Feminist Theory and Multicultural Issue

The theory I chosen is feminist theory. The multicultural issue is typically gender. Some other cultural issues are ethnicity, language, age, sexual orientation, religion, and socioeconomic status. Empowerment is the main goal for feminist therapy. Feminist focuses on psychological motives that creates problems for individuals. Sociological impacts like gender roles and diverse backgrounds all have an effect on an individual. “Feminist therapy theory views healthy and unhealthy development as inseparable from an individual’s sociocultural context” (Conlin, 2017, p. 78). Feminist therapy is helpful for everyone as in children, men, and women.

They focus on gender roles development at different times of life spans. Gender has provided a way of viewing power between individuals as well identify the impact on the relationship between the individuals. For example, gender roles can be identified at home, work, dating life, or education settings.

The relationship is equal and open between the client and therapist. Most feminist therapists combine other theories to other approaches for assessments. The approaches related to feminist therapy helps identify social motives that effect individuals and provide the individual with support to make the individual more effective to deal with the social order. Enns stated the following “Rather than being a specific set of theories or techniques for working with clients, feminist therapy can be described as a superordinate structure or framework that orients a practitioner’s worldview and assumptions about what matters in competent and empowering practice with individuals, especially those persons whose experiences have often been marginalized within the culture” (p.929). Intersectionality also can play a part of an individual life like he/she may experience social labels that deliberate oppression or may experience deliberate privilege. To a degree everyone experiences advantages and disadvantages which is modified by one’s social setting.

History of Feminist Therapy

The history behind feminist therapy is the symbol of the work and determination of many women with a diversity academic backgrounds who shared the same view that women are valuable and social modification to benefit women is important. Feminists and therapists in past started working to together bring change by working in consciousness-raising groups, by acting on observations they observed from the past and present social history issues of the treatment of women. The CR groups were perilous of psychotherapy, as well they were practiced by male therapists with female clients. Enns stated the following “Consciousness raising groups provided a forum for women to make the link between their personal experiences and the political and social context in which these experiences were constructed.” (p. 930)

Over time feminist therapists started to input morals and practices of CR groups unbiases and nonracist treatment systems. Later in the 1960s, the feminist therapists revealed majority of the existing research, diagnostic approaches, and theories were established by privileged men viewed as normative, consequential in women’s experiences or views of existence seen as less superior in comparison to men. Some other concerns were the overall error of women from the understanding base of psychology. Many health specialists for women inclined to neglect their self-reported experience. There was a practice blaming and holding women responsible for their experience of sexual and physical violence. As well, there were a practice overmedicalizing women with psychological problems, which included diagnosing their concerns in minor terms or overprescribing with medications. Eventually, concerns outgrew and the feminist therapists started redefining the psychotherapy in equal ways by focusing more on the client’s strengths and resilience. The feminist therapists focused less on seeing the client as an individual who needed to be cured.

Goals of Feminist Therapy

The goals of therapy from a feminist therapist’s belief that it must not only consist of changes in one’s individual life but also in change social society. The first goal is “therapy for change, not adjustment” which is the feminist therapy basic goal (Sharf p.521). This goal means change is only for improvement where a new skill is gained. For example, my little brother is currently having stomachaches due to the stress of my parent’s custody battle. A feminist therapist will most likely treat the issue by helping him find effective ways to cope with the separation and avoid prescribing medication. The second goal is “self-nurturance and self-esteem. This goal defines taking care of yourself and making sure your needs are met. In order to take care of yourself you must have an understanding of “what are your needs”. As well, you must focus on you and not what others think. For example, in my past relationship I struggled with being myself and focused more on being what my ex-boyfriend wanted in a girl. My ex-boyfriend was older than me by two years, that was not too much a big difference but only seemed that way in high school while he was in college. He used to try to force me to act older than my age because he cared about what others think. His control was like my clothing, hair styles, and behavior. During that time, his opinion matters the most to me.

Once I went off to college and met other peers, I was able to find myself. I realized he was putting off his own insecurities onto me. The third goal was “balancing instrumental and relational strengths” this means the client has become independent and have taken control of their own lives as well building healthy relationships with others. The healthy relationships with others are not at the expense of one’s individual needs. The fourth goal was “body image and sensuality” defines how the media and men perceive women. Society as a whole makes women physical appearance defines a woman. Feminist therapists helps the client gain confidence and acceptance of their body and sensuality. As well, feminist therapists help the individual to ignore social standards to criticize their physical characteristics. The fifth goal is “affirming diversity” defines the ability to accept and value cultural differences of a client. A feminist therapist must be able to accept multiple identities as in gender, sexuality, religion, and ethnicity. For instance, for a better understanding the therapist may begin to learn about the individual cultural norms. For example, the client may be an African American and Muslim male. The client may be having a hard time accepting his religion due to his family background connection to Christianity. The sixth goal is “empowerment and social action” defines the expression “the person is political”. This goal defines the need for women to be aware social injustice due to gender-role labeling, racism, and sexism. The therapist advocates for the client and helps the client to be able distinguish discrimination or help the client defer from self-blame from the effect of sexual abuse trauma. The overall goal is for this goal no gender, race, religion, or sexuality, etc. have dominance over the opposite identity.

Summary

The beginning of feminist therapy was design to fix biases responses to women as well help empower women. The feminist therapy is a blend of many other theories. Feminists and feminist therapists help change the world by coming together to redesign and modify social society to help accept women not as the second gender to men. Feminist therapy works great with multiple identities, they help you accept your identities as well help change society.

References

1. Conlin, S. E. (2017). Feminist therapy: A brief integrative review of theory, empirical support, and call for new directions. Womens Studies International Forum,62, 78-82. doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2017.04.002
2. Draganovi?, S. (2012). Approaches to Feminist Therapy: A Case Study Illustration. Epiphany,4(1). doi:10.21533/epiphany.v4i1.34
3. Enns, C. (2016). Feminist Psychotherapy. Encyclopedia of Mental Health,240-244. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-397045-9.00025-2
4. Hahna, N. D. (2013). Towards an emancipatory practice: Incorporating feminist pedagogy in the creative arts therapies. The Arts in Psychotherapy,40(4), 436-440. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2013.05.002
5. Sharf, R. S. (2015). Theories of psychotherapy and counseling: Concepts and cases. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

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