Feminist Therapy (Theories of Psychotherapy)

In Feminist Therapy , Laura S. Brown explores the history, theory, and practice of this groundbreaking approach. Feminist therapy not only listens to, but privileges, the voices and experiences of those who have been defined as "other" by dominant cultures. Feminist therapy thus shifts the value of knowledge claims from those of culturally appointed experts to the expertise of the oppressed. This is a perspective that, when made central to analysis and practice, is potentially transformative of everything about therapy-as-usual in dominant cultures. In the four decades since its inception as an approach, the theory has evolved significantly from psychotherapy for women, where it functioned primarily as a corrective against the sexist approaches of the era, into a sophisticated, postmodern, technically integrative model of practice that uses the analysis of gender, social location, and power as a primary strategy for comprehending human difficulties. Feminist therapy has become a practice that encompasses work with women, men, children, families, and larger systems. In this book, Dr. Brown presents and explores this approach, its theory, history, the therapy process, primary change mechanisms, empirical basis, and future developments. This essential primer to feminist therapy, amply illustrated with case examples, is perfect for graduate students studying theories of therapy and counseling as well as for seasoned practitioners interested in understanding this approach.