in society and examine their differences,
valued and promoted.
3. Liberal feminist attempt to minimize the differences between women
and men and acknowledge that both are capable of similar success.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
4. Feminist Philosophical Approach and Goals of Therapy

• The goals of feminist therapy are: to become aware of one’s

gender-role socialization process, to identify internalized
gender-role messages and replace them with functional
beliefs, to acquire skills to bring about change in the
environment, to become personally empowered, symptom
removal, self-esteem improvement/development, focusing on
quality of interpersonal relationships (Sharf, 2004 pg. 451).
• Therapy goals are based on four feminist philosophical
approaches such as liberal feminism, cultural feminism, radical
feminism and social feminism (women of color and lesbians)
(Worell and Remer, 2002).
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

1) Liberal feminist point of view

• Liberal feminism focuses on helping women to overcome the

constraints of their socialization patterns through personal
empowerment of individual women, dignity, self-fulfillment and
equality.
• Major goal of this approach is the infusion of society with
values based on cooperation. Influenced by this approach,
feminists argue that this can also be done by using specific
techniques like: helping equalize the therapeutic relationship
and provide modeling
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

2) Radical feminist point of view

• Radical feminism seeks to change society through activism

while therapy is viewed as a political enterprise with the goal
of transformation of society.
• In order to attain this, radical feminists offer specific
therapy intervention techniques such as assertiveness training,
helping women to become aware of their interpersonal
rights which transcend stereotypical sex roles, changing
negative belief, implementing changes in their daily lives and
reframing (Sharf, 2004 pg. 440).
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

3) Social feminist point of view

• Major goal of social feminism is to transform social

relationships and institutions. Once gain, feminists preferring
this approach offer specific therapy intervention techniques
such as relabeling, changing the label or evaluation applied to
the client's behavioral characteristics and re-focusing (Sharf,
2004 pg. 450 and 466).
• Feminist psychologist state that emergence of these three
concepts in psychotherapy emerged due to women´s
frequent turning their anger inwards. Thus, they often need
a good deal of encouragement to direct anger where it really
belongs.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

4) Cultural feminist point of view

• It would seems that feminist therapies should be ready

to help a pluralistic society. Feminist therapy are keenly
aware of how culture affects, and sometimes even
pathologies, individuals, especially women. Depending on
the style of feminism utilized, there can be value struggle
with diverse clients.
• Feminist approach have been critiqued as not being
beneficial to male clients. However, many men have had
great counseling experience with feminist therapist
using gender-neutral counseling.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
General goals of feminist therapy

• The main goal of feminist theory is to help client see the world
in a variety of ways and provide them with choices that allow
them to love authentically (Enns, 1993; Ivey et al., 2002;
Mancoske, Standifer, & Cauley, 1994; Matsuyuki, 1998)
• Another driving goal of feminist therapy is to deconstruct
traditional patriarchal culture and to establish and strengthen
egalitarian, women-supported roles (Corey, 2012)
• Another additional goal may depend on the type of feminist
therapy being offered; thus, feminist counselor may have the
goal of social change, empowerment, and building women’s roles
(Halbur & Halbur, 2011).
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
5. Six Tenants and Techniques of Feminist Therapy

• The work of L. Walker and M. Greenspan is very significant. They proposed

the guiding principles of feminist therapy, indicating that there are six
tenets of feminist-therapy theory (Cantor, 1990, pp. 78-79).
1) Firstly egalitarian relationships between clients and therapists serve
as a model for women to take personal responsibility to develop
egalitarian relationships with others instead of the more traditional
passive, dependent female role.
2) It is accepted that the therapist knows more in terms of psychology,
the client knows herself better. That knowledge is as critical as the
therapist's skills in developing a successful therapeutic relationship.
3) Power - women are taught to gain and use power in relationships, and
the possible consequences of their actions.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

4) Feminist therapists teach women to look for their own strengths

and use them effectively.
5) The feminist therapist focuses on the enhancement of women's
strengths rather than remediation of their weaknesses and non-
pathology-oriented and non-victim blaming framework that perceives
women’s problems as coping mechanisms within social context.
6) Finally, throughout the education women are taught to recognize
their cognitions that are detrimental, and encouraged to educate
themselves as to the plight of all women. They are also more self-
disclosing than other therapists thus removing we versus they
barrier between therapists and their clients. This
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
Some Techniques of Feminist Therapy

