Deck 12: Feminist Therapy

Question 1

Your client, Suzy, is in the revelation stage of feminist identity development. What is the primary characteristic at this stage?

Answer 1

The primary characteristic of the revelation stage of feminist identity development for Suzy would be a sudden awareness or realization of the impact of gender discrimination and sexism in her life. This stage is often triggered by a personal event or experience that makes the individual aware of the societal oppression of women. Suzy may start to feel anger and disillusionment towards the societal structures that perpetuate gender inequality. She may also start to identify herself as a feminist and seek out more information about feminist ideas and movements.

Question 2

Describe the feminist therapy perspective on psychological dysfunction.

Answer 2

The feminist therapy perspective on psychological dysfunction emphasizes the impact of societal and cultural factors on an individual's mental health. It views psychological dysfunction as a result of oppressive social structures and gender inequality, rather than solely as an individual problem. Feminist therapists believe that traditional counseling approaches may not adequately address the unique experiences and challenges faced by women and other marginalized groups.

Feminist therapy seeks to empower individuals by addressing power dynamics, promoting self-awareness, and encouraging clients to challenge traditional gender roles and expectations. It also aims to create a safe and supportive environment for clients to explore and understand how social injustices may contribute to their psychological distress. Additionally, feminist therapy advocates for systemic change to address the root causes of psychological dysfunction, such as discrimination, sexism, and inequality.

Overall, the feminist therapy perspective on psychological dysfunction encompasses a holistic approach that considers the influence of social, political, and cultural factors on an individual's well-being, and emphasizes the importance of addressing these broader issues in therapy.

Question 3

Describe the relationship between client and counselor in feminist therapy.

Answer 3

In feminist therapy, the relationship between the client and counselor is based on a collaborative and egalitarian approach. The counselor works to create a supportive and empowering environment in which the client's experiences and perspectives are validated and respected. The counselor acknowledges the impact of societal power dynamics, such as gender roles and oppression, on the client's experiences and helps the client to explore and challenge these influences. The goal of the relationship is to empower the client to recognize and address the ways in which systemic inequalities and social injustices may have contributed to their distress, and to work towards personal and social change. The counselor aims to serve as a facilitator and ally in the client's journey towards self-discovery and empowerment, rather than as an authority figure or expert. This collaborative and empowering relationship is a central aspect of feminist therapy, and it is designed to foster the client's autonomy and agency in their own healing process.

Question 4

What are two components of assertiveness training identified by Jakubowski (1997b)?

Question 5

Can feminist therapy be practiced with male clients? Why or why not?

Question 6

Feminist therapists tend to draw their ideas about human nature and development from

A) Karen Horney
B) political philosophy
C) Marxism
D) existing theories

Question 7

Feminists therapists are attentive to problems such as

A) eating disorders
B) sexual violence
C) emotional violence
D) all of the above

Question 8

The foundation underlying feminist therapy asserts that:

A) traditional theories of psychotherapy are inherently biased toward women but not members of disempowered groups
B) traditional theories of psychotherapy are inherently biased toward women and members of disempowered groups
C) traditional theories of psychotherapy that were developed after the neo Freudian theories are inherently biased toward members of disempowered groups but not women
D) only the neo Freudian theories of psychotherapy are inherently biased toward women and members of disempowered groups

Question 9

Which of the following most accurately describes how feminist therapists assert that individuals form a self in relation to others?

A) As infants, girls as compared to boys, have a stronger desire to be with other people.
B) Teenage girls are encouraged to explore their potential as an individual and deemphasize their relationships with others.
C) Male children are taught to become active and separate from their mother whereas girls are taught to maintain their focus on the relationships they have with others.
D) There are no important differences among girls and boys in the development of a sense of self in relation to others.

Question 10

Feminist therapy appears to be a useful approach for working with

A) men
B) clients who are members of ethnic minority groups
C) women only
D) both a and b

Question 11

Baird et al. (2007) found that men who identified themselves as feminist therapists

A) experienced feminist women in personal relationships or in training
B) were aware of their privileged status as males in U.S. culture
C) had feelings of professional isolation
D) all of the above

Question 12

Which of the following statements BEST describes feminist therapy?

