Kelly Thacker asked:




When you are going to court, you need to come up with a theory describing your case. Advocate your beliefs, stick to the point and use the law to prove your theory. Your theory should basically explain what happened or how you or your client was wronged. Explain why you should receive the verdict that you’re after. You will need to state the facts, explain what happened, state the law that supports your advocacy, and ask for the verdict that you deserve.

Your case theory should contain and clearly state the outcome that you believe to be fair and just. You should explain your cause, whether or not you are defending or acting, and offer up ways to prove your theory. Stick to the point as much as possible. Your case will be strongest if you can point out one major issue as opposed to a borage of facts that could be argued. Try not to cloud the major issue at hand with useless arguments, emotions or improvable theories. Make sure that every argument and fact that you present supports that first theory that you are trying to get across.

The case theory should be supported by some sort of evidence. Only present evidence that supports your theory argument. Start with the most relevant, strongest piece of evidence and go from there. Present facts that support your theory in order of most pertinent to the weakest argument. As you go, you will need to be prepared to explain the weaker points. Have an explanation ready and offer it up before it is asked for. Encourage listeners to see your points about why certain weaker facts or pieces of evidence should still be considered in making a final decision. Offering a weak defense or cause for action without immediately acknowledging its weakness and explaining yourself can cause distrust and a lack of respect. These can be case killers.

You don’t want to get emotional during a trial or advocacy. Your case theory should be presented in a way that doesn’t demonstrate a depression, anger or lax attitude. Be confident and sure of yourself, but remain professional and formal. You can, however, use emotional arguments or defenses to play on the personal emotions of the judge or jury. Presenting an emotional theory can be very effective when supported by appropriate and relevant facts and evidence.

Lastly, you can help advocate your case by recognizing that there are two sides to every story. Point out your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Try to communicate that you understand where they are coming from, but based on the facts and evidence that you are presenting, their theories should be disproved. Seeming one-sided can put off a jury and confuse them about who to trust. Not pointing out the other side’s arguments can make it look like you are trying to hide from the facts that they are presenting. Use endearing or character building terms to describe your client or cause. Be sure not to put down the opposition, this tactic can seem petty and childish. Use generic terms when speaking about the opposite side.

In conclusion, you should be as precise as possible. Present only the strongest arguments and evidence. Keep your case theory in mind and bring up how each point proves the theory throughout your advocacy. Concentrate on why your theory is strong and not how your opponent is wrong. How you present yourself and your case can be as important as the facts and evidence themselves.

Munyaradzi Chinongoza asked:




There have been several motivational theories created by people over time, however seeing how they are theories and not proven facts there are some that people believe and others that people do not believe. One of the most popular and well known theories comes from Abraham Maslow and it is called the hierarchy of needs.

This theory is taught in many philosophy and psychology classes in schools all over North America. It states that people would like to satisfy different needs and some of them we find more important than others. Not only this but some of these needs are more pressing then the others. As we satisfy one of our needs, it then becomes less important to us, other needs therefore become more important to us and become motivators of our behavior.

Maslow therefore says we have a hierarchy of needs. The most proponent needs that we have are shown at the bottom of the ladder, as the prepotency decreases we progresses upwards. The first need is called self actualization needs. Self actualization needs require meeting your own best potential and for you to do your own best things.

The next one is called esteem. Esteem involves having respect for other individuals having respect for yourself and also recognition. After this we have belonging which is being affiliated being accepted and also being apart of something. The second last one is safety needs, which is being physically safe and having psychological security. Last but not least there is physiological which includes hunger, thirst, *** and rest.

Another motivational theory is that we are motivated by money. Money means different things for different people. Money can mean status, survival, belonging achievement and a lot of other things, you can take your pick. In the end it all simply depends on the type of person that you are.

Ian Glickman Ph.D asked:




“Know thyself” - Plato

According to an American Society for Training and Development study, job knowledge is the only thing that ranks higher than communication in determining good leadership. One of the most important ways a leader communicates to his or her group is by example and attitude, and attitude usually determines behavior.

What’s your general attitude toward your colleagues? Are you a Theory X leader or a Theory Y leader? Theory X and Theory Y are well-researched leadership principles. In a nutshell, Theory X states that people inherently dislike their jobs, see them as a necessary evil, are unmotivated, and must be externally controlled throughout the day by coercion, direction, or threat of punishment. Theory Y, on the other hand, states that work is natural and allows one to express oneself physically and creatively (i.e., work is ego-satisfying). Most managers have a mindset combining both of these theories, but, without a sophisticated psychological instrument, it might be difficult to determine the proportions of each. When motivating subordinates and leading by example, however, some degree of introspection and self-evaluation is helpful if we want to work smarter and more efficiently. Evaluation can get tricky because you can have a Theory Y person trapped in the body of a Theory X company. This is known as the “press of corporate culture” (which opens up the corporate culture can of worms-more on that in another post).

Let’s try to evaluate our attitudes regarding Theory X and Theory Y management style:

1. In your leadership role, do you feel more like a policeman or a teacher?

2. Do you find some degree of meaning and value in your work? If yes, how much?

3. Do you think your team members or employees find meaning in their work? If so, how much?

Scenario One: You feel that you are more of a teacher/mentor who works with intrinsically motivated people who find value and meaning in their jobs.

