1. Feminist Therapy

2. Themes The personal is political
Problems originate in a political and social context
Commitment to social change
Not only help clients but society change as well
Clients voices and ways of knowing are valued and their experiences are honored
Increase silenced voices of women, etc.
Value ones emotions, intuition, and experience
Egalitarian counseling relationship
No power imbalance
Focus on strengths and reformulated definition of psychological distress
Distress is not looked at as a disease but as a coping mechanism
All types of oppression are recognized
Social and political inequities have a negative effect on all people

3. Process Become aware of their own gender-role socialization process
Identify their internalized messages and replace them with more self-enhancing beliefs
Understand how sexist and oppressive societal beliefs and practices influence them in negative ways
Acquire skills to bring about change in the environment
Restructure institutions to rid them of discriminatory practices
Develop a wide range of behaviors that are freely chosen
Evaluate the impact of social forces on their lives
Develop a sense of personal and social power
Recognize the power of relationships and connectedness
Trust their own experience and their intuition

4. Process Therapist work to:
Equalize power base in the therapeutic relationship
Focus on clients power and ability to make decisions
Self disclose

5. Process Gender-role analysis Examine messages about expected behavior
Gender-role intervention
Examine how social expectations effect problems they are experiencing
Power analysis and power intervention
Difference in power between men and women in society
Assertiveness training
Reframing and relabeling
See behaviors as coping skills rather than diagnoses
Bibliotherapy and Scriptotherapy
Social Action