PREFEMINIST CLINICAL THEORIES AND METHODS |
PREFEMINIST CLINICAL THEORIES AND METHODS
Over the last two decades, feminist psychology has moved through various stages of development. During its first decade, feminist scholars carefully considered and criticized clinical psychology and other related psy- chotherapeutic practices. Rather than undertaking a comprehensive review of the substantial body of feminist criticism in this area, 1 will consider some of the most basic and glaring epistemological blind spots of prefeminist thought and their impact on the psychological and psychiatric professions.
The roots of many seemingly discrepant schools of thought and practice are deeply embedded in the soil of masculinist thought, including those schools that have most influenced clinical psychology and psycho-therapeutic practice in the United States: behavior therapy, psychoanalytic or psychodynamic therapy, and family therapy. I will consider each of these approaches from the perspective of their shared epistemological assumptions.
Over the last two decades, feminist psychology has moved through various stages of development. During its first decade, feminist scholars carefully considered and criticized clinical psychology and other related psy- chotherapeutic practices. Rather than undertaking a comprehensive review of the substantial body of feminist criticism in this area, 1 will consider some of the most basic and glaring epistemological blind spots of prefeminist thought and their impact on the psychological and psychiatric professions.
The roots of many seemingly discrepant schools of thought and practice are deeply embedded in the soil of masculinist thought, including those schools that have most influenced clinical psychology and psycho-therapeutic practice in the United States: behavior therapy, psychoanalytic or psychodynamic therapy, and family therapy. I will consider each of these approaches from the perspective of their shared epistemological assumptions.