Final chapters
Who can be a client in Feminist therapy?
Although feminist therapy began in the late 1960s as a process of women helping other women, it has evolved to include couples, families, and people of all ages and any gender who want to explore the role gender plays in their emotional lives and relationships or those of their loved ones.
Judith Beck
A leading figure in contemporary cognitive psychotherapy and the daughter of Aaron Beck
Identified patient
A person in the family who carries the symptom for a family and is identified as the one with the problem - get sent to therapy A client's problematic behaviors may Serve a purpose for the family Be maintained by the family The result from the family's inability to operate productively Be a symptom of dysfunctional patterns across generation
Socratic Dialogue
A process that cognitive therapists use in helping clients empirically test their core beliefs. Clients form hypotheses about their behavior through observation and monitoring. Use questions to help client examine thoughts and challenge their own line of thinking Example: What evidence do you have that supports your idea? & How strongly do you feel about this?
Collaborative empiricism
A strategy of viewing the client as a scientist who is able to make objective interpretations. The process in which therapist and client work together to phrase the client's faulty beliefs as hypotheses and design homework so that the client can test these hypotheses. Science based in which the therapist and client work together to find evidence to figure out their thoughts/ hypothesis
A
Activating event Something happens
Dichotomous thinking
All or nothing thinking either/ or thinking; black or white thinking
Downward Arrow Technique
Automatic thinking; intermediate beliefs; core assumptions Monitor automatic thinking and use questions to uncover assumptions and core beliefs Examples: if ....then... If that were true, what would that say about you/others/the world What does this mean to me? What would happen next? What would be the worst thing about that if it were true?
Emotional Reasoning
Bad mood; everything is bad Assuming negative feelings are reality
behavioral therapy
Basic philosophy: Behavior is the product of learning. We are both the product and the producer of the environment. Traditional behavior therapy is based on classical and operant principles. Contemporary behavior therapy has branched out in many directions, including mindfulness and acceptance approaches. Key concepts: Focus is on overt behavior, precision in specifying goals of treatment, development of specific treatment plans, and objective evaluation of therapy outcomes. Present behavior is given attention. Therapy is based on the principles of learning theory. Normal behavior is learned through reinforcement and imitation. Abnormal behavior is the result of faulty learning. Goals:To eliminate maladaptive behaviors and learn more effective behaviors. To identify factors that influence behavior and find out what can be done about problematic behavior. To encourage clients to take an active and collaborative role in clearly setting treatment goals and evaluating how well these goals are being met.
feminist therapy
Basic philosophy: Feminists criticize many traditional theories to the degree that they are based on gender-biased concepts, such as being androcentric, gendercentric, ethnocentric, heterosexist, and intrapsychic. The constructs of feminist therapy include being gender fair, flexible, interactionist, and life-span-oriented. Gender and power are at the heart of feminist therapy. This is a systems approach that recognizes the cultural, social, and political factors that contribute to an individual's problems. Key concept:Core principles of feminist therapy are that the personal is political, therapists have a commitment to social change, women's voices and ways of knowing are valued and women's experiences are honored, the counseling relationship is egalitarian, therapy focuses on strengths and a reformulated definition of psychological distress, and all types of oppression are recognized. Goals:To bring about transformation both in the individual client and in society. To assist clients in recognizing, claiming, and using their personal power to free themselves from the limitations of gender-role socialization. To confront all forms of institutional policies that discriminate or oppress on any basis.
psychoanalytic therapy
Basic philosophy: Human beings are basically determined by psychic energy and by early experiences. Unconscious motives and conflicts are central in present behavior. Early development is of critical importance because later personality problems have their roots in repressed childhood conflicts. Key concepts: Normal personality development is based on successful resolution and integration of psychosexual stages of development. Faulty personality development is the result of inadequate resolution of some specific stage. Anxiety is a result of repression of basic conflicts. Unconscious processes are centrally related to current behavior. Goals: To make the unconscious conscious. To reconstruct the basic personality. To assist clients in reliving earlier experiences and working through repressed conflicts. To achieve intellectual and emotional awareness.
