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
My approach is person-centered and trauma informed. I use Eye Movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and mindfulness. I incorporate body and sex positivity and I am also poly- and kink-affirming. I value the importance of engaging with my clients through an intersectional lens and with cultural humility. I...
I will be offering video and phone coaching sessions to new clients beginning 10/1/2020. Let’s connect to see if we are a fit for the care you’re looking for. I specialize in attending to trauma by way of creative approaches that focus on healing justice and the power of creating our own unique community roles. I bring a passion for decolonized, unsettling practices to this work, in an ongoing...
I have personal experience with the profound healing that can unfold in somatic work, including a deepening sense of empowerment and trust in what our bodies are communicating to us. I'm passionate about supporting others to learn how to increase their ability to tap into the wisdom and knowing of their bodies. I incorporate Somatic Experiencing, which is a modality of healing PTSD and trauma, ...
I want to help women heal; find their voice; grow their confidence and walk in their authentic power. I know what it’s like to feel stuck in patterns that create self-doubt, low self-confidence and low self-worth. In the past, I felt compelled to sacrifice my boundaries & sense of self so that I could adapt to unhealthy relationships, family dynamics or cultural expectations. After becoming...
Hello! I believe that we repeat what we don't repair. I enjoy helping individuals, couples, and families overcome struggles in adjustments, relationships, identity, and mental health. My style of practice is rooted with unconditional positive regard. I aim to empower those who feel stuck and hopeless. I'm an LGBTQIA affirmative therapist, and I'm passionate about women's issues, DV, abuse, ment...
The clients I serve find themselves being negatively impacted by unfortunate experiences in their lives. The three most prevalent commonalities are anxiety, stress, and prolonged feelings of sadness or depression. These symptoms can be accompanied by experiences of loss; loss of appetite, money, function, energy, employment, relationships, and oftentimes pleasure. This psychological distress ca...
"I enjoy facilitating individual healing and growth for individuals, couples and families in order to find a path to thrive through difficult life transitions and stressful times." I work with Children, Adolescents and Families, Individuals and Couples dealing with depression, anxiety, grief, substance use, marital issues, trauma, domestic violence, work/life balance, parenting issues. I utiliz...
I use EMDR online to help people change their lives. It is a safe, powerful, and effective way to work together NOW. Emerge from this crisis even stronger and better able to face the future. What is your life going to look like one year from now if you don't take action? Are you ready to try something different? With Trauma-Focused Intensive Therapy utilizing EMDR you can experience healing in...
Having difficulty coping with social distancing, being stuck inside, and feeling either lonely, or frustrated with living companions? Concerns about the Pandemic and its’ impact on friends, family, finances, and society causing you anxiety? Humans are social creatures, and research shows isolation can cause an increase in anxiety and depression. As we practice social distancing, it is still...
When I think of the concept of a person, I think of a being that is guided by a need to be loved and to give love. Love can take on many forms, but the most powerful form of love is that of self-love. Cultivating self-love and self-compassion is my personal goal of doing therapeutic work. I believe that we tend to pursue the things we feel like we want before identifying who we are. Our lack of...
My clinical experience has included working with individuals that have experienced trauma as well as anxiety and depression. I currently practice individual therapy with adult individuals (18 y/o and up) experiencing anxiety, depression, and PTSD (including dissociative symptoms), and Complex PTSD in both English and Spanish. We may utilize various modalities including mindfulness techniques,...
Humans are complicated and our lives can be messy. We can’t always pinpoint what is going on; we just know that something doesn’t feel right. We don’t know where to start and often feel shame for the need to reach out. Seeking support may mean being seen, or heard -- maybe for the first time in our lives. Whether it is grief, trauma, relationships, or general life messiness; my heart’s desire t...
Being human is hard. It’s messy. And it can feel totally overwhelming at times. However, when we learn to give voice to these inner experiences, they start to become more manageable. We begin to realize the feelings and symptoms we experience aren’t random, they’re telling us something. As your therapist, I can help you learn how to better connect with, understand, and express painful emotions,...
I enjoy working with individuals and relationships of all sorts (romantic or familial). I love exploring how people have evolved through the context of their current and past relationships and with their own internal emotional world. My ideal client is someone who may feel stuck and has a desire to evolve and explore how their core beliefs about themselves and the world are impacting their life...
