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

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Lyzanne Malfitano

Chicago

Illinois

Lyzanne is a trauma-informed therapist who enjoys helping her clients experience healing, growth, and connection in their lives. Lyzanne welcomes the exploration of sexuality, gender identity, transitions, and non-heteronormative relationships. In her clinical experience, Lyzanne has worked with presenting concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, sexual concerns, family of origin issues,...

Courtney Brinkers

Indianapolis

Indiana

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Rachel Lynn Golden

Brooklyn

New York

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Eric Eichler

Denver

Colorado

Are you struggling with aligning your life activities with your values and goals? Do you find yourself feeling stuck in unfulfilling relationships? It’s vital to acknowledge and face your current situation and the feelings you have about it in order to make change happen, and psychotherapy provides space for this. We'll begin by talking about your goals for therapy, and we'll collaborate on a p...
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Stéphanie Gay Moss

San Francisco

California

My work with you begins with the recognition that it takes courage to seek help. You may have questions about why you feel the way you feel and why you do the things you do. I believe you are not defined by your symptoms. Whether you struggle with love, work, or relationships, whether you are in crisis or you have received a mental health diagnosis, I believe that your true desires, conflicts, ...
Welcome to CIP… We are here to help. Founded in 1977, CIP has provided quality, affordable mental health services to individuals, families, and couples for more than 40 years. We offer a full range of services designed to meet a variety of needs, including long-term depth psychology as well as short-term counseling, therapy groups, and psychological testing. We work with depression, anxiety,...
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Maia Sage DeMers

Seattle

Washington

I know what it is like to be brought to your knees. When breathing hurts, and thinking is excruciating. You want help, but at the same time you’re terrified of it. The fear of being vulnerable is overpowering because some part of you is expecting to get hurt. Let me help squash that fear right here, right now. As a trauma survivor, I know you deep within my bones. I know what it feels like to...

Sarah Hartzell

New York

New York

I work with folks because they want a space for their feelings as a part of their overall health and wellness. Therapy can be a useful and important part of self-care, especially if we experience oppression or have been taught that our feelings aren’t welcome. Some of my clients come in because they want support for a specific life transition, or because they want to work on longer term emotion...