Psyc 222
Putting It All Together
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Blaming the Victim
Context of Disorder
Feminist Conceptualization
Blaming the Victim
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What is blaming the victim?
Is it possible to provide psychotherapy
without blaming the victim?
What is the relationship between
psychotherapy and the legal system?
Context of Disorder
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What is the role of media in creating
and maintaining disorder?
What is the role of
racism/sexism/ableism/heterosexism/
classism in mental disorders?
Feminist Conceptualization of
Etiology
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Identity development (thoughts, feelings,
behaviors, and self narratives) occurs
interactively in a socio-cultural context
We internalize contextual messages as either
limitations or entitlements and adopt those
messages as schemas that inform and direct
feelings & behaviors
We are reinforced or punished based on the
extent to which our actions are
valued/deemed functional in our contexts
Thus, we tend to conform to stereotypes
Feminist Therapy View
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Many cts are “casualties of injustice,
victimized by injurious contexts”
Our map of the self and the world may
become narrowed and maladaptive based on
our experiences
Therapy can broaden that map and allow ct
to gain control over their sense of self and life
direction
Practice Question
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What prevents you from fully being who
you want to be? (e.g. messages, experiences,
fears, conflicts)
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What allows you to be that self?