GENDER-BASED COUNSELING
Counselors who are not fully aware of the influence of societal discrimination, stereotypes, and role expectations based on gender are not likely to succeed in helping their clients in counseling.
Women and men are “basically cultural-social beings” (McFadden, 1999)
Counselling Women
Women still lack the degree of freedom, status, access, and acceptance that men possess, although their social roles and career opportunities have expanded considerably since the 1960s when the women’s movement influenced substantial changes (Kees, 2005).
Concerns in Counselling Women
- Double standard of mental health
- Sexism– females should be treated on the basis of their sex without regard to other criteria, such as interests and abilities. Ex -pink-collar jobs.
Johnson and Scarato (1979) have also outlined seven areas in which counselors should increase their knowledge of women:
- History and sociology of sex-role stereotyping,
- Psychophysiology of women and men,
- Theories of personality and sex-role development,
- Life-span development,
- Special populations,
- Career development, and
- Counseling/psychotherapy
Feminist Theory In Counselling
A major approach to working with women in counseling is feminist theory (Brown, 2010; Mejia, 2005). Two main emphases in the feminist position.
- Equality in the helping relationship
- valuing social, political, and economic action as a major part of the process of treatment
Sad to know that despite significant advancements since the 1960s, when the women’s movement had a significant impact, women still do not have the same level of freedom, status, access, and acceptance that men do. I am familiar with a person who experiences the same depressive condition as a result of having “mom duties” and little time for socializing. I sincerely hope she searches out women’s healthcare services and receives the proper assistance.