CHAPTER 25 COUNSELING WOMEN

Sexism  Women continue to face barriers in many career tracks—especially math and science  Teachers continue to discriminate against women in classroom setting  Stereotypes against women inhibit their performance  Women also continue to receive about 75% of what men earn

Economic Issues  Women continue to be overrepresented in lower wage jobs (e.g. cashier, secretary, nurse’s aid, and teaching)  Mental health professions need to become aware of economic issues faced by women and work to assist them as needed

Barriers to Career Choices  College women perceive more obstacles to their career choices than do men—for women of color— it is worse  When a women does not behave in a stereotypically feminine manner—she is less liked by others  Women continue to face difficulties in the workplace (e.g. harassment, lack of mentorship, tokenism, etc.)

Discrimination and Victimization  Over 70% of women office workers have reported harassment at their place of employment  Approximately 20% of female students report being physically or sexually abused by their dating partner  As a result of abuse, many women are depressed

Counselor Bias  One study revealed that therapists were not aware of it, but, they were subtly conveying gender role expectations to women  Biases can also exist in diagnostic categories (e.g. Histrionic, Borderline, and Dependent personality disorders)  Codependency may reflect a sense of connectedness and nurturance rather than being pathological

Feminist Identity Theory Feminist therapists believe that the patriarchal aspect of U.S. society is responsible for many of the problems faced by women Feminist identity theory posits an evolution of consciousness of societal subjugation of women: Passive-acceptance—the women accepts traditional gender roles and believes that men are superior to women Revelation—events of sexism occur in a way that cannot be ignored or denied Embeddedness-emanation—formation of close relationships with other women Synthesis—a positive feminist identity is fully developed Active-commitment—the woman is now interested in turning her attention towards making societal changes

Therapy for Women It is important for counselors to be aware of bias in the counseling process One study revealed that therapists were not aware of it, but, they were subtly conveying gender role expectations to women Biases can also exist in diagnostic categories (e.g. Histrionic, Borderline, and Dependent personality disorders) Codependency may reflect a sense of connectedness and nurturance rather than being pathological

Guidelines for Clinical Practice Possess up-to-date information regarding the biological, psychological, and sociological issues that impact women--for example, knowledge about menstruation, pregnancy, birth, infertility and miscarriage, gender roles and health, and discrimination, as well as their impact on women, is important Recognize that most counseling theories are male-centered and require modification when working with women--for example, cognitive approaches can focus on societal messages Attend workshops to explore gender-related factors in mental health and be knowledgeable about issues related to women

Guidelines for Clinical Practice Maintain awareness of all forms of oppression and understand how they interact with sexism Employ skills that may be particularly appropriate for the needs of women, such as assertiveness training, gender role analysis, and consciousness-raising groups Assess sociocultural factors to determine their role in the presenting problem Help clients realize the impact of gender expectations and societal definitions of attractiveness on the mental health of women so that they do not engage in self-blame Be ready to take an advocacy role in initiating systems-level changes as they relate to sexism in education, business, and other endeavors Assess for the possible impact of abuse or violence in all women