Carolyn Zerbe Enns

Twenty Years of Feminist Counseling and Therapy: From Naming Biases to Implementing Multifaceted Practice

This article summarizes the history and current status of feminist counseling and psychotherapy. It describes the formation and development of feminist therapy during the 1970s, compares early commitments with aspects of change and maturation during the second decade, and reviews areas of agreement and disagreement during the 1980s and early 1990s. Initial feminist efforts resulted in the creation of an overarching philosophical framework for feminist psychotherapy. The second decade was marked by rapid expansion and the application of feminist therapy to diverse populations and problems as well as the integration of feminist philosophy with mainstream psychotherapeutic systems. Feminist therapists developed more complex models of personality, diagnosis, and ethical behavior and engaged in the examination and revision of early commitments. This review draws on the literatures of both social work and psychology and discusses the contribution of counseling psychologists to feminist therapy. It also addresses theoretical issues, research, training needs, and the role of advocacy and activism in feminist therapy.

The Debate about Delayed Memories of Child Sexual Abuse A Feminist Perspective

The debate about delayed memories of child sexual abuse has generated strong emotions and has polarized many psychologists and members of the public. At times, individuals have adopted absolute positions without adequate knowledge of the complex issues involved. This article provides information about the current debate regarding the veracity of delayed memories of child sexual abuse, describes the historical context in which this controversy occurs, discusses the growth and development of psychotherapy for trauma survivors, and reviews the theoretical and empirical literature relevant to abuse memories. The article also outlines recommendations about foundations of knowledge and interventions that will help psychologists engage in competent and ethical practices with clients and generates an initial set of recommendations for future research, training, and social change.

Teaching and social justice : integrating multicultural and feminist theories in the classroom

Teaching and Social Justice provides psychologists and educators with a foundation to create their own multicultural feminist pedagogy. The volume challenges them with self reflection and thought-provoking questions such as: How does ones multicultural or feminist theoretical orientation influence how one teaches social justice? How does this influence the manner in which one teaches about diversity issues? How might ones theoretical position influence the organization and structure of the classroom, the interventions used, or classroom dynamics and learning?

Integrating Separate and Connected Knowing: The Experiential Learning Model

I describe the differences between separate and connected knowing (Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986) and suggest that the experiential learning model (Kolb, 1981, 1984) is a useful framework for integrating traditional, separate knowing and connected, collaborative learning. The strengths of this model and a list of activities and examples associated with various learning positions are identified.

Comparison of feminist and nonfeminist women's reactions to variants of nonsexist and feminist counseling

We were concerned with client-counselor matching along the dimension of attitudes toward feminism. We hypothesized that feminist subjects would be more receptive to the radial feminist counselor, whereas nonfeminist subjects would rate the nonsexist and liberal feminist counselor more positively

Working With Adult Clients Who May Have Experienced Childhood Abuse: Recommendations for Assessment and Practice

The delayed memory debate has generated many questions about therapeutic practices that are likely to be beneficial and detrimental to clients. This article proposes components of optimal practice for working with adult clients who may have been abused as children. The recommendations are organized around the following themes: (a) competence, (b) assessment and treatment planning, (c) psychotherapy process and technique, (d) memory issues, (e) and ethics. The authors emphasize the importance of a collaborative therapeutic relationship and urge clinicians to proceed cautiously when encountering treatment issues for which scientific knowledge and consensus are still evolving.

Hakoniwa: Japanese Sandplay Therapy

Hakoniwa (hä ko ne wä), or Sandplay therapy, is an action-oriented and artistic psychotherapy practiced in Japan and the West. In contrast to most Western psychotherapies, which emphasize verbal and direct expression, linear and cause-effect thinking, and a distinction between physical and mental well-being, Hakoniwa makes significant use of nonverbal communication, concrete activity, and a holistic perspective. To increase understanding of international perspectives on psychotherapy, this article describes Hakoniwa, discusses its relationship to Jungian and Eastern philosophy, clarifies how Japanese values and perspectives on the self and mental health are consistent with the practice of Hakoniwa, and proposes research questions.

On teaching about the cultural relativism of psychological constructs

This article describes limitations of a Western, individualistic perspective on psychological theory and proposes a multicultural approach to the study of personality. The first part of the article summarizes recent research and theory regarding how personality may be differentially shaped by individualistic and collectivist cultures. The second part of the article describes strategies for teaching about the impact of culture on personality.

Toward a Complexity Paradigm for Understanding Gender Role Conflict

The well-developed body of theory and research on mens gender role conflict provides an excellent foundation for developing increasingly complex models of mens gender-related concerns. Theorists and researchers are encouraged to incorporate themes related to social structural aspects of gender as well as to examine the ways in which mens multiple identities and the intersections among these varied identities are experienced by men and boys. The complexity of mens gender-related challenges are illustrated through the exploration of the various individual, interpersonal, structural, and cultural components of gender issues faced by contemporary men in Japan.

On the Complexity of Multiple Feminist Identities

This response to J. D. Yoder, A. F. Snell, and A. Tobias (2012) discusses implications for applying and building on their research findings regarding the complex feminist identifications found in young university women. Based on identity scholarship by women of color, it also discusses the challenges of conceptualizing and studying interactions among feminist and other multiple identities. Opportunities for richer understanding of the lives of people of all genders will come from taking into account hybrid and intersectional feminisms and identities and broadening samples to highlight the experiences of diverse groups of individuals.