A) Feminist therapy lacks a basic philosophy but has a multitude of techniques
B) Feminist therapy has a strong philosophy but has few techniques
C) Feminist therapy has been equated with technical eclecticism
D) both a and c are true

Question 13

Feminist therapists assert that psychological dysfunction results from

A) irrational views of society
B) failing to integrate one's culture into his or her sense of personal identity
C) oppression by the dominant culture
D) attempting to overcome traditional male gender roles

Question 14

Feminist therapists typically use what type of assessment tools when gathering information?

A) objective tests such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
B) projective tests such as the Rorschach Inkblot Test
C) a semi-structured interview
D) feminist therapists are unlikely to use formal assessment methods

Question 15

Postmodernism is MOST similar to

A) constructivism
B) positivism
C) behaviorism
D) both b and c

Question 16

Feminist therapists believe that sex is _______ determined and gender is ______ determined

A) socially; biologically
B) biologically; socially
C) environmentally; genetically
D) systematically; randomly

Question 17

Feminist therapists see dysfunction as resulting primarily from

A) Biological factors
B) Psychological factors
C) Social factors
D) Biopsychosocial factors

Question 18

Upon which of the following areas do feminist therapists tend to focus in the counseling process

A) building a sense of empowerment within the client
B) assertiveness training
C) relational therapy
D) all of the above are true

Question 19

Shanelle is seeing Betty F (the feminist therapist) because she is having panic attacks. In one session, Shanelle talks about her anger because Betty has so much power over her. Betty is likely to

A) acknowledge the power differential between them
B) respond empathically to Shanelle's anger
C) see Shanelle's reaction as transference
D) assure Shanelle that their relationship is egalitarian

Question 20

Which of the following techniques is Betty LEAST likely to use with Shanelle?

A) Gender role analysis
B) Systematic desensitization
C) Self disclosure
D) Assertiveness training

Question 21

Shanelle's treatment plan for therapy will MOST likely include which of the following goals:

A) appreciate and accept the fundamental differences between people from different ethnic backgrounds
B) appreciate and accept the fundamental differences between men and women
C) develop a personal sense of power
D) develop rational thoughts about her perceptions of the majority culture

Question 22

Betty and Shanelle analyze the effects that being African American and female have in Shanelle's life. Betty is likely to be which kind of feminist therapist

A) radical
B) liberal
C) cultural
D) none of the above

Question 23

Betty thinks that Shanelle's panic attacks are probably associated with

A) Society's values around emotionality
B) Shanelle's family of origin
C) Shanelle's low self-esteem
D) Shanelle's relationship with her children

Question 24

According to feminist therapists, women get diagnosed as dysfunctional because:

A) stereotypically feminine traits are not valued by society
B) male traits set the standard for health
C) society ignores the oppression of women
D) all of the above are true

Question 25

Cultural feminists are known to focus on _______ whereas socialist feminists are known to focus on _________

A) difference between males and females; eliminating all forms of male domination
B) cultural norms of femininity; differences between males and females
C) oppression due to minority status; oppression due to social class
D) oppression due to social class; oppression due to minority status

Question 26

One of the difficulties of research on the actual practice or outcome of feminist therapy is

A) its philosophical basis
B) tendency to be technically eclectic
C) its reliance on traditional methods of assessment
D) both a and b

Question 27

In feminist therapy, the roles of client and counselor are

A) teacher-student
B) egalitarian
C) expert-expert
D) both b and c are true

Question 28

Feminist therapists promote:

A) Clients' adherence to traditional sex roles
B) An egalitarian therapy relationship
C) Conformity to societal norms
D) Individual therapy over group therapy for all clients

Question 29

The founder of feminist therapy is

A) Nancy Murdock
B) Hillary Clinton
C) Betty Friedan
D) None of the above

Question 30

Feminist therapists like to use what to diagnose their clients?

A) DSM-V routinely
B) Chesler's (1972) book, Women and Madness
C) Brown's (2002) book, Subversive Dialogues
D) none of the above

Question 31

Yakushko (2007) found that women in the _________________ cluster reported
Significantly lower well-being scores than women falling into the other clusters.

A) Women with feminist views
B) Women with moderate views
C) Women with traditional values
D) None of the above

Question 32

Which of the following is true regarding the research by Broverman et al. (1970)?

A) The qualities of a healthy person most resembled those of a healthy female
B) The qualities of a healthy person most resembled those of a healthy male
C) Their findings could be almost entirely attributed to characteristics of the method used
D) Both B and C