Feminist Psychotherapy emerged as an approach to counseling as the waves of feminism gained popularity in mainstream western society. It examines the unique way women relate to the world around them after being seen as inferior to men for many generations. It’s also a response to the once male-dominated field of psychotherapy as a whole.
Feminist therapists aim to treat all genders as equally deserving of respect and dignity and accept. They believe in the historical marginalization of all genders besides males.
Critical to Feminist Psychotherapy is an analysis of power dynamics. Power dynamics are inherent in any relationship, specifically within the counseling relationship. Usually, a counselor is an “expert” with high levels of education and status. The client then is thought to be less than. Feminist Psychotherapy, instead of ignoring this power dynamic or using it to their advantage to tell clients what they ought to do, seeks to highlight it and converse about it. Bringing up how the power dynamics affect the counseling relationship helps people examine the power dynamics in all other areas of their life.
Feminist Psychotherapy can be helpful for a range of mental health concerns, can be utilized for a person of any gender identity, and can be used in group settings, family settings, or individual counseling.
Critical to Feminist Psychotherapy is the idea that people grow through relationships with others. Your therapist might help you analyze your patterns of relating to significant others in your life and might ask you to recall some of your early relationships with parents or other caregivers.
Feminist Psychotherapy does not have a list of techniques necessary for treatment. It focuses on the ideas of empathetically relating to you, from one human being (your counselor) to another (you). A healthy relationship with your counselor becomes a model for all of your relationships.
Therapists Who Specialize in Using Feminist Psychotherapy
We are currently in exceptionally challenging times, often experiencing chronic stress which can often trigger difficult feelings. These emotions can have a tremendous impact on our lives and relationships. The work I do creates a sense of control, peace with oneself, and hope, where life can then be lived to its fullest potential. Additionally, we may have personal histories or traumas cloudin...
Each of us is a complex product of our past and present environments and experiences. Generally, we act or cope in ways that are adaptive or necessary under given circumstances. When our default methods of coping are no longer effective or our circumstances change, we begin experiencing distress in specific realms of our lives. This distress might manifest as anxiety, depression, anger, pain,...
My style is direct and collaborative. It has been my experience that most people try their best to work through feelings of being stuck and lost before contacting a therapist. I am here to offer you my expertise to supplement what you have tried and learned on your own. Together we can find the best strategies to give you relief from your distress and to help you gather the skills, knowledge an...
Health and healing are journeys. We are always honored when clients ask us along on their journey towards recovery from the trauma or devastation robbing them of the ability to trust themselves or others. If you seek improvements, in any area of your life, let's work together to identify your passions and possibilities, map and monitor your progress, and manage the dynamics that keep you stuck....
Life should be Better than it often is. You know that your life isn't quite where you want it to be. I am committed to helping you achieve high quality answers to your deepest questions. I work with individuals, couples and families to get what you truly want. My therapy is engaging, useful and a powerful support for positive change in your life. Some Testimonials: Just a note to say that you w...
I believe that the therapeutic relationship is the central component to successful psychotherapy and I bring special attention to the ongoing process of relational safety. I also believe that self-harmful behaviors always have roots in past experiences of threat and it can be life-changing to discover these connections. I work to help individuals establish goals, explore their experiences, gain...
We all have inner strength. Rollo May, a well known psychologist wrote, "Finding the center of strength within ourselves, is in the long run, the best contribution we can make to our fellow man". As a professional counselor, I want to help you find and use your strengths so you can live a healthy and purpose filled life. For the past three decades, I have helped people manage anxiety, depressio...
My passion is teaching specific tools to help people heal from the distress of current, past, or multi-generational trauma and any related addictions. Through a variety of therapeutic tools and over 20 years of being on the journey of healing, I can provide an atmosphere of safety and compassion to assist in expressing, understanding and healing the pain and shame of trauma and addictions; ther...
** I AM NOT TAKING NEW CLIENTS AT THIS TIME ** ALL SESSIONS DONE BY TELEHEALTH AT THIS TIME** I currently offer individual therapy to adolescents and adults. I provide parent guidance, substance abuse treatment and advanced level trauma processing for those who want it. I have been in the field since 2005 and worked for 10 years at Children's Hospital Boston before relocating to the upper valle...
Each person has their own vital, meaningful life, and I join clients on this journey. Using a warm, empathic approach coupled with a healthy and gentle dose of directness, I guide clients in working through the areas of their lives that keep them stuck in their suffering. I work with couples and families to identify strengths and address problematic issues in relationships so that they may be m...
Feeling anxious? Using cutting edge techniques, I approach healing in a different way. If you've found that talk alone has not worked, then I may be a good fit for you. Using simple tools, you will learn to be more present, energized and balanced. Through personal experiences of cancer, grief, infertility and trauma, I have learned what it takes to move forward after loss and heartbreak. These...
Doug has many years of professional therapy experience and training working with individuals, couples and families. Specialities include: Family trauma, child abuse, depression, anxiety, discrimination, ADHD, family and relationship conflict, parent-child conflict, divorce, adoption, sexual compulsivity/addiction, sexual lifestyle, and life transitions. Clients appreciate his calm, reassuring a...
I work with individuals and couples to help reduce struggles and find ways to live more fulfilling, gratifying lives. Our relationship is the context in which we work to find where you're stuck, what's getting in your way, and ways to do things differently. My specialty areas include grief and loss, adoption, ADHD, race/class issues, work/life balance, LGBTQ issues, and divorce. I help people...
