Feminist And Narrative Therapy Case Study

Since the late 1900’s, as the ideal body image has grown increasingly thin, eating disorders have become more prevalent among adolescents in the United States (Clemency & Rayle, 2006). Females are bombarded daily by visual media with unrealistic images of the ideal female body (Sapia, 2001). As the rate of obesity continues to skyrocket in the U.S., an alarming rate of adolescent females are internalizing unattainable images of beauty is (Clemency & Rayle, 2006). A flourishing sentiment of body dissatisfaction is believed to be the precursor for dietary restrictions in an attempt to achieve the “ideal” body as depicted in societal standards (Clemency & Rayle, 2006). Adolescence is often seen as transitional period characterized by various normative
According to Brown et al., (2006) blending these two approaches allows the therapist to understand the way women talk about their bodies without pathologizing their experiences. Feminist therapy is aimed at achieving both personal goals and societal change (Corey, 2013). The theory is not static but is continually changing and maturing in nature (Corey, 2013). The primary goal with in Feminist therapy is to replace the current patriarchal system with feminist consciousness and in turn create a society that appreciates equality in relationships, values diversity, stresses interdependence, and encourages both men and women to define themselves rather than allowing society to do so (Corey, 2013, p. 385). On the other hand, Narrative therapy encourages the therapist to establish a collaborative approach with special interest in listening respectfully to clients stories and search for instances in the client’s life when they were resourceful (Corey, 2013). The therapist then utilizes questions to engage clients and facilitate their exploration (Corey, 2013). There is a special emphasis on not diagnosing and labeling clients, assisting clients in mapping the influence of a problem on their lives, and assisting clients in separating themselves from the dominant stories they have internalized so that space can be made for the creation of alternative life stories (Corey, 2013, p.
In the deconstructive phase of narrative therapy, I ask questions in an attempt to get to know the history of each individual’s problem, listen for unique outcomes when the client has had success in combating the problem (Daigneault, 2000). This activity provides a basis for assisting group members in building and strengthening an alternate story (Daigneault, 2000). According to Daigneault (2000), this work from a feminist perspective, assists women to take charge of their lives by creating solutions to problematic aspects of their lives (p.