Reviewing effective components of feminist therapy

Abstract

Despite the broad application of feminist techniques and advances in de ning feminist theory for psychological practice, consensus regarding the effectiveness of core components and techniques speci c to feminist therapy is still evolving. This paper identi es four core components of feminist therapy: consciousness raising, social and gender role analysis, resocialization and social activism, and evaluates existing research evaluating their therapeutic effectiveness. Research to date suggests that many of these core components are promising. Future research on each of these key components is proposed.

Effects of Husbands' Migration on Mental Health and Gender Role Ideology of Rural Mexican Women

“…Thus, many American and Western theorists have asserted that women are better off psychologically for owning androgynous or masculine-like ideologies than adhering to traditional ones-regardless of how or why the shift comes about (Woodhill & Samuels, 2003). In fact, some feminist researchers state that traditionalism in society and in individual women has caused a breakdown of female mental health and that women ought to shed their traditionalism or suffer the consequences of masculine social and cultural forces working against them (see Israeli & Santor, 2000;Marecek & Kravetz, 1977). Furthermore, some researchers see depression and other problems with mental health as a natural response to the oppressiveness of a patriarchal society because men's roles are so clearly favored (Stock, Graubert, & Birns, 1982;Sturdivant, 1980).…”

Crossing Borders, Building Bridges, and Swimming Upstream: Feminist Liberatory Work within South Thailand Communities in Conflict

“…We will highlight how we offer the methodology as a means of creating a structure and a space for groups to collectively analyze the ethno-political conflicts in the participants' communities and experience healing and connection through the workshop process, partially through the witnessing and accompaniment, but also by addressing the justice issues at the heart of the conflict. We believe that this work demonstrates how feminist-based social action, advocacy, and social justice can be vehicles for peace building as well as healing and trauma recovery (Brown, 1994;Israeli & Santor, 2000) while also respecting the important role of more traditional clinically oriented feminist trauma therapy. From time to time, we share some of our (Kathryn and Nuch) collective autho-ethnographic reflections connected to relevant parts of some of the projects in order to illustrate elements of the work and to illuminate some of the theoretical, qualitative and process aspects of the projects.…”

Unfinished business with feminist thinking and counselling and guidance practice

“…A generation of women, who identify as third wave feminists, such as Alice Walker's daughter, Rebecca (Enns, 2004) is arguing over the same contested ground. What characterises feminist practice in counselling and guidance in the third wave cannot be listed as neatly as some would suggest (Israeli & Santor, 2000). At times, it seems we have made little progress, for example, many of the issues women bring are the same as in the early days of second wave feminism: sexual violence against women and low conviction rates, for example.…”