Adlerian therapy
Basic philosophy: Humans are motivated by social interest, by striving toward goals, by inferiority and superiority, and by dealing with the tasks of life. Emphasis is on the individual's positive capacities to live in society cooperatively. People have the capacity to interpret, influence, and create events. Each person at an early age creates a unique style of life, which tends to remain relatively constant throughout life. Key concepts: Key concepts include the unity of personality, the need to view people from their subjective perspective, and the importance of life goals that give direction to behavior. People are motivated by social interest and by finding goals to give life meaning. Other key concepts are striving for significance and superiority, developing a unique lifestyle, and understanding the family constellation. Therapy is a matter of providing encouragement and assisting clients in changing their cognitive perspective and behavior. Goals: To challenge clients' basic premises and life goals. To offer encouragement so individuals can develop socially useful goals and increase social interest. To develop the client's sense of belonging.
cognitive behavior therapy
Basic philosophy: Individuals tend to incorporate faulty thinking, which leads to emotional and behavioral disturbances. Cognitions are the major determinants of how we feel and act. Therapy is primarily oriented toward cognition and behavior, and it stresses the role of thinking, deciding, questioning, doing, and redeciding. This is a psychoeducational model, which emphasizes therapy as a learning process, including acquiring and practicing new skills, learning new ways of thinking, and acquiring more effective ways of coping with problems. Key concept: Although psychological problems may be rooted in childhood, they are reinforced by present ways of thinking. A person's belief system and thinking is the primary cause of disorders. Internal dialogue plays a central role in one's behavior. Clients focus on examining faulty assumptions and misconceptions and on replacing these with effective beliefs. Goals of therapy: To teach clients to confront faulty beliefs with contradictory evidence that they gather and evaluate. To help clients seek out their faulty beliefs and minimize them. To become aware of automatic thoughts and to change them. To assist clients in identifying their inner strengths, and to explore the kind of life they would like to have.
existential therapy
Basic philosophy: The central focus is on the nature of the human condition, which includes a capacity for selfawareness, freedom of choice to decide one's fate, responsibility, anxiety, the search for meaning, being alone and being in relation with others, striving for authenticity, and facing living and dying. Key concept: Essentially an experiential approach to counseling rather than a firm theoretical model, it stresses core human conditions. Interest is on the present and on what one is becoming. The approach has a future orientation and stresses self-awareness before action. Goals: To help people see that they are free and to become aware of their possibilities. To challenge them to recognize that they are responsible for events that they formerly thought were happening to them. To identify factors that block freedom.
family systems therapy
Basic philosophy: The family is viewed from an interactive and systemic perspective. Clients are connected to a living system; a change in one part of the system will result in a change in other parts. The family provides the context for understanding how individuals function in relationship to others and how they behave. Treatment deals with the family unit. An individual's dysfunctional behavior grows out of the interactional unit of the family and out of larger systems as well. Key concepts: Focus is on communication patterns within a family, both verbal and nonverbal. Problems in relationships are likely to be passed on from generation to generation. Key concepts vary depending on specific orientation but include differentiation, triangles, power coalitions, family-of-origin dynamics, functional versus dysfunctional interaction patterns, and dealing with here-and-now interactions. The present is more important than exploring past experiences. Goals: To help family members gain awareness of patterns of relationships that are not working well and to create new ways of interacting. To identify how a client's problematic behavior may serve a function or purpose for the family. To understand how dysfunctional patterns can be handed down across generations. To recognize how family rules can affect each family member. To understand how past family of origin experiences continue to have an impact on individuals.
gestalt therapy
Basic philosophy: The person strives for wholeness and integration of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Some key concepts include contact with self and others, contact boundaries, and awareness. The view is nondeterministic in that the person is viewed as having the capacity to recognize how earlier influences are related to present difficulties. As an experiential approach, it is grounded in the here and now and emphasizes awareness, personal choice, and responsibility. Key concept: Emphasis is on the "what" and "how" of experiencing in the here and now to help clients accept all aspects of themselves. Key concepts include holism, figure-formation process, awareness, unfinished business and avoidance, contact, and energy. Goals: To assist clients in gaining awareness of moment-to-moment experiencing and to expand the capacity to make choices. To foster integration of the self.
