Diagnosing in Feminist Therapy!?

Feminist therapists promote the ideas of empowerment and egalitarianism openly throughout their assessment or diagnostic process. According to Evans, Kincade, Marbley, & Seem (2005), “the counselor and client must work collaboratively” in developing the hypotheses for the client’s diagnosis or personal concerns; the counselor periodically encourages the client to ask questions to further promote collaboration and understanding. The feminist therapist and client participate in a discussion that would include the “client’s personal, social, political and cultural” concerns, which will establish an initial step towards assessment. Strengths would also be highlighted throughout discussions to aid in the client’s progression towards change. 

The counselor and client would then decide if the use of the DSM IV would be utilized in determining a diagnosis together for the client’s psychological distress or personal concerns. The DSM IV, short for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a psychiatric or psychological manual approved by the American Psychiatric Association that contains complete descriptions of mental health disorders suffered by adults and children. (Please view “links” on side bar of blog for further information on DSM IV).  

Discussion Board Question: 

2. Does direct collaboration with the client in the process of determining a diagnosis do more harm or empowerment? Please provide feedback from a vocational rehabilitation counselor’s point of view.

Further Ideas of Diagnosing in Feminist Therapy

Worell & Remer (2003) have also offered that diagnosis and assessment can be determined as related to the following client symptoms:

• “experiences of role conflict;
• coping strategies for surviving oppression;
• and the result of socialization and labeling for deviation from traditional gender roles”.

Role conflict resulting from socialization may be detected by utilizing social and gender analysis to diagnose a client’s pathology. Social and gender role analysis will then aid the client in comparing their own personal beliefs with society’s ideas regarding the client’s role conflict. Once the distress is determined, coping strategies are discussed and developed with the client to assist with the client in overcoming and understanding the oppression conflicted by socialization.

Discussion Board Question:

3. Would feminist therapy diagnosing techniques be useful to your clients? Why or why not?

Social and Gender Role Analysis

Social and gender role analysis enables the client to recognize and come to understand her own views and to increase self knowledge. Social and gender role analysis empowers the client to “explore other roles that may not be as acceptable to women in society”, but would benefit the living experiences of the client (Isreali & Santor, 2000).

Discussion Board Question:

4. Are men capable or should they be allowed to facilitate social and gender role analysis as a counselor? If so, what bias or counter-transferences might men create during such interventions or executions?