Feminists And Psychological Practice

A feminist critique of the position of women within academic and professional psychology, this book explores how psychology functions to maintain power structures and practices which often exclude and oppress women.

This book describes feminist ethics and applies feminist ethics to psychological practice in a variety of settings.

How close is feminist psychology to contemporary feminism? How can feminist psychological practice address issues of `difference' between women in meaningful ways? What price has feminist psychology had to pay for attempting to engage with mainstream psychology to revise and improve it? This book critiques feminist practice within psychology, and reflects the diversity from across the globe of feminist struggles around psychology. An international group of key feminist psychologists explore the relations between feminist politics and psychological practices in: transitional and postcolonial contexts; the distinct European traditions of critical psychology and women's studies; and psychology's colonial `centre' in the United

Drawing upon current feminist research and theory, this book explores key professional issues in psychology and its related disciplines. Topics covered include sexual abuse, menstruation, feminist therapy, the regulation of mothering, women's safety and the gendering of the "caring" professions.

Feminist Perspectives in Therapy: Empowering Diverse Womenaddresses core issues in feminist psychological practice along withstrategies and techniques for understanding the development andexperiences of women throughout their lives. Two leading feministpsychologists provide a model that integrates feminist andmulticultural theory and practice, incorporating both internal andexternal sources of women's psychological distress andwell-being. This Second Edition is filled with valuable information on thelatest developments in research and major issues faced bytherapists treating women, along with clinical case studies thatprovide practical examples of how to put theory intopractice. Topics covered include: * Promoting physical and psychological health * Confronting interpersonal abuse and violence * Balancing career and family * Integrating multicultural and diversity issues * Negotiating relationships Complete with self-assessment activities, experimental exercises,and resources for further reading, Feminist Perspectives inTherapy: Empowering Diverse Women, Second Edition is a practicalbook for students and a valuable resource for mental healthprofessionals.

"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.

"In this latest volume to emerge from the work of the Feminist Therapy Institute, Ballou, Hill, West, and their contributors have done a powerful job of explicating current themes in feminist therapy practice, with a lovely balance of theory and application. The careful attention to the economic and social demands of the current political climate and their impact on feminist practice is particularly valuable for advancing feminist analysis of the role of psychotherapy in social transformation." --Laura S. Brown, Ph.D. ABPP, Director, Fremont Community Therapy Project Seattle, WA "In the twenty-plus years since the original Handbook of Feminist Therapy was published, members of the Feminist Therapy Institute and other forward-thinking professionals have continued to push and prod-both themselves and mainstream therapists-to examine the underpinnings of the psychotherapy endeavor. In this volume, the editors and contributors present an organized overview of the most up-to-date thinking about feminist therapy and draw attention to the alliance between feminist therapy and multicultural counseling, critical theory, and liberation psychology. Whereas most mainstream therapy models have progressed beyond a view of the therapist as an objective agent, they generally do not provide a model for understanding the therapist's and, for that matter, the client's beliefs, experiences, and world view. The contextual ecological feminist model explicated here articulates a means of examining the contextual and ecological elements of person's worlds. "The authors of this volume have nicely illustrated feminist therapy's key tenets-to illuminate the multiple spheres of influence in clients' lives, to empower clients as well as ameliorate their distress, to appreciate the linkages among sociostructural, cultural and relational influences, and to work for social justice-in well-drawn theoretical explanations and carefully detailed case examples that bring us to the cutting edge of contemporary feminist therapy." --Maryka Biaggio, PhD Psychologist, Consultant, and Writer, Portland, Oregon

This book presents and illustrates practice guidelines for working with diverse groups of women. Drawing on psychological, multicultural, and feminist research, the chapters consider many of the unique concerns of specific groups of women, including Black/African American women; Latinas; lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women; Asian-Pacific Islander women; Native women; women with disabilities; and women in transnational and international contexts. Ample case studies apply the guidelines, emphasizing how practitioners can use clients strengths and resilience to promote empowerment.