1. Jean Baker Miller, Carolyn Zerbe Enns, Oliva M Espin, Laura S. Brown
Feminist Therapy
Jean Baker Miller, Carolyn Zerbe Enns,
Oliva M Espin, Laura S. Brown

2. Background
Role of social, political and cultural context in individual’s problems
Power: central aspect in human relations
Dominant group
has the most say in determining rules and codes of conduct (economics, political, behavioral, educational)
tends to consider what is different from them as deviant or “not as good”
Perspective of psychological theories: White European middle class men
Male gender role as normative

3. Women’s movement of the 1960’s
Reaction against limited female gender roles
Gender socialization affects women’s development and well-being
Cultural conceptions of gender serve as an organizing principle in people’s identity
Traditional therapy: way to maintain the status quo
Need for psychological theories that take into account women’s perspectives and political realities

4. 1970’s and 1980’s Research on gender bias Self-in relation models:
Validate relational and cooperative dimensions of women's experience
Question: are these intrinsic versus learned characteristics ?
Research emphasis on
body image,
eating disorders,
sexual abuse
domestic abuse

5. 1970’s and 1980’s Expanded focus to:
multiple oppressions
gender, race, sexual orientation, social class
multicultural competence, and
social justice
Incorporated ideas about gender socialization in working with men -- Men’s Movement
Men and masculinity gender role norms

6. Gender Roles Theory: Original vs. Post Modern Feminism
Original: There are two innate (biologically rooted) paths of development for women and men.
Society devalues women’s dispositions of connectedness and inter-dependence and exalts men’s independent and autonomous orientation.
Socio-cultural and power analyses Rejects the notion of innate gender differences
Traditional women’s gender roles and dispositions have been acquired/learned in the context of women’s subservient position to men

7. Hare-Mustin, Rachel T. & Marecek, Jeanne (1988)
Hare-Mustin, Rachel T. & Marecek, Jeanne (1988). The meaning of difference: Gender theory, postmodernism, and psychology. American Psychologist, Vol 43(6),
Women and men are different. ???
Women and men are the same. ????

8. Common Themes in Feminist Philosophies
Gender socialization is central to therapeutic practice for men & women
A socio-political and cultural perspective is essential in understanding people’s problems:
Ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, class, age & disabilities
Symptoms may be self-preservation responses to an oppressive environment

9. Cultural, socio political perspective Gay Rights -- USA
Board of Directors of the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
2015- the Supreme Court is set any day to decide whether states can forbid marriage among same-sex couples from

10. San Francisco Unified School D. Middle and High S. (CDC)

11. Goals of Therapy Societal change Empowerment
Help clients free themselves from the internalized constraints of gender role socialization and oppression
Societal change
Social change to eliminate sexism and other forms of oppression

12. Techniques and Strategies
Egalitarian counselor-client relationship
Actively engage client in setting the direction, goals, length and procedures of therapy
Favors therapist self disclosure to decrease power differential
Gender Role Analyses/Intervention
Emphasize societal as opposed to intra-psychic origin of problems
Examine how internalized societal expectations regarding gender roles are related to client’s issues
Internalized homo-phobia, racial devaluation

13. Techniques and Strategies
Power analysis
Raise awareness of power difference between men and women in society (or other groups).
Help clients recognize different kinds of power they possess and how they and others exercise power – personal and societal levels
Assertiveness Training
Teach firm, proactive behaviors to have person stand for themselves

14. Techniques and Strategies
Bibliotherapy
To help educate clients about societal issues
Increases clients’ expertise and decreases power differential in therapy
Social Action
Encourage clients to actively influence social change regarding women/other oppressed groups
Helps empower clients by making the connection between society and personal problems

15.
Social action and protests started at both the K-12 and the Collegiate level. At the time it was not against the law to discriminate again women in funding for athletic programs in educational institutions. In addition women were not allowed to play in the boys/men teams.
The legal argument used was based on parents of girls were discriminated against when their tax dollars for schools did not benefit them.
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance …” — Title IX

16. Contributions
Raised awareness of multiple oppressions: cultural, contextual, individual
Validated women’s perspectives
Recognized and sanctioned sexual conduct in therapeutic relations
Valued strengths in women's qualities of nurturance and cooperation (rather than competition)
Established as proper focus of therapy to change oppressive conditions rather than just expect clients to adapt to them

17. Limitations
Feminist therapy does not take a neutral stance regarding gender roles
May put undue pressure on clients to follow a specific direction
Not all clients may be interested in engaging in social action
Over-emphasis on environmental factors may
Neglect exploration of the intra-psychic world
Motivate clients to forsake responsibility for themselves in the face of an unjust world