Specialized counseling for women
Date
1976
Authors
Pendergast, Barbara Ann Miller
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Abstract
In order to outline concerns specific to women seeking counseling, recent literature on women's social situation and biological/psychological development was reviewed and summarized. The life span was divided into stage s to describe specific developmental tasks and issues. Role choices in work and relationships were described as determining the factors relevant to concerns of women in different life stages. Because choices return as life cycles, the spiral was used as a symbol to illustrate the nature of a woman's life-line.
Affirmation of self-identity was described as the most important developmental life task for women. Although development of an independent sense of self is a lifelong process, crucial periods of concern with identity were established depending on sociological and physiological changes. The need to increase self-esteem was identified as a common issue underlying many of the problems that women bring to counselors.
Four counseling approaches were described as examples of methods that have been modified to effectively counsel women. (1) All-women's groups are particularly valuable for developing a more positive attitude toward women, for acknowledging and getting rid of feelings of self-blame, inadequacy and isolation, and for sharing information and support. A sense of personal value and increased self-confidence are possible results. (2) Increased body acceptance is of particular importance because a woman's identity is often closely related to her body image. Techniques from body therapies were suggested to help a woman develop a more favorable image of femaleness, increase her self-acceptance, and increase her awareness of body sensations, (3) Assertiveness training is a method to facilitate a woman's acceptance of her interpersonal rights and to provide skills for expressing herself without violating the rights of herself or others. Assertiveness training is valuable for a woman who wants skills to change self-defeating behaviors, (4) Vocational counseling for the mature woman involves confidence building, inclusion of family members, and up-dating or expanding previous education, With a higher level of self-acceptance and confidence in her personal values, a woman may revitalize her daily life and feel satisfaction in either her in-home or out-of-home career,
Counselors must pay attention to the person who is experiencing each biological or sociological life change, and help that person toward a positive affirmation of her identity, Having a strong sense of self, one appreciates one's uniqueness, one's separateness and one's unity with humanity.