Some techniques are describe by Worell and Remer (2003) and Enns
92004) as presented bellow:
1) Empowerment
• Feminist therapy work in an egalitarian manner and use empowerment strategy.
Example: What is the most powerful thing that you can do right now?
2) Self-Disclouse
• Self-disclosure is not just sharing information and experiences. It also involves a certain
quality of presence the therapist brings to the therapeutic sessions. Effective therapist
self-disclosure is grounded in authenticity and a sense of mutuality. The therapist
considers how the disclosures may affect the client by using what relational-cultural
theorists refer to as “anticipatory empathy
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

3) Gender Role Analysis

• A hallmark of feminist therapy, gender-role analysis explores the impact of
gender-role expectations on the client’s psychological well-being and draws upon
this information to make decisions about future gender role behaviors (Enns, 2004)
• Hayes (2008) proposes an ADDRESSING model that includes the elements of age,
disability status, religion, ethnicity, race, social class, and sexual orientation along
with gender
4) Gender Role Intervention
• Using this technique, the therapist responds some concerns by placing it in the
context of society’s role expectations for women. The aim is to provide client with
insight into the ways social issues are affecting her. Therapist responds to her
statement with, “Our society really focuses on sometimes unrealistic beauty ideals
with females.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

5) Power Analysis
• Power analysis refers to the range of methods aimed at helping clients
understand how unequal access to power and resources can influence personal
realities. Together therapists and clients explore how inequities or institutional
barriers often limit self-definition and well-being (Enns, 2004). With this
technique, client will become aware of the power difference between men and
women as well as the power differences associated with sexual orientation in
our society.
6) Bibliotherapy
• Reading about feminist perspectives on common issues in women’s lives (incest,
rape, battering, and sexual harassment) may challenge a woman’s tendency to
blame herself for these problems (Remer, 2008).
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
7) Assertiveness Training
• By teaching and promoting assertive behavior, women become aware of their
interpersonal rights, transcend stereotypical gender roles, change negative
beliefs, and implement changes in their daily lives.
• The therapist helps client to evaluate and anticipate the consequences of
behaving assertively, which might range from criticism to actually getting what
she wants.
8) Reframing and Relcanbing
• Reframing includes a shift from “blaming the victim” to a consideration of social
factors in the environment that contribute to a client’s problem. In
reframing,the focus is on examining societal or political dimensions.
• Relabeling is an intervention that changes the label or evaluation applied to
some behavioral characteristic. Client can change certain labels she has
attached to herself, such as being inadequate or socially unwanted because she
does not conform to ideals commonly associated with feminism. An example
might change the label of “selfish” or too “masculine.”
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy

9) Social Action
• Social action, or social activism, is an essential quality of feminist therapy
(Enns, 2004). As clients become more grounded in their understanding of
feminism, therapists may suggest that clients become involved in activities such
as volunteering at a rape crisis center, lobbying lawmakers, or providing
community education about gender issues.
10) Group work
• Group work became popular as a way for women to discuss their lack of voice in
many aspects of society. Historically, group work has been used for both
consciousness-raising and support (Herlihy & McCollum, 2011). Consciousness-
raising groups initially provided an avenue for women to share their experiences
of oppression and powerlessness.
POST MODERN COUNSELING
Feminist Therapy
6. Conclusion
1. Feminist therapy is a very contextual therapy as we are facing the cultural change of
the role of human as we continue to grow. We cannot close our eyes and mind with
the reality of the suffering women around us and around the world. As counselor
we are call to liberate those women who suffer for decades.
2. It is important that we, as feminist counseling professionals, construct theories
and therapies that are shared; inclusive; and culturally, racially, politically, and
gender sensitive rather than ones based on racist, Eurocentric, and ethnocentric
ideologies, epistemologies, and axiology. It is imperative that we maintain an open
dialogue.
3. The feminist counselor must remain aware that the price may be very high if this
woman chooses to go against what is culturally expected of her, and that the client is
the one to ultimately decide which path to follow. We need to be aware of our own
biases and have a wider goal, that is transformation of society in a peaceful
manner.