Feminist Therapy and Post-modern Approaches Essay Example for Free

Feminist Therapy and Post-modern Approaches showFeminist therapy (FT) arose in the 1960s as a result of womens increasing aw atomic number 18ness that inconsistency resides in the way handed-down psychology views female mental health. It was an attempt to prove womens self-reliance and it was based on the integration of psychology and feminist theory. According to this theory, women form their identity through a perspective of constantly providing like for others at the expense of their own free will and initiative. This view represents the traditional gender role, which is not biologically determined but rather socially derived. FT emphasizes the principle of compare in all aspects of human experience. Its major tenet is that psychological difficulties arise from political and social causes, namely discriminative attitudes not only towards females but too towards ethnic, ethnic, religious and versed minorities (Landrine, 1995 Worell, 1997). FT attempts to bring home the bacon care through a novel perspective which respects the patients wishes and needs preferably of bang meeting societal expectations according to existing racial and sexist stereotypes.The client holds a central luff in the treatment setting, and is back up to take initiative and guide the therapeutic ferment. The therapist is not viewed as an authority but as an equal partner, whose task is to educate and empower the patient. Therapists labour at demystifying the process of therapy in order to enhance clients sense of power and self-efficacy. In addition, they are particularly careful at avoiding power display in the therapy setting and may frequently use self-disclosure to restore equality and reciprocality in the therapeutic relationship (Worell, 1997).FT supports the idea that the client knows better than anyone what is best for him/her. Its main aim is to increase peoples awareness of internalized stereotypes and re score them with more realistic beliefs, to elaborat e on issues of contain and power and how they affect human experience and to enhance independent decision-making. Apart from gaining self-awareness and free choice, clients are also encouraged to actively participate in political and social groups, given that personal experiences are considered deeply political and personal evolution can arise only through social change (Landrine, 1995 Worell, 1997).The gigantic majority of feminist therapists and clients are women. However, it is a theory that hopes to address issues concerning both genders, ignoring any societal and ethnic bias. The principles of FT are fruitfully applied in the sector of physical and sexual abuse, eating disorders, automobile trunk image distortions and issues of somatic health and reproduction. Commonly used techniques include gender-role analysis and intervention, power analysis and intervention, bibliotherapy, self-assertiveness training and self-disclosure (Landrine 1995, Worell, 1997).FT has provide d new insights on managing mental health issues through a social and cultural perspective. It has fought prejudice in the come of psychology, by adopting an egalitarian approach, regardless of gender, race, religious affiliation or sexual orientation and it has focused on the clients individual needs, strengths and wishes. The therapeutic context enhances collaboration and reciprocity and individuals are encouraged to become active members of their society in order to produce change.However, when placing too much value on cultural and social causes of mental disorders, there is the risk of ignoring the significance of personal factors and intrapsychic phenomena. When all psychological difficulties are considered to stem from the abuse of power and the effect of social prejudice and discrimination, then the individual fails to assume obligation for his/her experience. In this way, true personal evolution may be sacrificed for the sake of social activism.In addition, the cooperativ e nature of the therapeutic process and the misuse of self-disclosure by feminist therapists may abolish professional and ethical boundaries and further damage the clients fragile psyche. Finally, this approach may prove extremely frustrating for people and cultures that place considerable emphasis on traditional societal roles. Post-modern Approaches Post-modern Approaches (PMA) evolved through the influence of post-modernism on the theory and practice of psychotherapy. Traditionally, philosophy and science have been dedicated to the conquest of the absolute truth.Post-modernism suggests that there is no such occasion as objectivity and reality is constructed through language. In this view, mental illness is considered a social construct, originating from the dominate societal tendency to dichotomize and label all aspects of human experience (Boston, 2000). PMA, which include Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and tender Constructionism, are client-centered. The ther apists role is not to provide authority-driven solutions but to help the client give away a new communication and new interpretation of his/her experience.Contrary to traditional psychotherapeutic views, they do not focus on symptoms and their historical context but on the present and on clients strengths and wishes. Post-modern theories place great value on language as a way of creating reality and consequently as a tool to produce change (Boston, 2000 Walker, 2006). For example, in Solution-Focused Therapy, clients are encouraged to discuss goals for change and means by which this change can be achieved (Gingerich, 2000 Lethem, 2002).Likewise, in Narrative Therapy the explicit description of the presenting problem allows the client to gibe his/her difficulties as a matter of personal and societal interpretation, distinct from his self-identity, thus contributing to the formulation of a less dysfunctional narrative (Boston, 2000). Post-modern Therapy is based on the individuals existing strengths and resources. It frequently uses the technique of exceptions by urging clients to contemplate on paradigms where their difficulties were not so prominent.In this way, it empowers clients and provides them with a glance to prox change. Another common technique is coping questioning which reveals effective coping strategies already used by the client, when faced with his/her current problems. Problem-free discussion is also used to address non-problematic domains of the clients experience and enhance his/her sense of self-efficacy and confidence (Gingerich, 2000 Lethem, 2002). PMA have been successfully used in eating disorders, substance abuse and relationships problems. psychiatrical patients, couples, youth and criminal offenders have benefit from their application. Their techniques, which focus on the person and not the diagnostic label, may enhance the therapeutic alliance and the development of empathy, both associated with better therapy outcomes (Lethem, 2002). Social Constructionism which suggests that mental illness is a social construct, a product of medical terminology, has contributed to fighting discrimination and stigma. However, it entails the risk of devaluating all achievements in the field of psychiatric research.In addition, the abolishment of the therapists authority may for some individuals produce a sense of insecurity and confusion. Finally, another major disadvantage is that the efficacy of Post-modern Therapy is hard to be scientifically evaluated. two FT and PMA have challenged traditional views including the classical Christian axioms (Arlandson, 2010). Nevertheless, their emphasis on equality, empowerment hope and need for change, seems to be in agreement with the spirit of the Bibles teachings.To my opinion, counsellors should take into consideration their clients needs, strengths and aspirations as both FT and PMA dictate. To be effective, the counselling process must focus on the present and the future ins tead of trying to unravel mysteries of the distal past. Although most clients come to therapy with certain difficulties, a significant therapeutic motor regardless of the counsellors theoretical background is the development of an empathetic alliance which can provide a sense of self-efficacy to the client and hope for the future.References Landrine, H. (1995). Bringing cultural diversity to feminist psychology Theory, research, and practice. Washington, DC American Psychological Association. Worell, J. , Johnson, N. G. (Eds. ). (1997). Shaping the future of feminist psychology Education, research, and practice. Washington, DC American Psychological Association. Boston, P. (2000). general family therapy and the influence of post-modernism. Advances in psychiatric treatment, 6, 450-457. Walker, M. T. (2006).The Social Construction of Mental Illness and its Implications for the Recovery Model. International diary of Psychosocial Rehabilitation. 10 (1), 71-87 Lethem, J (2002). Brie f Solution Focused Therapy. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 7(4), 189-192. Gingerich, W. J. Eisengart, S, (2000). Solution-Focused Brief Therapy A Review of the Outcome Research. Family Process, 39(4), 477-498. Arlandson, J. (2010). Postmodernism and the Bible Introduction. The American Thinker, 2010.