Introduction To Feminist Therapy

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.

This is an interesting book. It may be useful for those who have not followed the debate on the experience of women in psychiatric services. It provides useful information on ways of working with more disturbed women. These are women whom psychiatric services often avoid or at least with whom they do little constructive work. The emphasis on offering therapy to these women instead of a bed in an institution was refreshing. --Andrea Bennett in Clinical Psychology Forum How can counselors and clinicians help empower women in a sexist, racist, and homophobic society? How can they help women reclaim their bodies? Or repair their violated bond with womenkind? Taking feminist therapy one step further, this enlightening volume focuses on a central problem in our society--violence against women--and explores practical, feminist ways of working with women′s responses to it: depression, cutting, splitting, troubled eating, and protest. Radical Feminist Therapy explores issues that are usually either omitted or pathologized in generalist feminist counseling texts such as women battered by their pimps, women who self-mutilate, and psychiatrized women. Other topics covered are working with lesbians; American Indian, African American, Jewish, and immigrant women; women with disabilities; working with heterosexual couples; sexual violation by therapists; and working with suicidal clients. A list of recommended readings follows each chapter. Radical Feminist Therapy addresses the needs of both students and practitioners in the areas of psychology, counseling, social work, and women′s studies who desire a comprehensive, enlightening text they will refer to again and again. "Burstow′s book should prove very useful as a resource for practitioners in a wide variety of areas dealing with violence against women. . . . The first part of the book presents the theoretical foundations; the remaining 12 chapters integrate theory and practice. Written from a well-articulated radical feminist position, the text is grounded in structuralist theory that situates problems in living within the systematic oppressions of classism, sexism, and racism. Respect for women and for their right to make their own decisions in therapy permeates the text." --Choice "This book fills a gap in the literature addressed by no other publication I have seen. There are numerous theoretical books on feminist counseling or therapy. But I have seen nothing which moves from theory to clear, practical suggestions on what to do and how to do it when working with women on different problems. Bonnie begins by presenting a clear feminist framework in which she sees violence against women in our society as the central problem in all women′s lives. She explains how this core issue plays itself out in different areas of women′s lives and how it is central to the personal problems women struggle with. She then goes on to give practical, concrete suggestions about how to actually work with women in therapy. She warns readers of common pitfalls and how to avoid them. It is an extremely cohesive and useful piece of work." --Linda Advokaat, Feminist Counselor, Sessional Instructor, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada "As a presentation of theory translated into casework, this is the best I have seen in its field--a deft integration of politics and philosophy, made relevant and workable in the chosen context." --Counselling

"Feminist therapy came into existence toward the end of the 1960s. Feminist practice is psychology derived from the realities that lie outside, beneath, and at variance from the visions of the dominant patriarchal mainstream. It is an integrative and competency-based paradigm that perceives human beings as responsive to the problems of their lives, capable of solving those problems, and desirous of change. It is also a politically informed model that observes human experience within the framework of societal and cultural realities and through the dynamics of power informing those realities. This book represents an attempt to synthesize feminist therapy's heritage and roots, theory, and modes of practice as they stand in the early 21st century. The model of feminist therapy described in this book is strongly influenced by multicultural and global feminism and by the politics of the social justice movements of feminism, multi-culturalism, and other similar movements working to transform society. Feminist therapy and feminist therapists face the next eight decades of the 21st century wondering how transformations of our understandings of sex and gender, of power and relationships, and of the social and political context of therapy will transform our practice. As a model for psychotherapy, feminist therapy continues to offer the concept that psychotherapy can, and should, be liberatory and that liberation is not simply a freedom from distress but a move toward the power of being able to know and name one's experiences of oppression as well as those of joy."--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Part of a series which discusses the history, theory and practice of different theories, as well as primary change mechanisms, empirical basis and future developments.

