Subversive Dialogues by Laura S Brown
Feminists have criticized psychotherapy for ignoring the inequalities between the sexes. Now, drawing on the groundbreaking work of feminists such as Jean Baker Miller, Phyllis Chesler, and Carol Gilligan, the author describes a theoretical base for doing feminist therapy. }Feminist therapy is more than a prescription of technique; it is a unique philosophy of psychotherapy. While much has been written on feminism and therapy, this bold book breaks new ground by making explicit and coherent the theoretical underpinnings of feminist therapy.Building on the revolutionary work of feminist scholars who have described how women employ strategies of knowing the world in a manner distinct from men, Laura S. Brown, noted for her pioneering work in the field of ethics and boundaries, shows how these insights should reshape the very nature of the therapeutic encounter. Therapy must be understood as an opportunity to help clients see the relationships between their behavior and the patriarchal society in which we are all embedded. Viewed in this light, feminist therapy affords both practitioner and client a chance to subvert the system in which womens lives have been devalued.With meticulous care, the author examines key features of the therapeutic encounter with a feminist lens: the power of the therapist; assessment and diagnosis; the nature of change; the ethics of practice; and differences in race, class, and sexual identity. She constructs a vision of therapy that helps the client develop a sense of entitlement to satisfying and equal relationships outside the therapists office. She proposes that clients need help finding their mother tongue and retelling their story in a language freed from the patriarchal notions that have shaped and limited their experience. Her vision of therapy considers the dilemmas faced by feminist therapists who must work within a mental health system that is inherently sexist and use its flawed or problematic tools for testing and treatment. This powerful vision of feminist therapy is grounded throughout with case examples that illustrate how a dialogue between therapist and client can be healing, subversive, and transformative all at once. }
Laura S. Brown, PhD, received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology in 1977 from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and has been in practice as a clinician and forensic psychologist in Seattle since 1979. She has served on the faculties of Southern Illinois University, the University of Washington, and the Washington School of Professional Psychology. A Diplomate in Clinical Psychology and a Fellow of 10 American Psychological Association (APA) divisions, Dr. Brown's work in the fields of feminist therapy theory and trauma treatment has received numerous awards from her peers, including the Distinguished Publications Award of the Association for Women in Psychology, APA's Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service, the Sarah Haley Award for Clinical Excellence from ISTSS, and the Carolyn Wood Sherif Award from the Society for the Psychology of Women. Her books include Subversive Dialogues: Theory in Feminist Therapy; Recovered Memories of Abuse (with Kenneth S. Pope); and, most recently, Cultural Competence in Trauma Therapy: Beyond the Flashback. She is the therapist featured in two videos on trauma treatment and one on feminist therapy in the APA Psychotherapy Video Series, as well as the Feminist Model of Supervision video in the APA Supervision Video Series. She was a founding member of the Feminist Therapy Institute and is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women, the APA Division of Trauma Psychology, the Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, and the Washington State Psychological Association.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780465083220 |
| ISBN 10 | 0465083226 |
| Title | Subversive Dialogues |
| Author | Laura S Brown |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Publisher | Basic Books |
| Year published | 1994-10-07 |
| Number of pages | 272 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |