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

Avantika K. Waleryszak

Portsmouth

New Hampshire

You have the right to be seen and recognized in your grief and not judged. You deserve to have a safe space to share your innermost thoughts and feelings with a trusted partner. You are capable of deep healing, with the ability to live a life that is congruent with your integrity and values. You deserve a break, with time to breathe and deeply care for yourself. Your life, your thoughts and you...

Elizabeth Speights

Fort Worth

Texas

**Currently accepting new clients**Evening appointments available**Teletherapy options** Are you having struggles and concerns about your relationship with your teen? Worried about your younger kids who've experienced some life changes, such as a divorce or moving? Do you and your partner feel like you are drifting apart or finding it hard to communicate well? Are you or a loved one struggling...
Choosing to begin psychotherapy can start with a feeling that there is more for you to discover, a greater balance to achieve, or a challenge to work through. In the safe accepting space of therapy, a healing process can evolve at a pace that is supportive and comfortable for you. I encourage people to approach their inner work with gentleness, perseverance, courage and compassion. I offer...
Binaries can be stifling. Suffocating. Living in a world with prescribed ideals, roles, presentations and expectations is exhausting, terrifying and lonely. Maybe you’ve always known that something about you doesn’t quite fit the within the strict confines and regulations of gender and sexuality in our society. Maybe you’re just now starting to question things, or feeling confused and overwhelm...
I strive to create a genuine therapeutic relationship with clients based on trust and sincerity. My hope is to guide clients through a journey of self-discovery and growth, on which they can foster their most authentic self. I believe that a deep understanding of who we are, where we come from, and how we show up in the world has the potential to bring us greater peace within ourselves and...
Maybe you experience depression or anxiety. Maybe you're struggling in your relationship(s). Maybe it is hard to navigate your day. The good news is by searching for a therapist you have chosen to heal. You are ready for something different and that has momentum! I believe we all have inherent worth, wisdom, and direction. Stressors in life have a tendency to cast a dusting over these strengths...

Noelle Braddock

San Francisco

California

It feels like a great honor to be trusted to witness others in their process — to be with them in their vulnerability, their grief, their power, their suffering, their immense resilience. I am so deeply grateful for this work: for the ways it allows me to show up as myself, for the intimacy and connection, for the humility, for the ways it offers proof again and again of the possibility — or...
I welcome the opportunity to work with people who have come to an impasse in their lives, whether that be through crisis or in the everyday. To create a space allowing you to express and explore thoughts and feelings without judgement but with curiosity. My specialties include Individual work enhancing ones relationship with self and others, Terminal Illness, Bereavement, Drug and Alcohol, Sexu...
I am a clinician committed to developing and strengthening the therapeutic relationship between myself and my clients. I believe that authenticity, transparency, and mutual empathy are imperative for the healing process. My goal is to foster a safe, inclusive space where individuals feel comfortable expressing who they are without fear of judgment. I specialize in talk therapy, incorporating...

Elissa Dahl

Seattle

Washington

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate and Certified Nutritionist who is passionate about helping people access their own inner wisdom to create more peaceful and fulfilling relationships with their bodies and minds. I approach therapy from a person-centered, strengths-based and bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective that is grounded in social justice, Health at Every Size®, and...

Gia Stark

San Francisco

California

Thank you for reading this. I am currently not accepting new patients into my practice during this pandemic. Connection is vital during this time of upheaval and unknown, and I encourage you to reach out and seek support. Having a background in grassroots and non-profit work as well as teaching, so I am fiercely passionate about equity, social justice and liberation for all people. The therapeu...

Rachel M Schripsema

Chicago

Illinois

My pastoral counseling work is grounded in my Zen Buddhist practice. My meditation practice supports a present-moment relationship with each client and makes space for Spirit to enter the counseling relationship and guide the work. I practice contemplative psychotherapy, using mindfulness techniques to help clients access their own wisdom. Reflecting on this wisdom together can lead to making...
I work as a Clinician at an acute crisis unit in Santa Cruz, CA. I provide psychotherapy, clinical assessments, provisional diagnoses and disposition planning for patients with severe mental illness, including depression, anxiety, bipolar, and schizophrenia. I received my graduate degree in counseling psychology with a concentration in expressive arts therapy at CIIS in San Francisco, CA. I am...
There are many reasons why you may be seeking help at this particular time in your life - struggles with depression, anxiety, trauma (PTSD), low self-esteem, a painful loss, grief, difficulties in relationships, or other challenging life transitions. Whether you have sought help before or are reaching out for the first time, I will collaborate with you to create a space of compassion, trust and...

Dani Bryant

New York

New York

I know how hard finding a therapist can be. I commend you for taking this first courageous step! My name is Dani and I am a NYC based therapist committed to collaborating with adults, teens, couples & artists to help you uncover (or rediscover) your most authentic self. Whether you're struggling with Body Image, Creative Blocks or Work/Life Balance, I will support you in fully showing up for...