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
I have a passion for working with people who have been impacted by trauma, in whatever way you might identify that trauma. My hope for you is to live your biggest and fullest life, with both meaning and connection. I work with individuals: teens, adults, and elders. My approach combines a number of therapeutic frameworks, including EMDR which is an evidenced-based treatment for people who have...
The people I've been able to help most feel stuck and crave direction in recovering an assured sense of who they are and their potential. We are all creatures of adaptation and many of us learn early on to adjust to whatever the world asks of us. Accordingly, we may internalize the priorities of our parents, our peers, and our culture, agendas that don’t always serve our own interest. My role a...
Before becoming a counselor, I was an educator for 8 years, in the classroom, I found myself drawn towards spending more time with children that needed a little extra help or support. Since then, my passion has become working with teens to identify and explore fears, by accepting one’s self and discovering and creating a path to who they want to become. I work one on one with teens that are...
You're here because you're ready for something to be different. If you think of yourself as a people pleaser, are extra hard on yourself, or often don’t feel quite right after successfully avoiding conflict, you’re probably familiar with symptoms of anxiety or depression. Right now you have more questions than answers. "Why are things harder for me than they are for other people? How do I start...
We are here to thrive, not just survive. As a licensed therapist, Shamanic practitioner and former bodyworker, I am here to help the soul searchers, truth seekers, and those on a quest to rediscover their authentic selves towards overall health and healing. I will support you on your journey to shed the layers of fear, shame, trauma and pain. I will help you on your spiritual or self healing...
Whether your challenge is new or longstanding, change is possible, especially given the right kind of help. I can help you develop the awareness, skills and courage to create this change. Using proven and validated approaches, I create a therapeutic experience tailored to your unique circumstances. Collaboratively, we focus on alleviating your distress while developing the skills to lead you to...
I believe that each client is the expert on their own life and it's my job to find them the right tools. In my practice the most important task I undertake is empowering my clients. Work, relationships, mental health issues and life in general are extremely difficult to cope with and above all, people need to hear that their feelings about these areas are real. After all, this is what guides...
I am a graduate of the Adler School of Professional Psychology where I received my Masters in Counseling Psychology and Art Therapy. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and a registered Art Therapist. My Masters training and post graduate experience includes clinical work in trauma, suicidal ideation, and grief, working with adolescents and adults on medical psychiatric floors at Rush Medica...
From self-esteem, to relationship issues, to grief and loss, working with women of all ages is my passion. I also work with pre-marital couples and couples that are working through transitions or difficult stages in life. We all have seasons of life in which we could use a little bit of help and insight, and I would love to work with you in your journey towards deeper understanding and connecti...
Sometimes amazing things can grow under pressure. Living with stigma - related to a mind that works differently, a body that's unruly or "too much," or a sexuality that doesn't fit behind a white picket fence - asks us to be creative and fierce. The wisdom that can grow here is astounding. But the burden of stigma is heavy, and sometimes it twists and catches us in painful positions. Whether...
( English | español ) Allow me to be direct for a moment, sometimes life sucks. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the demands of society and our own unrealistic expectations. Perhaps you try so hard to please everyone else that you end up feeling defeated and unfulfilled. Saying yes when you really want to say no. Afraid to do things differently because it's uncomfortable. Imagine a life wh...
What would it feel like to have less distress and more hope in your life? You may be feeling anxious. Worried. Fearful. Confused. Overwhelmed. Perhaps you are trying to make sense of a troubled relationship or grieving the loss of someone (or something) significant in your life. Maybe some problematic behavior has left you thinking things are spinning out of control. I help people find hope. We...
Do you want to feel better in your mind, body, relationships, beliefs, community or identity? Do you feel lost, left-out or displaced? Take the first step to improvement, gain relief, or rebuild what has been lost. Schedule a session and start to feel better today. Women's issues, mood disorders (depression, anxiety), trauma-focused, ex-religion/atheist/agnostic (rebuilding identity after...
I see you. I see the darkness you're sitting in; the pain and shame of the dark and scary thoughts that feel unlimited and overwhelming. I see you pulling away from the life you had planned and wanted so desperately. I see you hesitating to share these feelings with anyone out of the fear of embarrassment and ridicule. I see you in pain, but I also see your potential for joy and fulfillment. I ...
Often in therapy, the focus on symptoms overshadows the person. I see my patients as complex and whole, with valuable strengths alongside their difficulties. Your symptoms may be rooted in life stressors, past trauma, or feel totally unexpected. Getting stuck in painful thinking, emotional, and relational cycles can hinder natural growth. In our therapy, I will create a warm, validating atmosph...
