Feminist Therapy: A Review From Two Perspectives

Reviews the book, Feminist therapy by Laura S. Brown (see record 2009-08914-000). The current review represents the views of two reviewers who approach the book from very different perspectives. While Mary Ballou is a colleague of the book author, has participated in the development of feminist theo...

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Veröffentlicht in:PsycCritiques 2010-06, Vol.55 (24), p.No Pagination Specified-No Pagination Specified
Hauptverfasser: Ballou, Mary, Markle, Elizabeth
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Reviews the book, Feminist therapy by Laura S. Brown (see record 2009-08914-000). The current review represents the views of two reviewers who approach the book from very different perspectives. While Mary Ballou is a colleague of the book author, has participated in the development of feminist theory over the past few decades, and has written collaboratively with Brown, Elizabeth Markle is relatively new to the literature on feminist therapy. Therefore, this review combines the impressions, reflections, and understandings of both a newcomer to the field and a veteran of the discussions. From the perspective of a therapist new to the feminist orientation, Brown’s book offers exactly what the series intends: clarity, accessibility, scope, and a convenient introduction to a complex theory. The author does an excellent job of presenting the fundamentals of feminism, its history and development, and its current iterations in both theory and practice, linking the two seamlessly. Detailed case examples featuring a diverse selection of clients make this connection clear, helping the reader navigate an understanding of the ways in which feminist theory translates to actual therapist–client interactions. In this way, Brown holds true to one of feminism’s central tenants: Theory is based in and formed of lived experience, as opposed to empiricism, the constructs of authorities, and so forth. From the perspective of one who has both witnessed and participated in the inception and development of feminist therapy as it stands today, this book is striking on several levels. First, the inclusion of feminist therapy in this series is significant in its own right, exemplifying its evolution from a grass-roots, radical challenge to traditional therapy to its current status, holding a place of its own among the major contemporary psychotherapeutic theories. One who has witnessed feminism’s coming of age would also note the necessary condensing and prioritization that Laura Brown gracefully navigated. The task of integrating the many diverse, colorful, and even contradictory perspectives held within the larger umbrella of feminist therapy is formidable, and Brown has done a thoughtful and gracious job of choosing (and acknowledging) those perspectives and theorists who have made formative contributions to the theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
ISSN:1554-0138
1554-0138
DOI:10.1037/a0020018