What is Feminist Psychotherapy?

Home » Treatment Therapies » Feminist Psychotherapy » Page 68

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

Dorinda Burnham

Jacksonville

Florida

Are you ready to make a change? My goal is to provide support, empathy, and accountability to help you on your path to a more satisfying life. You are stronger that you may realize. If you are ready to make a change and begin unlocking your amazing potential, send me an email or call me! Empowerment is found in making healthier connections that foster growth, change, and life-long learning. I h...

Sarah Sanderson

Tacoma

Washington

I provide individual therapy services to adolescents and adults. Therapy is an active process of change. My role as your therapist is to guide and support you in strengthening your sense of self and personal power to make changes in your life. I strive to create a highly collaborative working relationship founded in respect and honesty. I practice a variety of evidenced-based techniques, taking...
Any individual, couple, or family making the decision to embark on therapy has made a brave step toward growth and change. Once rapport and safety is established, giving the self permission to be raw and vulnerable is what I strive for with clients. Feeling safe to explore discomfort and navigating different means of communication is at the heart of my work. The approach of curious exploration ...
Finding a therapist, someone you don't know but need to be honest and open with, can be difficult. I want to listen to and get to know the real you, free of judgment, so I can better help you. I have experience with a wide range of disorders with patients of all ages and backgrounds. I believe the best way to deal with life's problems is by gaining a better understanding of the problem and...
CANVAS HEALTH IS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS of bringing hope, healing, and recovery to the lives of people we serve. We achieve this by helping children, adolescents, adults, and families who struggle with mental illness and substance use disorders. Our clinic in Bloomington has a special focus on caring for the mental health of children, adolescents, and families. Our services and programs: 1) Early...

Kara Lacey

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Being a human comes with all sorts of challenging and rewarding experiences. Sometimes, those experiences are overwhelming, confusing, and emotionally exhausting. I believe that people are resilient and have the ability for change. My approach to therapy is collaborative, with a focus on self-exploration, increasing insight, and empowering a person to be the best version of themselves. I am a...
Being your True Self with honor and dignity can be challenging with the stresses of society. I have a compassionate listening presence and will help you to identify your specific goals in treatment. I assess and treat individuals of all ages including children, adolescents, and adults. I specialize in conditions of anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, PTSD, anger management, substance use, and ma...
I am most skilled in working with people on issues related to adverse childhood experiences, trauma, and anxiety. I focus on attachment work and believe in everyone's ability to heal. I communicate directly and often use humor in my work with people; I find it's a very effective tool, when used appropriately, to build our therapeutic alliance and do the hard work required to move your life...

Sarah L Gremillion

Austin

Texas

I have 10 years' clinical experience providing individual and couples therapy to adults. Every step we take has its mirror in the brain; in therapy you have a chance to re-write important parts of your story and support to move in new directions. I have extensive experience as a generalist mental health provider, working with anxiety, depression, major life changes, and relationship struggles. ...
Do your emotions sometimes feel “bigger” than you expected? Is your inner critic sometimes the loudest voice in your head? Does perfectionism make completing tasks painful and complicated? Are stuck beliefs causing you to repeat patterns that you desperately want to stop, but you don’t know how? I can support you in unpacking these difficult questions and more, as we get to the root causes and...

Anna Zelig

New York

New York

As a therapist I create a safe and non-judgmental space where you will feel validated and supported. From a collaborative and strength-based approach, I am passionate about working with individuals, couples, and families to enrich and deepen their connections to those who matter most. I focus on resolving issues related to breakdowns in communication and life transitions including marriage,...

Mike Saraceno

Hartford

Connecticut

I am not currently accepting new clients until a few months into 2021. Please contact if you are interested in being added to my waitlist... Why settle for surviving when your relationships could be thriving? Respect. Connection. Pleasure. Validation. Understanding. These can be the most elusive when conflicts or complacency arise in relationships. My goal is to help you and your partners...

Julie Tymorek

Madison

Wisconsin

Welcome. These are strange and anxiety provoking times indeed. Whether you're isolated in your home away from family and loved ones or feeling trapped inside with too many loved ones needing your attention, these days life can feel lonely, confusing, boring, and overwhelming all within a 24 hour span. My goal right now is to help you foster connection, headspace, and some sense of nurturing cal...
My primary goal in doing psychotherapy is for my clients to have more choices and spontaneity in their lives as well as greater satisfaction. I want to help alleviate suffering, whether generated from past traumatizing experiences or from current experiences. I believe that we all have many answers and great potential inside us, but often are blocked from accessing our own wisdom so that we onl...
I help people discover and overcome internal obstacles with hypnotherapy: dialoguing while in a meditative state. After guided progressive relaxation, I facilitate the dialogue in order to help you heal, make a change, or reach a goal. We will work with feelings, images, self-talk, memories, dreams, past and future selves, visualizations, and anything else that comes up. We can do this work in ...