What is Feminist Psychotherapy?

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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

Mary Ann Burg

Gainesville

Florida

Therapy should be accessible to everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender preference, trauma history, mental or physical health challenges or income. That is why I keep my fee at $75 per session. Psychotherapy can help you move through difficult times and losses. It can help you identify your personal barriers to change and help you develop tools to enhance your future. I will work w...
( English | español ) There are many challenging life events that can leave you feeling overwhelmed, unable to sleep, having a hard time starting or getting through the day, all without improvement. You may have experienced trauma. You may had multiple losses of significant people, relationships or employment. You may have turned to drugs, alcohol, sex to help you cope but these are having a...
Searching for the right therapist can be a confusing, overwhelming process, but congratulations on taking the first step! Prioritizing you or your child’s mental health while juggling other stressors and responsibilities in life can be difficult, but is very necessary and important. I believe that everyone deserves treatment that is created specifically to target one’s own symptoms, issues, goa...
My approach to therapy is unique to every client that walks through my doors. This is why I am passionate about creating a collaborative, open, and safe space for clients. Whether it be anxiety, trauma, relational issues, or adjusting to a major life change, therapy can help create a safe space for healing and growth. I look forward to helping create your own space and path for healing. My spec...
Beginning counseling can be likened to setting off into the woods, unsure where the path leads but hoping to find clarity in the journey. The right counselor can help you navigate the brambles and find the path again when you lose your way. I enjoy working with adults and young adults who are struggling on their path, whether from depression, trauma, loneliness, or simply the weight of life. I...

Crystal Nesfield

Phoenix

Arizona

Painful experiences can impact how we react to the world and can lead to feeling disconnected, stuck, overwhelmed, or unfulfilled. The ways you have been coping with these experiences may no longer working. I have a passion for working with people struggling with using substances, compulsive sexual behaviors, partner betrayal, and trauma. My approach is grounded in research with interventions t...

Shelley Wisdom-Lazar

San Diego

California

I provide individual and family therapy to adults and adolescents who are experiencing distress due to transitions in some aspect of their life, whether it is a changing role, experiencing loss, health problems or relationship difficulties. I approach problems from a BioPsychoSocial perspective, which takes into account all of the factors in one's life and how they might contribute to - and hel...
Are you tired of struggling to thrive in relationships with friends, family, and lovers? Are your emotions running your life? Interacting with others can be overwhelming when you have experienced trauma, grief, depression or anxiety. This can lead to coping through addictions or harmful behaviors. I believe we all have the capacity to change and that focusing on strengths can give clients a new...
I help Teens and adults who are tired of feeling stuck because of anxiety and depression to get back on track. Do you feel like you are being held back? Are you uncomfortable with being vulnerable, and trusting others? Are you struggling with shame or guilt? Imagine having meaningful relationships, feeling confident, and having more control over your life. What would that look like? I enjoy...

Elaine M Amond

Fort Collins

Colorado

Throughout our lives, family relationships can bring us great joy and sometimes great stress. These relationships are always complicated. I can help individuals and families navigate the "ups and downs" of everyday life or difficult transitions. Because of years of experience working with pre-teens and adolescents in the schools, I have a special understanding of the unique needs of kids. Every...
The most important factor in a therapy relationship is the relationship itself. It is my task to be available, open and supportive as the person seeks to put into words what he/she is experiencing and to work through the negative effects or life experiences, as well as lifting to the fore each person's gifts, strengths and unique perspectives. It is imperative, therefore, that we establish a...

Anjali Alimchandani

Los Angeles

California

My work as a psychologist is rooted in a profound belief that by recognizing and honoring our complex, messy life stories with honesty and gentleness, we lay the foundation to heal the obstacles preventing us from building fulfilling, meaningful lives. Throughout life, we all create narratives about ourselves to help us survive. These narratives are shaped by myriad factors (individual life...
*WAITLIST ONLY* I provide teletherapy for both Colorado and North Carolina residents. Individuals: I work with people experiencing the remnants and recoil of trauma, including systemic trauma, and how it impacts mood, meaning, and relationship issues. My job is to help you explore the unknown and rejected parts of you, learning how to change your relationship to those parts so that you can live...
Therapy for therapists ****FULLY BOOKED ****CLINICAL SUPERVISION******* Clients that typically seek me out are folks who struggle with closeness and how they experience others, and how they think others experience them. Knowing that they want to change, have tried to change, but things still feel stuck. This discomfort exists within friendships or relationships, at work, or with family. I work...

Elizabeth Cadd

Oakland

California

I want to help you find the love that you want -- with yourself and with others. I work with individuals and couples, focusing on bringing more love, kindness, and acceptance to your life and relationships. Individuals have worked with me to explore such things as anxiety, depression, trauma resolution, relationship worries, boundaries, and childhood wounding. I also work with couples to naviga...