Dr. Sparrow EPSY 6363

Feminist•Arose primarily among therapists who believed that the prevailing systems of therapy reflected male-driven assumptions about the structure of healthy relationships.

•Believed that modern therapy upheld traditional gender roles that discriminated against women (and men), minorities, and marginalized individuals.

•Believed that therapists should not impose their views of roles and power, but enter into the relationship with a sensitivity to disenfrancised members. (Social constructionist)

Feminist Theory and Therapy•Some of the theories against which Feminist

Theory takes a stand:

•anthrocentric theory–the bias favors male-oriented constructs, such as a preference for self-assertion, individuality, and achievement over a cooperative, relationship emphasis

•gendercentric theory–the belief that there separate paths of development for the different genders

•ethnocentric theory– the belief that human patterns are the same, regardless of culture and gender

Feminist Theory and Therapy

•heterosexist theory–the position that devalues same-sex relationships, on religious or moral grounds

• intrapsychic orientation–disregards the influence of culture and societal predjudices, thus blaming the victim

•determinism–the belief that gender patterns are fixed at early age

Feminist Theory and Therapy

•Acknowledges that women search for relatedness or connectedness, rather than autonomy.

•Mutually empathic relationships are crucial.

•Principles

•Personal problems have social and political roots

•Personal and social identity is interdependent (systems theory)

Feminist Theory and Therapy

•Definitions of distress and mental illness are arbitrary and formulated by dominant members of a society, e.g. resistance can be seen as effort to survive in unfair social context.

•Feminists use integrated analysis of oppression, that is, they realize that men, too, are victims of oppressive cultural assumptions.

•Therapeutic relationship is between equals

•Womens’ perspectives are valued.

Feminist Therapy• Therapy involves:

• becoming aware of gender-role socialization process

• identify internalized messages that support gender bias and discrimination

• understand how oppressive societal beliefs have hurt them, regardless of their gender

• Develop sense of personal and social power that is independent of social stereotypes

• Realize the importance of connectedness

Feminist Therapy•Case example: On the basis of interpreting

some ambiguous messages from a professor, and from two friends, Mary begins to think that most people don’t like her, and so she withdraws from relationships. She avoids the professor’s gaze, starts to do poorly in the class, and avoids her friends. She waits for her friends to contact her, and when they don’t, she feels even more strongly that they don’t like her, and that she isn’t likable. She becomes depressed and unable to work and socialize.

Feminist Therapy•Therapy with Mary might include:

•Becoming aware of gender-role socialization process–therapist would track the sources of Mary’s oppressive views of herself as a woman.

•Identifying internalized messages–therapist would examine what Mary heard and accepted about women that holds her back.

•Understanding how oppressive societal beliefs have hurt her–Therapist would explore what gender-related social biases Mary holds that could be at the root of her problem.

Feminist Therapy•Developing sense of personal and social power–

therapist would assist her in exploring what she can do to make a difference.

•Realize the importance of connectedness–therapist would support her in taking active steps to reconnect with professor and friends