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

Rachel Phillips Tenny

Charlotte

North Carolina

My practice as a clinician focuses on eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image for adolescents and adult women. Do thoughts about food, your body, and weight keep you from being present in your life? Disordered eating often appears as a fixation on food and changing your body, but under the surface, it serves as a way to meet emotional needs and find a sense of control. You don't hav...
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I have provided mental health services in a variety of settings that include: inpatient hospital units for children, adolescents and adults, group homes, schools, day treatment settings, and community mental health clinics. I am a licensed psychologist since 2005. I work with children, adolescents, adults, and elders in an individual therapeutic setting and collaborate with family, physicians, ...

Lindsey B Hopkins

San Francisco

California

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with over 13 years of experience researching and practicing evidence-based treatments. There are a number of highly effective therapies out there, and my primary focus is on those that help people overcome: Traumatic Stress (PTSD); Anxiety Disorders (social anxiety, panic, phobias); and Disordered Eating (emotional eating, body image, binge eating, bulimia,...

Emily Silverman

Baltimore

Maryland

You are too hard on yourself, holding yourself to unrealistic standards. Others tell you you are “too sensitive” and “overly emotional,” or you hold your emotions in tightly to protect yourself. You feel stuck in your life and relationships, getting in your own way with the negative, self-defeating stories you tell yourself. I believe that people are inherently resilient. Using a supportive and...

Sandy Huynh

Oakland

California

I believe it is the relationship that we cultivate together that will empower you to build a stronger connection to your intuition and make decisions from a place of deep trust and self awareness. I am passionate about the intersectionality of identities, ancestral ways of healing, wisdom of the body, the movement of energy, the cultivation of joy, inter-generational trauma, and more. I help to...
Sexualized violence is one of the most devastating and harmful experiences a girl or woman can experience. Many find themselves without support, without people to listen and believe them, and without a legal structure that takes sexual assault and abuse seriously. We do! Our creed is, "Start By Believing." And from that caring premise, we offer shame-free, science-based, trauma-skilled care wit...
***TELEHEALTH PROVIDER***Problems with your spouse, partner, child, family, friends or job? Feeling depressed, anxious or overwhelmed? Finding a therapist who understands your needs can be very difficult but with my 33+ years experience with mental health and substance abuse treatment can help you live a more satisfying life. I have experience with all age clients with mental health, substance...

Emily Bonelli-Padow

San Francisco

California

I believe creating a secure, trusting and meaningful relationship is the basis for opening the door to change in our lives. Life can be hard. Whether it be stress from relationships, work, parenting (sometimes all of the above!) and life changes, we all deserve a space where we feel heard, valued and seen. This allows us to process what happened, whats happening now, and how to move forward....

James Clementi

New York

New York

James takes an eclectic approach to counseling which draws heavily on Person-Centered Therapy and Relational-Cultural Therapy, while also incorporating Multicultural Therapy, Feminist Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and mindfulness techniques. James Clementi has experience working with a wide range of individuals including LGBTQ+ populations, individuals, coupl...
This time is unlike anything we have ever experienced. You deserve support during this stressful time, and I‘m a caring, experienced psychologist who‘s dedicated to helping. Together, we‘ll create a safe place for you to express your feelings, reduce stress, and deepen your self-care and self-comfort. We can strengthen your relationships with others and help make them more supportive and...
You do so much for others, always there to provide care, comfort and a shoulder to lean on. You are a partner, mother, daughter, sister, friend to everyone….and you have completely lost yourself. Once, you had goals, dreams and a firm sense of who you were. But now, the pressures of day to day life are leaving you depressed, anxious and uncertain. Things are changing all around you but you feel...
Anxiety and depression may be running your life. You may have struggled in silence with your emotions for a long time. In today’s social media society, you may feel pressure to present yourself as happy, together, and successful. Maybe you know that your insides don’t match that external presentation. Perhaps you don’t know how to respond to strong emotions and find yourself feeling stuck. Your...
We all have a need for connection, love and support. When we share our stories, we can form a new standpoint and choose different pathways to walk in this life. When we face life’s difficulties, I believe it is possible to find new perspectives and cultivate hope. Moving forward together, we can make a plan for change and recovery based on your goals. My style of relating to others is warm,...
Each of us can experience hard times, but only few know how to turn it into a starting point for a new life full of happiness. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and my mission is to find your hidden potential and give you all necessary tools to develop and grow. I am an experienced clinician, trained in counseling children, adolescents, and adults. My goal is to help people identify...