Using Feminism to Treat Clients in Therapy

Using Feminism to Treat Clients in Therapy

Esther Shutts

University of Valley Forge- Virginia Campus

Abstract

Founded in the nineteen-sixties from the feminist movement, feminist therapy is a therapy about fighting for social justice and equal rights. Often incorporating values that break gender roles, this therapy is helpful for those who are minorities, such as the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities, those with disabilities, women and for people of color. Taking a radical approach to have clients help themselves, this type of therapy is a lifestyle approach to therapy. Many of the therapists also are involved in social justice movements themselves, and encourage their clients to get actively involved with something they have a passion for. Viewing the world differently than even other therapists, feminist therapist core values are in equality, from which stems their need of breaking down barriers. Particularly when it comes to the label of a mental illness, feminist therapist fight for a fairer diagnostic tool. Feminist therapist therapy is radical, changing and always morphing to the social justice movements that need them, because of its core roots in feminism.

Using Feminism to Treat Clients in Therapy

Feminist theory therapy is a type of therapy in which social justice, equality, multiculturalism and human rights are key components to how individuals treat a client and others. This person-centered and politically informed therapy has roots of staring in the nineteen-sixties. Breaking gender roles, racial stereotypes, and helping the queer community out is what makes this therapy controversial yet strong.

        Social justice movements are nothing new. However, the ones that occurred in the mid-twentieth century are some of the most monumental is history. Justice is about helping those who are at a disadvantage, such as the poor and needy, those who are minorities, and anyone who does not fit into the typical mold, like the physically disabled, or the mentally ill, which feminist therapy has its own way of diagnosing because of the conflicts in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM.)

 These pulls in politics are what makes feminist therapy so appealing to those who have been abused. Dr. Laura S. Brown (2013) states “Feminist therapy does not simply study the” other” in order to offer a neutral perspective on that experience. Rather, what is inherent in Feminist Therapy theory is the radical notion that silenced voices of marginalized people are considered to be the sources of the greatest wisdom. This is a shifting of the value of knowledge claims from those of culturally appointed experts to the expertise of the oppressed” When abuse victims seek out counseling they, according to Dr. Brown, are receiving a voice to cope with that they no longer had. With up to twenty-two per cent of the population experiencing sexual abuse in their childhood it is no wonder many adults feel lost, angry, and want to fight to help the rights of others (Haverkamp and Daniluk). This is where feminist therapy comes into play, and is divergent from the other types of therapies. In feminist therapy, the client-therapist relationship is one that is an egalitarian style. These therapists do not pretend to know more about the clients’ life than the client themselves, and the ultimate end goal in feminist therapy is to develop a reinterpreting sense of their mental health, know their value, (Corey, 2012, p. 349).

        Feminist therapists have a reputation of doing things in a different manor than other therapists. Due to the factor of having a need for social equality, those who practice this type of therapy often are unconventional in their diagnoses, and do not always go by The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM.) Many feminist therapists believe that the DSM is often subtly racist, classist, sexist, ethnocentric, heterosexist, or ageist. “Some experts have argued that the DSM is androcentric and that the diagnostic labels are gender biased, arising from the psychopathologization of women and their roles. For example, personality disorders like dependent personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and histrionic personality disorder reinforce notions about the pathology of dependency and emotionality, attributes generally ascribed to women…Many have argued that the constructs behind this diagnosis is inherently laden with gender bias.” (NETCE)

If women, and other minorities, like people of color, the elderly, people who have physical disabilities, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities, as well as the poor, are misdiagnosed mentally, there can be catastrophic consequences. Manifestations of hallucinations, losing grips on reality, slipping into a deeper depression, having no impulse control, these are just a few psychiatric circumstances that could worsen with a misdiagnoses. Since feminist therapist support the evidence that show that the DSM has some biases, psychologists should want to change the criteria to better support those who need it.

Considering the fact that when the DSM first came out, homosexuality, as well as bisexuality were defined as mental illnesses says a lot about the biases of psychological professionals, and the surrounding societies. Feminist therapy has fought for the right of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) since its founding in the nineteen-sixties. Often including people who could fit onto the spectrum, but do not have a label, the word queer is used as “1) An umbrella term sometimes used by LGBTQ people to refer to the entire LGBT community. 2) An alternative that some people use to "queer" the idea of the labels and categories such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, etc...” (University of Michigan.) Even with same-sex marriage becoming legal in all fifty United States on June 26th 2015, and Transgender individuals being allowed to join the Armed Forces as of June 20th 2016, there is still a large about of inequality in the LGBTQ community. They face violence, discrimination, risk their jobs and housing. Facing all of these challenges, this community is at a high-risk for depression. Therapists who help those in this community due to the fact that it is founded in social justice and equality. “Although Ss’ showed generally liberal attitudes toward homosexuals, they admitted a lack of knowledge concerning lesbian and gay male lifestyles. Ss' major concerns in counseling gay clients were the maintenance of objectivity, countertransference, and lack of knowledge of homosexuality.” (Graham, Rawlings, Halpem, Hermes.)

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