Incorporating Adlerian and Feminist Theory to Address Self-Objectification in Couples Therapy

Abstract

Objectification and sexualization of women starts at a young age and carries with it negative consequences for a woman’s self-worth. A person’s self-worth is one component on the Wheel of Wellness, but it can affect many other aspects of an individual. The lack of self-worth that a woman may experience can affect her ability to enjoy her sexual experiences with her partner and inhibit her from reaching a state of connecting with her spirituality, especially during sexual encounters. The lack of enjoyment for a woman can then affect the partner’s enjoyment and, in turn, can affect the enjoyment of the relationship. This article discusses incorporating Adlerian and feminist theoretical perspectives into the practice of couples counseling in order to address relational issues related to a process of self-objectification.

Contemporary Adlerian Family Counseling

“…Family and Systems within modern Adlerian theoretical practice largely serve as an organizational exploration of interaction between individuals and the construction of the family unit, whereby the hierarchal subsystems are the first introduction for children as a microcosmic example to the greater societal body (Kern & Peluso, 1999). Within this organization, Adlerians attempt to create an egalitarianist mechanism for addressing the needs of individuals within the system “Adler also borrowed from Nietzsche and Marx regarding the necessity of egalitarian relationships …”(Mclean et al, 2016; Watts, 2013). This means that while Family Systems create hierarchical subsystems, Adlerian counselors attempt to address the needs of each individual within these systems as a way of co-constructing belief, reality, and ideas of self-worth (p. 423).…”

The US School Superintendent Gender Research Gap Continues: Content Analysis of 2014-2016 Dissertations

“…Women are oppressed when considering gender [30]. Cook and Glass shared that research on women leaders often emphasized the success of some women but rarely looked at the organization or women in general as leaders.…”