B
Belief Self talk; cognitions
Assertiveness Training
By teaching and promoting assertive behavior, women become aware of their interpersonal rights, transcend stereotypical gender roles, change negative beliefs, and implement changes in their daily lives For example a woman behaving in an assertive way is often labeled aggressive but similar behavior in a man may be viewed as assertive
Organizational/Structural Perspective: triangulation
Detouring conflict between two people by involving the third
Cognitive Distortions
Client's misconceptions and faulty assumptions When we think about things in erroneous or distorted ways, we experience exaggerated or distorted ways, we experience exaggerated or distorted emotional and behavioral reactions as well. Beck identifies several common cognitive distortions: Arbitrary inferences Selective abstraction Overgeneralization Magnification and minimization Personalization Labeling and mislabeling Dichotomous
Homework
Clients are encouraged to actively work outside therapy sessions By carrying out behavioral homework assignments, clients become increasingly proficient at minimizing irrational thinking and disturbances in feeling and behaving Homework is carefully designed and agreed upton and is aimed at getting clients to carry out productive actions that contribute to emotional and attitudinal change
C
Consequence- emotional and behavioral How they feel/ did after event
Process Lens
Deeper level thinking The "how" of what the family is experiencing and communicating - Information that is not said with words, but conveyed through nonverbal Communication and collab in relationships Metacommunication Information that is not said with words, but conveyed Communication - congruence
Organizational/Structural Perspective: boundaries between the members
Differentiation of the self: autonomy; healthy self Isolation or enmeshment- don't want this The blurring of boundaries- what parent wants for kid
D
Disputing intervention detecting, debating, discriminating What are you saying to yourself; digging into beliefs
What are the major techniques and methods in feminist theory?
Does not prescribe any particular set of interventions and tailors interventions to clients strengths with the goal of empowering clients while evoking their faminist consciousness They have developed several unique techniques and have borrowed others from traditional approaches
E
Effect- an effective philosophy is developed Rational thinking Effective new philosophy New health way of thinking
Daily Life Sequences
Examples: getting out of the house in the morning sequence; bedtime sequence Focuses on routines and patterns in a family's functioning
Arbitrary inferences (jumping to conclusions/ catastrophizing)
Fail exam= fail college Making conclusions without enough evidence
Current Family Patterns
Families are / have assigned roles
Developmental Perspective
Families have life cycles Needs vary according to stage
Family Roles
Family hero/ responsible one placater/ people pleaser scapegoat/ acting out one Lost child/ adjuster Mascot
Enactment
Family plays out patterns during session so therapist can intervene
Demystify the counseling relationship
Feminist therapist clearly state their values during the informed consent process to reduce the chance of value imposition. This allows clients to make a choice regarding whether or not to work with the therapist. It also is a step in demystifying the process. They work to demystify the counseling relationship by sharing with the client their own perceptions about what is going on in the relationship by conveying clearly that the client is the expert on her or his life and by using appropriate self- disclosure Process of explaining what counseling is about Being able to give alternatives of therapy and involving them in their decision making process "Are you willing to try this out"
Major areas of focus/emphasis in family therapy?
Focus on multi-generational/cultural perceptions within the family system and in the larger societal system. Bring in the perceptions of the parents and siblings; possibly even grandparents. Focus on relationships within which systems persist. -Explore the family genogram and what roles and rules exist in the family system.
