Implications of the Women's Liberation Movement for Psychotherapy

Abstract

The authors examine the implications of the women's liberation movement for current psychotherapeutic theory and practice in terms of the antifeminine Freudian position, the predominance of male therapists, the concept of role unhappiness as psychopathological, and the threat to the therapist's social power. Consideration of role conflict in sociological terms instead of the intrapsychic rubric is especially emphasized. The authors also discuss related issues concerning the training of therapists and propose a model using male and female cotherapists.