Feminist Therapy and Its Core Aspects - Essay Example

Feminist therapy has focused on integrating the positive aspects exhibited in traditional therapy with gender-sensitive components. This form of therapy recognizes the fact that women stand in a disadvantaged position in society because of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, age, and other constructs that serve as barriers for women. These aspects of feminist therapy make it interesting (Corey & California State University, 2013).

Why Feminist Therapy Works and the Best Target Population
In my opinion, feminist therapy is likely to work because it introduces a unique approach to understanding social roles for both men and women by the society’s socialization patterns these kinds of understanding form a critical contribution to the therapeutic process. It helps the feminist therapist to empower the client effectively during the therapeutic process. Moreover, therapists using this form of therapy have the opportunity to make clients realize that they need to be more critical of traditional roles. This is because accepting traditional roles without any questioning may contribute to introducing a limit on the level of freedom the individual can have (Corey & California State University, 2013). The lack of freedom serves as a barrier to the positive development of self-identity.

The ultimate goal of feminist therapy is to ensure that society adopts change and no longer exhibits sexism and other forms of oppression against women. Individuals who seek feminist therapy receive personal empowerment, making them recognize their power and handle the barriers to their freedom. This type of therapy is effective for women exposed to different types of trauma as well as different forms of abuse. These women are likely to present depression of different levels because of the traumatic experiences. The violence perpetrated against women has its basis in the social and cultural setup. Therefore, feminist therapy, which places social and cultural issues at the core of the therapeutic process, can prove effective for such women. Moreover, incarcerated women who have committed different types of crimes may also benefit from feminist therapy (Trull & Prinstein, 2013). This is because many women commit crimes in their efforts to address the existing inequalities in society. The high level of dependence introduced by patriarchy in society may also trigger crime in women.

Invalid Aspects of Feminist Therapy
In my opinion, it may prove difficult for feminist therapy to bring about social and political changes. Although this is one of the goals of feminist therapy, there are no existing structures, which can trigger such changes. This is because only a small percentage of society gets in touch with feminist therapists. The individual empowerment gained from the therapy sessions may have little impact on highly patriarchal societies. Although the therapy focuses on men as well, this type of therapy does not seem to be highly appropriate. This is because many of the causes of depression in men do have a direct association with cultural and social setups. Therefore, issues with men need a more specific form of therapy that can address issues from the perspective of men (Trull & Prinstein, 2013). Read More