[This is an excerpt from a paper I wrote as an MSW student in December 2017]
Feminist Therapy is a meta-theory more than a specific modality. In my own work with it, I find that its purpose is to inform my overall practice with clients in a way that emphasizes empowerment and an egalitarian working relationship, among other things. One of its driving principles is to make marginalized viewpoints central, often addressing the concerns of people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with special needs, immigrants and refugees, and others (Goodtherapy.org, 2015).
There are four tenets that encompass the overall philosophy embodied in feminist therapy: (1) the personal is political, (2) egalitarian relationships, (3) privileging of women’s – or members of other traditionally oppressed groups – experiences, and (4) empowerment (Evans, Kincade & Seem, 2011, P. 17).
The personal is political
Feminist therapy recognizes the importance of the impact of a person’s environment on them. This perspective is not unique to feminist therapy, but the centralizing of this principle, together with the emphasis on recognizing and understanding the importance of oppression (Evans, Kincade & Seem, 2011, P. 17) sets feminist therapy apart from many other modalities. It is, in fact, the historical opposition of feminist therapy to diagnosing, on the basis that “you can’t diagnose oppression,” (Evans, Kincade & Seem, 2011, P. 18) that initially drew me to this approach. Feminist therapist assumes that the major causes of distress in their client’s lives are caused by external forces, typically in the form of sexist and other oppressive environments (Evans, Kincade & Seem, 2011, P. 69).
Egalitarian relationship
Feminist therapy advocates for a clear recognition and minimization of the power differential inherent in any therapeutic setting, without endangering the therapeutic frame and boundaries (Evans, Kincade & Seem, 2011, P. 19). This is embodied in the practice of creating a cooperative relationship between two “experts.” The therapist is the expert on therapy techniques and interventions, and the client is the expert on his or her own life (Evans, Kincade & Seem, 2011, P. 19).
Privileging of the experience of oppression
In traditional feminist therapy, an important element is that “both male and female realities are considered and valued equally,” meaning that the female experience is brought “from the margins of theory and practice to the center” (Evans, Kincade & Seem, 2011, P. 19). The purpose in this is not to devalue the “male experience,” but to prevent the “female experience” from being devalued.
Empowerment
Empowerment is viewed in feminist therapy as helping the client become better equipped to change the internal and external conditions of their lives through self-learning and social change activities. This includes three dimensions: personal, interpersonal, and social/political (Evans, Kincade & Seem, 2011, P. 170).
Summary
Feminist therapy is not a specific intervention but rather an overall therapeutic approach. Although originally conceived of as a therapy for women, it has been applied to other members of traditionally oppressed groups, and even to members of the oppressor group, who are also ultimately victims of the system of oppression. I find it especially valuable in working with a client who has experienced multiple areas of oppression.
Interventions to use with client from feminist therapy
Power Analysis
One of the primary intervention techniques for feminist therapy is “Power Analysis.” It is posited – with more than a fair amount of support – that anyone who deviates from the norm of being a “White male” has less power and is more insignificant, including some males who stray from the narrow definitions of gender, including gay and transgender males (Evans, Kincade & Seem, 2011, P. 152). A “Power Analysis” includes providing the client with the definitions of the typical ways in which power is exerted, having them review those definitions and determine which one best describes their situation. You then discuss with the client the access different groups have to the different forms of power, and how that power is exerted by them, and finally how “socialization, societal expectations, and external and internalized forces” (racism, sexism, etc.) affect this power. Finally, with this information in hand, the client does a cost-benefit analysis to see which power strategies they want to add or delete from their own toolbox (Evans, Kincade & Seem, 2011, P. 156).
The goal of this intervention is to create a sense in the client that power is a more diverse concept than it is often perceived to be and that they do, in fact, already exert it in some manner and can potentially add more.
Social Action
Another valuable technique associated with feminist therapy is “social action.” Feminist therapists believe that “being involved in social action that impacts one’s culture empowers the individual and helps bring about social change,” and social change is itself a core concept of feminist therapy. This technique involves listening to the client and working with them to find ways in which they can meaningfully interact in society towards a social change or social justice issue that is important to them. In some cases it may involve a victim of domestic violence working with others who have been victims, in my own case it has lead me to work in the area of criminal justice reform and facilitating support groups for transgender individuals.
Therapy technique 2: Narrative therapy
A modality that I think is highly complementary to feminist therapy is Narrative Therapy. This approach rejects the idea of “developmental milestones” that people should reach and instead focuses on the words and the stories that we tell about ourselves and others that create our psychological and social realities (Walsh, 2013, Ch. 12). Similar to feminist therapy is the focus of this modality on the empowerment of the client, helping them gain greater control over their lives and destinies (Walsh, 2013, Ch. 12). Consistent with that perspective, “diagnosing” in this context involves recognizing that the “conditions” that clients suffer from are the result of “personal narratives saturated with self-denigrating beliefs” (Walsh, 2013, Ch. 12).
Interventions to use with narrative therapy
Externalizing the problem
This technique, as used in narrative therapy, involves a particular style of questioning to help clients begin to view their problem(s) as something separate from themselves rather than as part of their identity. Central to this style of questioning is inquiring about how the problem has impacted the client’s life and relationships. The key to this approach is conceptualizing the problem in the questions as a separate entity from the individual (Carr, 1998). For example, I would ask “how has homelessness impacted you?” rather than “how has being homeless impacted you?” It’s a subtle difference, but in the first version homelessness is regarded as an outside force rather than a part of the person’s identity, as it is in the second version.
Unique outcomes
This is a technique designed to help clients internalize their agency and power, as well as their new, positive narrative about themselves (Carr, 1998). Used in concert with the previous technique, the net effect is to help the client externalize the problem(s), and internalize the power they have to address the problem(s). The technique involves asking questions about times when the problem hasn’t had a negative influence on their lives, and then seeks out the reasons for those “exceptions.”
Comparison of Theories
These theories, Feminist and Narrative therapy, are highly compatible. Feminist therapy is a meta-therapy and typically open to integration with other modalities. In this case, the narrative therapy approach to centering the person’s life in the context of therapy, and recognizing that “narratives constitute identities, lives, and problems” (Carr, 1998) is very consistent with the core principles of feminist therapy.
The primary weakness in both techniques is that they may not be well suited to clients who have some neurological or organic basis for the problem(s) they are experiencing. It’s unclear that a narrative approach is going to be effective in cases involving more serious mental health issues.
I believe very strongly in employing feminist therapy with every client. Its focus on empowerment, and recognition of the impact of oppression (and concurrent diminishment of the role of clinical diagnosing) I think is beneficial for any client with sufficient cognitive functioning. Those who suffer from a significant psychotic disorder, or another condition that prevents sufficient self-awareness, might not benefit from this approach.
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