"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

Diversity and Complexity in Feminist Therapy is an unprecedented new book that focuses on incorporating, appreciating, and building on the differences among women. Multicultural in content and authorship, this intellectually and emotionally stimulating volume breaks new ground in the development of theory in feminist therapy. Chapters run the gamut from highly theoretical works that challenge us to examine the validity of current male, Western psychological theories, to the very personal story of one woman’s struggle with oppression and her respect for the differences between her experiences of oppression and other women’s experiences. You will also find provocative, creative, and diverse chapters that address women’s development as it relates to their ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, sexual, and age differences. The one pervasive truth throughout this unique book is that feminist therapy must be based on the experiences of all women in order to be truly representative of women in the United States. Diversity and Complexity in Feminist Therapy is a first step in moving feminist therapy to a more inclusive, global perspective and back into a more political and activist stance against the oppression that we all want to defeat. more from mq: introduces feminist therapists and other interested feminist behavioral scientists to an anti-racist and multicultural perspective on feminist therapy, both at the level of theory and practice. This volume is unique in several ways. One of them is in the emphasis on the development of a theoretical model for feminist therapy. While much has been and continues to be written about applications of feminist therapy, theory-building has been neglected. This volume focuses on the necessity of taking an explicitly anti-racist and multicultural perspective for such theory to be truly feminst. A second unique aspect--very close and detailed attention to feminist therapy practice with people of color, both within and outside of US culture. While this issue has been addressed in a piece-meal fashion elsewhere, or has been addressed primarily by activists challenging racism within feminist therapy, this volume offers the work of feminist therapists themselves applying feminist analyses and principles. Volume is also unique in the degree to which its author represent a diverse group within feminist therapy. This volume is not only multicultural in its intent, but also in its creation. HPP Diversity and Complexity in Feminist Therapy is an unprecedented new book that focuses on incorporating, appreciating, and building on the differences among women. Multicultural in content and authorship, this intellectually and emotionally stimulating volume breaks new ground in the development of theory in feminist therapy. Chapters run the gamut from highly theoretical works that challenge us to examine the validity of current male, Western psychological theories, to the very personal story of one woman’s struggle with oppression and her respect for the differences between her experiences of oppression and other women’s experiences. You will also find provocative, creative, and diverse chapters that address women’s development as it relates to their ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, sexual, and age differences. The one pervasive truth throughout this unique book is that feminist therapy must be based on the experiences of all women in order to be truly representative of women in the United States. Diversity and Complexity in Feminist Therapy is a first step in moving feminist therapy to a more inclusive, global perspective and back into a more political and activist stance against the oppression that we all want to defeat.

"Dr. Jill Schwarz' Counseling Women Across the Lifespan is tailor made for gender-specific counseling courses. This text is highly accessible and comprehensive, and includes specific learning objectives, state-of-the-art research, and questions for student reflection and discussion. Importantly, each chapter is a Call to Action for all counselors to be advocates for change in a world that desperately needs empowering approaches for counseling girls and woman." - Mark Woodford "Within the pages of Counseling Women Across the Lifespan lay the seeds of professional and personal transformation. The text provides a comprehensive review of the issues that today's women face, while providing practical ideas for intervention and advocacy. With thought-provoking reflection questions at the end of each chapter, testimonials from graduate students who have been transformed as a result of this work, and actionable steps that you can take on behalf of women's rights, you cannot be but changed after engaging with this compelling text." - Corinne Zupko This book, the first comprehensive text to focus specifically on counseling women and girls, provides a sweeping overview of female life span development and issues and offers a unique integration of prevention, advocacy, and interventions. With contributions from leading scholars and practitioners in diverse fields, it provides information, resources, and practical suggestions that counselors can use to help empower individual women and girls to live as their authentic selves, and to engage as effective collaborators in addressing societal inequities. With a strong focus on empowerment and adherence to a social justice framework, the book highlights the value of mental health practitioners employing strengths-based approaches and advocating for systemic change. Based on a foundation of understanding females' diverse holistic development, the text explores the major theoretical approaches relevant to counseling and psychotherapy with women and girls. It then discusses the key issues faced by females at different developmental stages and describes appropriate counseling strategies for each, focusing on prevention as well as intervention. Specific concerns and strategies for women in different contexts, such as education, physical health and body image concerns, and violence, are emphasized. Unique to the text is coverage of how men specifically can serve as allies and advocates in creating healthier and safer societies for women and girls. Replete with supporting features such as learning objectives, self-reflection prompts, personal narratives, discussion questions, abundant resources, and strategies for how professionals can serve as advocates and change agents, this book is an ideal core text for courses on counseling women or gender issues in counseling, social work, psychology, marriage and family therapy, and women's studies programs, as well as a useful resource for mental health practitioners. Key Features: Uniquely covers life span development and counseling issues, needs, and application for females across the life span Emphasizes advocacy, prevention, and practical intervention strategies Examines the contextual elements that affect the female experience, including the oppressive structures in which they live Addresses global perspectives, diverse women, a social justice framework, and empowerment Includes learning objectives, first-person accounts, “Calls to Action,” and self-reflection and discussion questions A sample course calendar and syllabus are available to instructors to aid in course development