JEAN BAKER MILLER - relational cultural theory

CAROLYN ZERBE ENNS - muticultural feminist therapy

OLIVIA ESPIN - pioneer in the theory and practice of fem therapy of women with diff cultural
backgrounds
LAURA BROWN - feminist forensic psychology

Feminist counseling - social, cultural, political context contributes to a person's problem

Feminist psychotherapy - integration of feminist, multicultural, social justice concepts
Feminist perspectives - understanding women and men w/ diverse social identities and experiences

Gilligan - morality of care in women

Miller - self-in-care relation (relational-cultural)

KEY CONCEPTS
gender fair approaches - behavior of men and women in socialization
flexible-multicultural perspective - equal concepts and strategies to individuals and groups
interactionist - thinking, feeling, behaving dimension of human exp
life span perspective -human dev is a lifelong process
- connectedness and interdependence are central to women's development
engendered lives - gender organizing principles in people's lives
- acknowledging internalized oppression is central
- women are bicultural, share their own culture w other women

RELATIONAL CULTURAL THEORY

- vital role, relationship and connectedness w others
- self-identity and self-concept developed thru relationships
- aim to lessen suffering fr disconnection and isolation, increase relational resilience, develop mutual
empathy and empowerment, social justice
PRINCIPLES
1. the personal is political and critical consciousness - acknowledgment of political and societal impact
2. commitment to social change
3. women's and girl's voices and ways of knowing - exp valued and honored
4. the counseling relationship is egalitarian - authenticity, mutual respect
5. focus on strengths and a reformulated def of psychological distress - communication abt unjust systems
6. all types of oppression are recognized along w the connections among them

THERAPEUTIC GOALS
- empowering, affirming and valuing diversity, striving change
- viewing themselves as active agents on their own behalf and others
- strengthen collective power
- empower magrinalized groups
- create world of equality

THERAPIST FUNCTION AND ROLE

- free of biased assumption
- treated w respect
- centralize the sociocultural context of client's mental health status
adlerian - social equality and social interest
existential - therapy as shared journey, life changing for both
- non hierarchical, person-to-person
- empower clients to live acc to their own values and rely on an internal locus of control in determining
whats right for them
- genuine, mutual empathy

CLIENT'S EXPERIENCE
- tell their stories, give voice
- determine what they want
- expert on their own lives

RELATIONSHIP
- inclusion of client in both assessment and treatment process
- egalitarian

ROLE OF ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS

- diagnosis is based on the dominant culture’s view
- distress rather than psychopathology
- external factors and contextual factors as important as internal dynamics
- symptoms as coping or survival strategies
- assessment - ongoing process and connected to treatment intervention
- wellness rather than disease
- resilience rather than deficits
- diagnosis - shared dialogue

TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES

- does not prescribe any particular set of interventions
- tailors interventions to the client's strength

● consciousness-raising techniques - differentiate socially acceptable and what’s healthy for them
● empowerment - informed consent, how therapy works, client active partner
● self disclosure - sharing info and exp, authenticity, and a sense of mutuality
● gender role or social identity analysis - hallmark of feminist therapy
- identify the impact of gender role in shaping their values, tots, behaviors
- adopt realistic and affirming internal messages
 ● gender role intervention - provide insights into the ways social issues are affecting her
● power analysis - unequal access to power and resources can influence personal realities
- identify alternate kinds of power she may exercise and learn how to challenge the gender role
message
● Bibliotherapy
● assertiveness training - aware of interpersonal rights
● reframing and relabeling
Reframe - focus on examining societal and political dimensions
Relabeling - change label or eval
● social action - participating in activities
● group work - individual therapy to group format, joining support group

ROLE OF MEN
- can be therapist and client
- understand own privilege, create just society

STRENGTHS
- more inclusive
- empower individuals, confront injustice and inequality in society
- multicultural and social justice perspectives

SHORTCOMING
- working w women who do not share the same beliefs
- imposing their own values

SUMMARY
- viewing problems in sociopolitical ad cultural context rather than individual
- clients are expert in their own lives
- self-disclosure and informed consent
- including the client in all phases
- therapist as the facilitator
- aim both personal and social change
- feminist consciousness and create society w equal values, diversity etc
-developed and expanded by multiple voices

CONTRIBUTION
- awareness of gender-sensitive practice and impact of cultural context and multiple oppressions
- emphasis on the social change which can lead to a transformative society
- proper focus of therapy - oppressive factors in society rather than expecting the individual to adapt to
expected roles
- ethics in psychology and counseling practice

LIMITATIONS
- therapist may unduly influence clients who lack a strong sense of their own values
- moving away from exploring the intrapsychic domain
- no credentialing organization confers official status as a qualified official therapist
- evidence-based research on the efficacy of feminist therapy is lacking