Feminist Therapy

Feminist therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that focuses on gender and the particular challenges and stressors that women face as a result of bias, stereotyping, oppression, discrimination, and other factors that threaten their mental health. The focus of treatment is on empowerment, identity, and understanding of social factors that contribute to distress.

I was there at the beginning of the feminist therapy movement in the 1970's in Berkeley, CA. I remember working with other women to discover what a feminist approach to crisis/rape counseling might involve. My doctoral dissertation was a feminist analysis of women who attempt suicide. This was at a time when there was almost no research on why women made more attempts than men. The personal is political!

I identify as a feminist who views all of my work through a justice-oriented framework, particularly working with women and non-binary individuals. What does this actually look like? I focus on the many societal, cultural, and political causes of issues faced in therapy that feel particularly relevant and pertinent to women and non-binary folks, especially considering most of the therapeutic frameworks we use today were researched and put to use with mostly white men.

My approach to feminist therapy involves integrating my own identity with the realities of living in society as a woman. I am passionate about working through the discrimination that women face, as well as exploring the intersectional identities that oftentimes compound the discrimination. I value social justice as a therapist, and actively incorporate it in all of my sessions.

I specialize in feminist therapy, a framework rooted in gender equality and empowerment. I address societal influences, power dynamics, and how they impact mental health. By acknowledging the intersectionality of identities, I help clients explore and challenge oppressive norms. Together, we work to foster self-acceptance, autonomy, and resilience, promoting positive mental health from a feminist perspective.

Specializing in feminist therapy, I use an approach that addresses the challenges marginalized individuals face due to oppression, discrimination, and intersecting identities. My approach empowers individuals to regain control over their lives, helping them understand their strengths, values, and personal power. I focus on embracing strengths, validating feelings, and utilizing techniques like self-disclosure, psychoeducation, power analysis, and social action outside the therapeutic space.

Check out my website for more info at UniquelyYouTherapyCollective.com

I am an intersectional feminist, and this anti-oppressive approach guides my work. My clients are the experts of their lives; my role is not to provide expertise or to tell people how to live, but instead to support clients in becoming comfortable and confident in building and working from that place of self-knowledge. This also means considering the power structures that exist in the lives of my clients, in their families, communities, and cultures, and recognizing the impact of that backdrop.

My approach is built on a foundation of feminist, anti-oppression values. I believe therapy is ineffective if the greater social context a person lives in is not examined critically; most of the time, doing so is empowering for all genders.

Feminist therapy treats clients of all genders and intersectional identities by honoring their agency and resilience. The philosophy is that to effectively treat any individual, you must consider the social, political, and cultural factors they have faced. I treat my clients as equals and see our different roles in the therapy as collaborations. I help them find empowerment by accurately labeling/differentiating between and trying to address the internal and societal issues impacting them.

I am a feminist and I use my education in Women's Studies to allow me the perspective to understand the complexity of how gender norms affect our daily lives. As a therapist I cannot separate my desire for gender equality from my work with my clients. Whether you identify as LGBTIQ or simply are seeking non-judgmental support for a non-traditional relationship, please know that my practice is open and accepting to all. We are all different and I learn from each of my clients to offer the best.

Feminism is the understanding that an individual's gendered experience intersect with race/ethnicity, class, power and privileges. I also believe that, unlike western forms of therapy, wellness does not end with symptom-reduction. Wellness includes an individual's ability to engage intentionally with others, become empowered to action, and feel motivated to move from a deeper place of value.

As a feminist therapist, I understand how gender roles and societal expectations can influence our individuality and relationships with others. It can be hard to discern what is your own values and what ideas are prescribed from the outside world. I recognize that these issues affect all of us, regardless of our gender: male, female, non-binary, because we are all subject to loosing our authenticity when we have to perform expectations from others.

My approach with feminist theory is primarily focused on understanding how the client's identities influence their experience in the world as well as within the therapeutic space.

Modern feminist therapy is not just for women. It seeks to address the concerns of all who have been impacted by systems of oppression (Black, Indigenous, & People of Color, LGBQTIA+, those who are Neurodivergent, Disabled individuals, etc). In order to understand & help those who have been marginalized we must understand those systems & work to dismantle them. I recognize that as a white person who presents as a cisgender heteronormative female, I have unearned privilege.

In my time as a counselor I have become only more convinced that the root of many- maybe most- of people's presenting concerns in therapy are the result of systems of oppression. I believe that white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism and colonialism are inextricably linked to stress, trauma, anxiety and depression. I believe that one's environment (society, culture, systems big and small, etc) plays a huge role in a person's mental health.

In my work, I focus on reworking gendered power dynamics with individuals and couples and addressing social inequities that keep partners form being collaborative with one another.