Sequences Perspective
Focuses on routines and patterns in a family's functioning
Aaron T. Beck
Founder of CBT In Aaron Beck's cognitive therapy, clients learn to identify and change their automatic negative thoughts. Originally developed to treat depression, cognitive therapy has also been applied to other psychological problems, such as anxiety disorders, phobias, and eating disorders
Empowerment
Framing clients issues within a cultural context leads to empowerment which can be fully realized only through social change Through empowerment clients are able to free themselves from the constraints of their gender- role socialization and other internalized limitations and to challenge ongoing institutional oppression
Teleological Perspective
Having goals and striving towards them Individuals and families are acting purposefully to achieve goals
Organizational/Structural Perspective: hierarchy/ power/ leadership
How family is organized
Labeling and mislabeling
I am an idiot Viewing yourself or others based on imperfections or mistakes
Cognitive Restructuring
Identify cognitions/ self-talk/ beliefs/ schemas Learn to be aware of cognition; be aware of what's happening in their head Monitor and/or record; record sheet Dispute irrational cognitions Look for evidence Develop cognitions that help you Reframing (giving a new meaning)- develop new skills Substituting in healthy self- talk
Identity and Intersectionality
Identity (who we believe we are and our sense of self) include many interconnected elements Sometimes we choose it for ourselves Addressing model- age, disability status, religion, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation, indigenous heritage, national origin and gender Intersections of gender, social location, and power at the core of therapy All aspects and understand who someone is
Automatic Thoughts
Immediate ideas in response to a situation Not deep thinking Examples: she thinks I am weird; I won't pass the test; I will get AIDS from that doorknob; My heart won't stop beating
Relational Cultural Theory
In contrat to theories emphasizing independence and autonomy as ultimate goals for humans Theories were developed by male theorist who emphasized male perspectives Emphasizes goals of interdependence and connectedness with others Identify development in context of growth- fostering relationships Lessen suffering from disconnection and isolation Build networks and community
Reframing: feminist
Includes a shift from placing the problem internally and blaming the victim to a consideration of social factors in the environment that contribute to a clients problem Rather than dwelling exclusively on intrapsychic factors, the focus is on examining societal or political dimensions
Teleological Lens
Individuals and families are acting purposefully to achieve goals Goal Disclosure: Making sure the goals are clear Reframing
Relabeling
Is an intervention that changes the label or evaluation applied to some behavioral characteristic Alma can change certain labels she has attached to herself, such as being inadequate or socially unwanted because she does not conform to ideals commonly associated with femininity
Egalitarian Relationship
It is marked by authenticity, mutuality, and respect, is at the core of feminist therapy Feminist theralist recognize that there is a power imbalance in the therapeutic relationship, so they strive to shift power and privilege to the voices and experiences of clients and away from themselves Shared power with client and therapist Quality of relationship
Goal Disclosure
Making sure goals are clear to see
What primary characteristics distinguish this approach?
Members are interconnected Each influences the others Change one- change all All therapy is systems therapy
Schema
Most complex level of thinking Deepest level of thinking Underlying self- values, perceptions, and assumptions about the self, world, future that fuel automatic thinking and belief systems Examples: I am worthless; I am inadequate; if I fail, I am worthless; I am unsafe in the world
F
New feeling New way of thinking
Bibliotherapy
Nonfiction books, psychology, and counseling textbooks, autobiographies, self help books, educational videos, films, and even novels can all be used as bibliotherapy resources. Reading about feminist and mulitcultraul perspectives on common issues in women;s lives (incest, rape, domestic violence, and sexual harassment) may challenge a women's tendency to blame herself for these problems
Overgeneralization
One thing happens and you think it will always be that way Extreme beliefs on the basis of a single incident
Family Dysfunction
One unique feature of the family systems model is that it understands dysfunctions within a multigenerational lens
Transgenerational
Passing Down habits Example) Drinking / Drugs / suicide
Interplay between cognition, behavior, and affect
Our emotions are mainly created from our beliefs, which influence the evaluations and interpretations we make and fuel the reactions we have to life situations. Through the therapeutic process, clients are taught skills that give them the tools to identify and dispute irrational beliefs that have been acquired and self-constructed and are now maintained by sel-indoctrination. They learn how to replace such detrimental ways of thinking with effective and rational cognitions, and as a result they change their emotional experience and their reactions to situations.
