Feminist Counselling In Action

This fully revised edition of Feminist Counselling in Action shows how the feminist approach can be integrated into the counselling process, and how feminist ways of thinking can be applied to a range of counselling techniques.

Praise for the First Edition: `One of the best, and clearest, descriptions of the significance of the imposition of "masculine" patterns of thought on a culture... a lucid and non-jargon-fraught account of the strands of thought which make up the feminist approach to and adaptation of psychotherapy′ - The Guardian For counsellors, therapists, trainees and others who want a deeper understanding of how society affects them psychologically, the revised and updated edition of Feminist Counselling in Action is the ideal resource. Drawing on feminist theory, Jocelyn Chaplin points to the deeply entrenched, hierarchical ways of thinking which permeate every level of our lives. The author presents an alternative rhythm model that when applied in counselling increases self-confidence, `wholeness′ and improved relationships. In this model, the counsellor is not seen as the expert or the doctor, and the client is not a patient. They are two equal but different people using `clues′ to understand and improve the life of the client. To illustrate, the author includes vivid case examples throughout.

For counsellors, therapists, trainees and others who want a deeper understanding of how society affects them psychologically, the revised and updated edition of Feminist Counselling in Action is the ideal resource. Drawing on feminist theory, Jocelyn Chaplin points to the deeply entrenched, hierarchical ways of thinking which permeate every level of our lives. The author presents an alternative rhythm model that when applied in counselling increases self-confidence, `wholeness' and improved relationships. In this model, the counsellor is not seen as the expert or the doctor, and the client is not a patient. They are two equal but different people using `clues' to understand and improve the life of the client. To illu

Focusing on the practical application of feminist theory to clinical experience, Introduction to Feminist Therapy provides guidelines to help therapists master social action and empowerment techniques, feminist diagnostic and assessment strategies, and gender-role and power analyses to foster individual and social change. This guide is ideal for graduate students enrolled in a techniques of counseling course and practitioners who wish to incorporate feminist therapy into their current approach, including how to apply feminist therapy to both women and men and how to deal with the gender issues of both sexes. Client/Therapist dialogues provide readers with examples of how each technique actually works in a therapeutic session. The text also provides case studies, coverage of ethical issues, and feminist assessment guidelines that show readers how to conduct a feminist assessment with and without using the DSM-IV-TR.

"Speaking in a clear, accessible, and highly engaging voice, it introduces readers to many key elements of contemporary feminist theory that are absolutely essential for learning and practice in today's diverse counselling contexts. Contributors to the collection embrace the complexities of marginalized people's lives and capture the histories and legacies--such as colonization, racism, and violence--that shape women's varied situations and subjectivities, within and beyond Canada's borders. Of equal value, the wide array of voices, issues, and vantage points included in this text all recognize the agency and creativity of individuals in contexts not of their own making."--Carla Rice, Associate Professor Women's Studies Department, Trent University --Page 4 de la couverture.

Feminist Therapy as a Political Act explores what is means to politicize therapy and how you can make pyschotherapy a method for creating social and individual change. You’ll find examples and strategies for discussing topics such as empowerment and identity that allow you to provide better services to clients while learning new ideas and methods of feminist therapy. Examining how language, behavior, and political thinking influence therapeutic methods, Feminist Therapy as a Political Act contains suggestions and examples that can be applied to clients in the individual, hospital, or community setting. You’ll discover the rich variety of ways in which therapists politicize the therapy relationship, setting, assumptions, techniques, and dialogues, and find several examples on how to incorporate political consciousness into your sessions. Feminist Therapy as a Political Act gives you insight into several methods and practices, including: integrating specific therapy techniques and the background dialogue of therapy into principles of feminist therapy practices modifying cognitive-behavioral therapy, hypnosis, and other therapy techniques to make them more compatible with feminist principles redefining and reclaiming empowerment for conducting political analysis in feminist psychotherapy recognizing client identity, including race, gender, and sexual identity, to provide clients with better therapy providing information on Japanese feminist counseling in relation to Eastern thought, the women’s liberation movement, and the concepts of independence, dependence, and maternity discussing the challenges of working with men Contributors to Feminist Therapy as a Political Act give you insight into the profession on the international level, for example, examining the challenges to feminist therapists in Japan and describing how survivors of incest and sexual abuse in Israel “went public” with their ordeals through art, poetry, performances, and lectures. Offering diverse methods, techniques, and suggestions that will help you provide better services for your clients, Feminist Therapy as a Political Act also gives you the knowledge and inspiration to make your therapeutic work a political act.

I found this book to be penetrating, easy to read, and very thought provoking. . . . It really is an excellent treatment of a sensitive subject. I highly recommend it. --Nicolette Jackson, Re-Entry Center of Orange County Community College, Costa Mesa, California "Mollie Whalen′s book Counseling to End Violence Against Women is subversive in the best sense of the word. She has tackled head-on the challenge of a social action approach to working with abused women. The book is provocative, challenging the reader to pursue fundamental social change in the practice of counseling victims of domestic violence." --Ruth A. Brandwein, The University of Utah "After years of heavy psychologizing discourse, a book has finally come along that places initiation into the women′s movement at the core of counseling violated women. Mollie Whalen cuts through professionalization and brings the political back into the process of counseling women. A wonderfully subversive work." --Bonnie Burstow, Private Practice, Toronto Feminist theory has viewed violence against women as a result of a male-dominated society, but traditional counseling models for battered women have largely failed to encourage social change as a solution to this disturbing epidemic. Offering challenging arguments on the power of the counseling relationship to initiate change, Counseling to End Violence Against Women unites feminist and radical feminist theory and counseling practice to promote women′s liberation from violence and sexual oppression. In her comprehensive model, author Mollie Whalen examines the historical roles of the women′s movement and the battered women′s movement in relation to the development of a politically subversive approach to counseling. Whalen′s model focuses not only on empowering individual women but on seizing the collective power of women to end their victimization. Grounded in theory, this practical model also addresses professional issues that confront counselors in their work with battered women. In Counseling to End Violence Against Women, Whalen reconstructs the role of counseling with victimized women and promotes a valuable model for use in treatment and training. Counselors and counseling students will find her perspective challenging and invaluable.

What is feminist counseling? How does it differ from more traditional approaches to counseling? Can a feminist approach to counseling be used with male clients? In this practical volume, Chaplin weaves together theory and practice to provide a feminist guide to counseling from the referral process to termination. Topics addressed include: the initial interview process; developing feedback and interpretation skills; the special relationship between client and counselor; and techniques for treating depression, anxiety, and stress. In addition, exercises and discussion topics are included in each chapter. Designed as a step-by-step guidebook, Feminist Counseling In Action is an ideal text or text supplement for courses in clinical psychology. It will also be valuable to the professional counselor or therapist wishing to employ feminist counseling techniques in their own day-to-day work. "The book is stimulating, leaving many ideas to reflect on. It gives a constructive account of the distinctive features of feminist counselling, as process and relationship." --The British Journal of Psychiatry "Throughout the text, Chaplin's voice is one of optimism as she frames everything in life as rhythmic and cyclical--a pattern of beginnings, endings, and new beginnings. Her practice wisdom, solidly grounded in her own rhythms, is a gift to all." --AFFILIA "Case histories are detailed in the book which will be of help to trainee and practicing counsellors alike. . . . The book holds something of interest for all readers." --Morning Star "In a clear and practical way, the author shows how counselling can help 'to melt down' hierarchical ways of thinking and relating, and transform them into morehealthy processes of responding to rhythmic change." --Analytisch Repertorium