The Feminist Therapy

Introduction

Therapy is the attempted remediation of an individual’s problem. The problem could be psychological, physical or health related. It is normally a slow and careful process which aims to better the life of the individual. Feminist therapy deals with problems that are viewed in social, cultural and political perspective. It mainly focuses on showing the individuals the importance of gender roles in their lives. The female gender is favored by this therapy since they have suffered oppression over the years. It advocates for gender equality. In this therapy, it is believed that the client is in total control of her life. It is also believed that the client knows what is best for her.

Role of Feminist Therapy

In feminist therapy, it is believed that change in the individual will occur best through social change. This is in opposition with the traditional ways which used an approach of assessing the individual’s psychological health. This therapy is gendering free and applies to all individuals regardless of age, race, sexual orientation and culture. Feminist therapy helps the individual to know their gender roles in society. This helps them to develop skills that help them change their environment.

Feminist therapy also aims at making the individual accept their responsibilities in the society. It examines the external forces that influence the behavior of individuals. Therefore, it helps the individual to acquire freely chosen behaviors. This causes the individual to have self drive instead of being controlled by external factors (Corey 2012). This way, it gifts the society with responsible individuals who require no supervision to undertake activities that build the world around them.

It is also the role of feminist therapy to ensure that individuals explore their inner values and capitalize on them. This increases the self esteem of individuals and their relationship with other people. Through this, the individuals are able to influence changes in their environment using their personal abilities.

Techniques of Feminist Therapists

The feminist therapists should be careful with whatever they do. This is because feminist therapy is not like any other therapy. For example, they should not give unnecessary diagnosis to their clients. They should also avoid giving instructions and advice to clients. Therefore, the feminist therapists should not act like experts. This is because the client is believed to be in full control of their lives. They should also reduce the power imbalance between them and the clients. This is achieved through self disclosure. The feminist therapists should end oppression and empower women and girls.

There are techniques that are used by the therapists. For example, they help the client understand the importance and impact of gender roles in their lives. They also help clients to see their problems in a social perspective and how they can be solved.  Feminist therapists also emphasize on the power differences between men and women. This helps the individual understand both genders better and how to relate with members of each gender. It is also the role of feminist therapists to help clients in recognizing the different powers in them. This also involves helping them recognize the powers of other people. Then, they show them how they can exercise their powers as well as help others to exercise their own.

Conclusion

This therapy is quite valuable in the lives of the individuals undergoing it. It helps them discover their abilities and accept their responsibilities. Therefore, it creates a better society for everyone. It also helps people recover from their problems through self evaluation. It shows individuals that they can have control of their lives and influence the direction that they take.