Power Analysis
Power analysis refers to the range of methods aimed at helping clients understand how unequal access to power and resources can influence personal realities Together therapist and clients analyze how various forms of power in the dominant and subordinate group minit self definition and well being
Shame-attacking exercises
Practicing shame- attacking exercises can reduce, minimize, and prevent feelings of shame, guilt, anxiety, and depression The exercises are aimed at increasing self acceptance and mature responsibility, as well as helping clients see that much of what they think of as being shameful has to do with the way they define reality for themselves
What are the major techniques and methods of family systems therapy?
RATIONAL EXPLANATIONS OF DIFFERENTIATION PROBLEMS AND PATTERNS PASSED DOWN FROM OTHER GENERATIONS USE OF GENOGRAMS TO UNDERSTAND THESE PATTERNS
What are feminist views on how power is distributed in society?
Recognize that there is inequality and not everyone is born equally in society African American mom with 2 kids video and they talk about her workplace and she got a higher position and people thought she was pulling the race card
Reframing
Reframing" is the CBT technique for stopping cognitive distortions. It is the developed habit of consciously changing how you feel during detrimental moments of cognitive distortions. "When we have intense, negative emotions - such as depression and anxiety - our thoughts are often overly negative.
Personalization
Relating external events to oneself
Gender-role expectations/ socialization: MEN
Restrictive emotionally Overvaluing power and control Strength, autonomy Limit expression of vulnerability, sensitivity, and empathy Sexualization of emotion: show emotions through sex Obsession with achievement Competition
Family Sculpting
Restructure to build healthy connections, roles, and power
Setting boundaries
Restructure to build healthy connections, roles, and power Embrace eneshment
Gender-fair approaches
Roles are socialized not "innate" Women and men may be socialized into different styles They don't have different personalities Avoid dichotomized stereotyping of social roles and behavior
Joining the family
Showing care and concern Becoming a part of the family system
Social Action
Social action, or social activis, is an essential quality of feminist counseling As clients become more grounded in their understanding of feminism, therapists may suggest that cleints become involved in activities such as volunteering at rape crisis center, lobbying lawmakers, or providing community education about gender issues
What is the feminist philosophy and the basic assumptions underlying this approach?
Society impacts people Problems are not within people
Process Lens (Metacommunication)
The "how" of what the family is experiencing and communicating Information that is not said with words, but conveyed
Organizational/Structural Perspective: coalitions
The alliance between two people against another Always take the perspective of those on their team
What is the therapeutic relationship like in feminist theory?
The counseling relationship is egalitarian Try to equalize power; allow clients to be experts in their own life Clients seen as experts in own life Move away from power given to therapist Goal is to empower clients Active agent on behalf of self/ others Self acceptance, self- confidence, joy, and authenticity Demystify the counseling relationship Explain procedures, give choice, share power Ask client the way they want to be treated
Disclosure with limits
The counselors disclosure would happen overtime, for it is crucial that the counselor does not overshadow the clients time to explore the concerns that being her to therapy Values, beliefs about society, and therapeutic interventions discussed to help a client make a choice "I went through the same thing" type of thing Telling client what they went through with limits but also tying it into the therapy session to not make it about themselves
What are the main therapeutic goals for CBT?
The goal of CBT is to help the individual enact change in thinking patterns and behaviors, thereby improving quality of life not by changing the circumstances in which the person lives, but by helping the person take control of his or her own perception of those circumstances.
What is the therapeutic relationship like?
The therapeutic relationship in CBT is often reduced to a cursory description of establishing warmth, genuineness and empathy in order to foster a collaborative relationship.
What are the main therapeutic goals for Feminist?
