Feminist therapy: A brief integrative review of theory, empirical support, and call for new directions

Conlin, Sarah E.

doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2017.04.002

Cited by 35 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In the context of limited past research on feminist therapy theory (Budge & Moradi, 2018), the present findings offer empirical support for practice, activism, and training regarding feminist therapy goals to connect the personal with the political and to promote empowerment in order to foster women’s subjective well-being in the context of societal oppression (Brown, 2010, 2018; Conlin, 2017; Enns, 2012; Moradi et al, 2000). These goals align well with the emphasis on diversity issues and social justice of counseling psychology (American Psychological Association, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

“…Feminist theories of women’s well-being suggest that empowerment promotes women’s well-being because empowerment represents a resistance to historical and contemporary inequalities that oppress women at societal and individual levels (e.g., Brown, 2018; Gutiérrez, 1994; Johnson et al, 2005; Worell, 2001). Although these theoretical tenets are central to the practice of feminist therapy (Conlin, 2017; Enns, 2012), there is limited research on the concurrent roles of critical consciousness, collective action, and personal empowerment in women’s well-being. In the present study, we addressed this gap in the research by empirically investigating these key relations in women’s subjective well-being.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Examining Feminist and Critical Consciousness Conceptualizations of Women’s Subjective Well-Being

Conlin

Douglass

Moradi

et al. 2020

The Counseling Psychologist

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Feminist and critical consciousness theories, that shaped the practice of feminist therapy, are unique in considering the impact of power and privilege on women’s well-being. We investigated tenets of these conceptualizations cross-sectionally by examining relations of critical consciousness, feminist collective action, personal empowerment, and subjective well-being among 247 women recruited via MTurk. We found that critical consciousness had a significant, positive direct link with collective action. Collective action, in turn, had significant, positive direct links with life satisfaction and positive affect. Importantly, critical consciousness via collective action was associated indirectly with greater satisfaction and positive affect. In contrast, critical consciousness was associated directly with lower satisfaction and positive affect. Personal empowerment was associated directly with greater well-being, but only collective action was a mechanism through which critical consciousness was associated with greater well-being. These findings are consistent with theory and support connecting the personal with the political in feminist therapy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining Feminist and Critical Consciousness Conceptualizations of Women’s Subjective Well-Being

Conlin

Douglass

Moradi

et al. 2020

The Counseling Psychologist

Self Cite

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“…Feminist therapy interventions, such as examining distress as an outcome of unhealthy environmental factors (e.g., largely unattainable cultural standards for attractiveness), may promote a sense of empowerment by distinguishing environmental issues from internalized beliefs about personal deficiency (Conlin, 2017). Additionally, feminist beliefs may be a protective factor against internalization of cultural standards for attractiveness (Myers & Crowther, 2007), although research in this area has focused on the experiences of cisgender women.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Inhospitable World: Exploring a Model of Objectification Theory With Trans Women

Comiskey¹,

Parent

Tebbe

2019

Psychology of Women Quarterly

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In this study, we investigated key tenets of objectification theory, a prominent model of body image disturbance, as it relates to trans women’s disordered eating and intention to obtain silicone injections—a specific health risk for this population. We also incorporated appearance congruence, or the degree to which an individual personally feels that their gender expression matches their gender identity, into the objectification theory model. Results of a structural equation model using data from a sample of 173 trans women from the United States indicated that the basic objectification theory model held among this sample and that appearance congruence was associated negatively with body surveillance. However, appearance congruence did not have significant direct or indirect links (via body surveillance and body shame) with disordered eating or intention to obtain silicone injections. Thus, disordered eating and intention to obtain silicone injections are potential negative outcomes of the process of objectification among trans women, and appearance congruence does not appear to be uniquely linked to health risks associated with internalization of cultural standards of attractiveness, body surveillance, and body shame. Our findings support the application of the tenets of objectification theory with trans women as they apply to disordered eating and intention to obtain silicone injections and also indicate the need to identify other positive influences on trans women’s body image to counteract internalization of cultural standards of attractiveness.

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“…However, once the advisory group began, academic partners increased their self-disclosure -as did community partners -which we believe facilitated the deepening of relationships and building authentic connections. Self-disclosure from academic partners may have also served to attenuate the researcher-participant hierarchy (Muhammad et al, 2015); self-disclosure is considered a tool to reduce power imbalances in therapy relationships (Conlin, 2017).…”

Section: Principle 3: Shifting and Sharing Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

Participatory Research Engagement of Vulnerable Populations: Employing Survivor-Centered, Trauma-Informed Approaches

Jumarali

Nnawulezi

Royson

et al. 2021

Journal of Participatory Research Methods

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Participatory research methods increase the quality and relevance of a study and are a key element of community practice. However, participatory methods can be difficult to employ at the outset of a research study with vulnerable, hard-to-reach populations. Intimate partner violence survivors are a particularly vulnerable population who are at increased risk of experiencing abuse-related trauma and have distinct safety-related needs. In order to engage survivor populations, researchers can employ survivor-centered, trauma-informed approaches to build trust and develop relationships that facilitate increased engagement in the research process over time. This paper outlines the methods and strategies that academic partners used to establish, increase, and maintain participatory engagement with women who experienced harm by intimate partners. The process began with a community-based, qualitative needs assessment study for survivors whose partners were in a relationship violence intervention program. In addition to responding to specific aims, this study simultaneously helped to create a pool of potential collaborators. Academic partners used member checking to establish trustworthiness of the study findings and introduce the participants to the concepts of participatory engagement. Next, researchers established an advisory group to develop practice recommendations, which ultimately led to academic and community partners co-designing a community-based dissemination project. We discuss successes and tensions inherent in the engagement process, important lessons learned, and provide recommendations for future community practice.

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Feminist therapy: A brief integrative review of theory, empirical support, and call for new directions

Cited by 35 publications

References 37 publications

Examining Feminist and Critical Consciousness Conceptualizations of Women’s Subjective Well-Being

Examining Feminist and Critical Consciousness Conceptualizations of Women’s Subjective Well-Being

An Inhospitable World: Exploring a Model of Objectification Theory With Trans Women

Participatory Research Engagement of Vulnerable Populations: Employing Survivor-Centered, Trauma-Informed Approaches

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