Feminist Therapy

I want to find what works best for my clients and empower them to meet their goals. I am never afraid of a challenge and I truly believe anyone who really wants the support of counseling can find success in it.

I aim to provide clients with a safe and non-judgmental space to explore our identities, interpersonal relationships, hardships, and experiences in this life. I am hella good at creating space to deep dive into the ways you have been shaped by systems of oppression and cultural experiences. Together, we can unlearn damaging and false narratives and heal the pain they have caused you.

Feminist therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that focuses on gender and the particular challenges and stressors that women face as a result of bias, stereotyping, oppression, discrimination, and other factors that threaten their mental health. The focus of treatment is on empowerment, identity, and understanding of social factors that contribute to distress.

People have a lot of assumptions about what it means to be a feminist therapist. In reality, it means being curious about power dynamics (e.g., between partners, between cultures) and creating a new, preferred way of being in relationships with others and with ourselves. In sessions, I am often curious about who makes decisions, who takes on more of the work, and about my client's preferred values such as equity, love, compassion, and accountability.

My approach is built on a foundation of feminist, anti-oppression values. I believe therapy is ineffective if the greater social context a person lives in is not examined critically; most of the time, doing so is empowering for all genders.

Feminist Therapy is a meta-theory more than a specific modality. In my own work with it, I find that its purpose is to inform my overall practice with clients in a way that emphasizes empowerment and an egalitarian working relationship, among other things. One of its driving principles is to make marginalized viewpoints central, often addressing the concerns of people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with special needs, immigrants and refugees, and others.

My therapy is always sensitive to issues of power, privilege, and oppression along many dimensions, not just gender. I approach feminism from an intersectional perspective, and am mindful of my own privileged identities as well. I take a collaborative, curious approach with all clients and recognize clients' expertise on their own lives.

Specializing in feminist therapy, I use an approach that addresses the challenges marginalized individuals face due to oppression, discrimination, and intersecting identities. My approach empowers individuals to regain control over their lives, helping them understand their strengths, values, and personal power. I focus on embracing strengths, validating feelings, and utilizing techniques like self-disclosure, psychoeducation, power analysis, and social action outside the therapeutic space.

Modern feminist therapy is not just for women. It seeks to address the concerns of all who have been impacted by systems of oppression (Black, Indigenous, & People of Color, LGBQTIA+, those who are Neurodivergent, Disabled individuals, etc). In order to understand & help those who have been marginalized we must understand those systems & work to dismantle them. I recognize that as a white person who presents as a cisgender heteronormative female, I have unearned privilege.

In my time as a counselor I have become only more convinced that the root of many- maybe most- of people's presenting concerns in therapy are the result of systems of oppression. I believe that white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism and colonialism are inextricably linked to stress, trauma, anxiety and depression. I believe that one's environment (society, culture, systems big and small, etc) plays a huge role in a person's mental health.

I identify strongly as a feminist therapist, and I believe that gender roles influence socialization; ultimately, our lives. I have an undergraduate degree in Women Studies and believe that gender identity development may impact a variety of issues that female-identified clients experience, like interpersonal relationships, career, aging, sexuality.

Identifying as female in our culture comes with so many landmines. Navigating relationships, work/life balance, parenting, misogyny, and so on. If you've clicked on this specialty, you know. I like to work from an feminist perspective to see how gender underlies other stressors. Feminism is intersectional, and if you identify as female (or on the feminine side of the spectrum) this space is for you.

Feminist therapy isn't just for women! It is a modality that focuses on client issues through the lens of the client's experience and context, both personal and social/political/cultural. Diverse perspectives are encouraged/supported and the therapy relationship is more egalitarian to minimize the power differential. In other words, I work alongside my clients to help them work through their difficulties in a strengths-based way.

I am able to discuss and process systems of oppression that we all live in and how to change the systems. I will not discount your lived experience and will provide a safe space for you to tell your story.

Everything I see I view through the lens of being a lesbian woman in a changing but still extremely sexist society. It impacts the dynamics of everyone's lives. I see empowering women as my purpose for this practice as well as my soul's mission for being here at this time on the planet. Feminist therapy for me has always been about fighting all the "isms" we face. It won't do to be progressive about women but not recognize race, class, gender identity, disability or immigration status.

In Relational-Cultural Therapy, we believe that our stories and images about who we are and what we can expect in relationship have transformative power. Intersectional feminisms and abolitionist liberatory praxis look at the ways in which the dominant worldview reinforces the stories of distrust and harm that we've experienced, and offers a vision of radical transformation, joy, and possibility. Training: Jean Baker Miller Training Institute; PISAB; Boston Liberation Health

As an intersectional femininist, I hold space for the lived experiences of women, femme, & AFAB persons regardless of gender identity, as well as men who benefit from feminism. I understand that gender identity/ expression is deeply personal and unique, yet society's expectations of gender role/responsibilities can be narrow & rigid. I recognize the invisible labor of women in the family, the struggle of motherhood and its unrealistic expectations, and the impacts of toxic masculinity.

I'm a therapist committed to creating a nurturing, empowering space based on feminist values. I challenge power imbalances, champion equality, and empower individuals of all genders. In our journey, your voice is valued, your experiences are affirmed, and your unique perspective is celebrated. Together, we navigate identity, social justice, and personal growth, working towards your goals and a more equitable world.