Comparing Person Centred Therapy and Feminist Therapy
PERSON CENTRED THERAPY AND FEMINIST THERAPY
In looking at comparing person centred therapy with feminist perspectives I first thought that they were quite similar. However, with further research I discovered that in fact they are quite different approaches to therapy. In this essay I will compare and contrast both of these approaches to therapy. I will pay particular attention to key concepts, therapeutic goals, theory of change, the therapeutic relationship and situations where the therapies are appropriate and also inappropriate.
Key concepts
One of key concepts of person centred therapy is the belief that the client has the ability to become aware of their own problems and has the inherent means to resolve them. In this sense, the client directs themselves (Corey, 1996).
This differs from feminist therapy in that the counsellor may take an active role in educating the client as to the source of the problems and although feminist therapist believe that a client makes their own decisions and chooses their own direction, feminist therapists believe that education may be required in order to give clients the skills to resolve problems. Clients may be referred to other services.
Person centred therapy is based around discrepancy between one's ideal self' and real self' ie. the discrepancy between what one wants to be and what one is. This is not so dissimilar to feminist therapy however, while person centred therapy concentrates on a personal journey, feminist therapy is centred around the "belief that society and the person are inextricably linked and awareness of oppressive forces of society are necessary in order to move toward a more ideal way of being" (Fook, 1993). Social context and oppression (particularly women but also other diverse groups) are a key concept of FT.
Both therapies acknowledge the key social work principle as outlined in AASW Code of Ethics (1999) of respecting human dignity and worth. In PCT this is in the concept of
In looking at comparing person centred therapy with feminist perspectives I first thought that they were quite similar. However, with further research I discovered that in fact they are quite different approaches to therapy. In this essay I will compare and contrast both of these approaches to therapy. I will pay particular attention to key concepts, therapeutic goals, theory of change, the therapeutic relationship and situations where the therapies are appropriate and also inappropriate.
Key concepts
One of key concepts of person centred therapy is the belief that the client has the ability to become aware of their own problems and has the inherent means to resolve them. In this sense, the client directs themselves (Corey, 1996).
This differs from feminist therapy in that the counsellor may take an active role in educating the client as to the source of the problems and although feminist therapist believe that a client makes their own decisions and chooses their own direction, feminist therapists believe that education may be required in order to give clients the skills to resolve problems. Clients may be referred to other services.
Person centred therapy is based around discrepancy between one's ideal self' and real self' ie. the discrepancy between what one wants to be and what one is. This is not so dissimilar to feminist therapy however, while person centred therapy concentrates on a personal journey, feminist therapy is centred around the "belief that society and the person are inextricably linked and awareness of oppressive forces of society are necessary in order to move toward a more ideal way of being" (Fook, 1993). Social context and oppression (particularly women but also other diverse groups) are a key concept of FT.
Both therapies acknowledge the key social work principle as outlined in AASW Code of Ethics (1999) of respecting human dignity and worth. In PCT this is in the concept of