They aim to empower all people to create a world of equality that is reflected at individual, interpersonal, institutional, national, and global levels Making oppression transparent is the first step, but the ultimate goal is to replace sexism and other forms of discrimination and oppression with empowerment for all maginalized groups Strives for transformation for both the individual client and society as a whole
Why is it essential to consider social, cultural, and political context?
They think issues that people bring are not just internal to them it could be in a larger context and shaping the quality of their experience
Rational emotive imagery
This is a form of intense mental practice designed to establish new emotional patterns in place of disruptive ones by thinking in healthy ways In REI, clients are asked to vividly imagine one of the worst things that might happen to them and to describe their disturbing feelings
What is the systems view of human nature and families? What are the basic assumptions underlying this approach?
This perspective is grounded on the assumptions that a client's problematic behavior may (1) serve a function or purpose in family; (2) be unintentionally maintained by family processes; (3) be a function of the family's inability to operate productively, especially during developmental transitions; or (4) be a symptom of dysfunctional patterns handed down across generations A family systems perspective holds that individuals are best understood through assassin the interactions between and among family members
Gender Role Analysis/Intervention
To help clients understand the impact of role expectations in their lives Helps clients identify message that are oppressive that they have internalized and now tell themselves Provides clients with insight into the ways social issues affect their problems
Gender-role expectations/ socialization: WOMEN
Warmth, expressiveness and nurturance- be kind, caring and thoughtful Should not display an independent spirit- may be perceived as hostile and aggressive Not rational and logical- viewed as being emotional and intuitive Passively, submissiveness, being prone to tears and excitability in minor crises, indecisiveness and tactfulness area expected Rather than competing or striving to get ahead- women are expected to maintain relationships
What are the Cognitive Behavioral's philosophy and basic assumptions?
basic assumption is that people contribute to their own psychological problems, as well as to specific symptoms, by the rigid and extreme beliefs they hold about events and situations based on the assumption that cognitions, emotions, and behaviors interact significantly and have a reciprocal cause-and-effect relationship
person-centered therapy
basic philosophy: Positive view of people; we have an inclination toward becoming fully functioning. In the context of the therapeutic relationship, the client experiences feelings that were previously denied to awareness. The client moves toward increased awareness, spontaneity, trust in self, and inner-directedness. key concepts: The client has the potential to become aware of problems and the means to resolve them. Faith is placed in the client's capacity for self-direction. Mental health is a congruence of ideal self and real self. Maladjustment is the result of a discrepancy between what one wants to be and what one is. In therapy attention is given to the present moment and on experiencing and expressing feelings. Key concepts:The client has the potential to become aware of problems and the means to resolve them. Faith is placed in the client's capacity for self-direction. Mental health is a congruence of ideal self and real self. Maladjustment is the result of a discrepancy between what one wants to be and what one is. In therapy attention is given to the present moment and on experiencing and expressing feelings. Goals: To provide a safe climate conducive to clients' self-exploration. To help clients recognize blocks to growth and experience aspects of self that were formerly denied or distorted. To enable them to move toward openness, greater trust in self, willingness to be a process, and increased spontaneity and aliveness. To find meaning in life and to experience life fully. To become more self-directed.
Irrational Beliefs
defined by Ellis -may include the invention of upsetting and disturbing thoughts -children are more vulnerable to this than adults
Genograms
diagrams with various figures that serve to illustrate relationships between family members
Albert Ellis
pioneer in Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET), focuses on altering client's patterns of irrational thinking to reduce maladaptive behavior and emotions ABC model The original founder of CBT A colorful and sometimes controversial figure, Albert Ellis developed rational-emotive therapy (RET). Rational-emotive therapy promotes psychologically healthier thought processes by disputing irrational beliefs and replacing them with more rational interpretations of events
What are the main therapeutic goals of family systems therapy? (relate them to the major areas above)
reducing symptoms of dysfunction bringing about changes within the system by modifying the family's transactional rules and establishing more appropriate boundaries