Scenario Two: You’re stuck in a meaningless job with little value and act like a policeman all day to a bunch of Theory X employees. (”I’m telling ya doc, it’s them, not me!”)

It’s okay if you responded that you feel like a cop in a valueless job, which, now that you mention it, is rather meaningless. It’s okay because you know where you stand. And knowledge is a good thing. However, if this is the case and you’re not just experiencing a temporary bout of clinical depression, you’re going to come off as quite INCONGRUENT, even hypocritical, when you give your next pep talk or motivational speech. Incongruence is the opposite of genuine. You will, of course, still be leading by example, but I fear it may not be the example you wish to set. Genuineness is a good thing; incongruence is not a good thing. You don’t want your employees saying, “That manager is like, soooo totally incongruent!” Though incongruent is the technical term, I’ve heard the condition stated in much more colorful language.

Now the goal of the game is to try to move your peg from Scenario Two to Scenario One. The reason behind this, in case several haven’t already flooded your neural pathways, is that the research is abundantly clear that Scenario One is…well, just better, as confirmed by a long list of payoffs such as health, happiness, progress, and success.

Step 1: Try (very hard if you have to) to find one little, perhaps even minuscule, sense of meaning or fulfillment in some aspect of your work. Most jobs are multifaceted, so it might not be so difficult to locate one or two meaningful aspects. Write down, in concrete terms, what it is exactly that makes this facet meaningful.

Step 2: Observe (or shall I say, actively look for) some sense of creative motivation in your team member. Catch them doing something good and tell them you noticed it, as this is excellent feedback and positive reinforcement. Don’t make the same mistake I have made on several occasions of thinking that a person can’t possibly find meaning in their particular job. I have been surprised-make that astounded-to find out how much meaning and value the person sitting across from me placed on their work.

Perceptions and changes my be small at first, but bit by bit, you’ll be progressing in the right direction. More importantly, you’ll be leading by a more genuine example. Way to go, dude!

Ray Baron asked:




Our world is constantly changing. What may be the usual or routine behavior one year may change the next. Knowing this, counselors and teachers often reexamine the need to of applying career development theory to counseling and fit it into modern times.

Individuals go through the process of career development to learn more about themselves and their career paths knowing a combination of the two leads them to know more about their identity in the cosmopolitan world.

Those who take continual education, join internships and apprenticeships, attend seminars and courses and continue research tend to succeed in their careers better than those who stop, or slow down the learning process after they begin a career. Businesses know and rely on this to stay ahead of other companies.

One early career development theory focused on stages concerning the adolescent phase, the ******* through teen phase, and young adulthood.

The adolescent phase is the phase where the world is opening up to the child. “What do I want to be when I grow up” is thought of, but isn’t important. For instance, one adolescent may pretend to be a dancer, while at the same time she wants to be a doctor, a scientist, a veterinarian, and an artist. She is too young yet to know if she will want to follow these career choices later in life.

In the ******* to teen phase of this career development theory, the individual starts to be inclined towards what she likes to do. What areas she excels at and finds useful. The female child in the earlier example has only a passing interest in dancing and art. Her activities and knowledge begins to lean towards science and health while preferring to study the ins and outs of domestic animals.

This is when she considers research and classes she will need to continue in these fields. Through the career development theory we see she is starting to think more about what she wants to be when she grows up.

The final step in this career development theory is the individual’s preferences, likes and dislikes that lead her to the career she eventually chooses. In this example, the female decides she would rather work more with animals than people and chooses to become a veterinarian. She now needs to go beyond high school, take required courses, and train with professionals in order to take on her career goal.

Teachers and experts can apply the career development theory to counseling when dealing with the growth and development of a child. They can advise and monitor how a child behaves and the potential of what they were to become when they get older.

Michael Fletcher asked:




Learning guitar chords, guitar scales, music theory, and guitar lessons all come with the territory of becoming a better guitar player. For some, this can become a tedious task. For others, the process of learning the guitar is an adventure. The issue for many, is how to make the journey of learning and practicing the guitar an enjoyable one.

Learning guitar scales is the only way for one to gain knowledge of melodic structure on the guitar fingerboard. Practicing scales develops left and right hand control, picking technique and awareness of factors such as strength and endurance. If one ever expects to engage in long melodic guitar solos, then practicing scales is the only vehicle to that end.

How often and how long should one practice playing guitar scales? It depends. Beginners should practice for at least one half hour to one hour daily. Experienced players should practice their scales at least one or two hours per day. How about the advanced professional players? Believe it or not, some guitarists practice five, six, and even seven hours per day (myself included, when performance is pending).

All of the information referenced above, also applies to learning and practicing guitar chords. New strength and endurance is realized as a result of dedicated practice of guitar chords. The left and right hands use muscles uniquely different from those utilized and developed by practicing and playing guitar scales. This is all part of necessary development as a guitarist. Guitar chords are essential in gaining awareness of harmonic structure on the guitar fingerboard. When melody meets harmony, beautiful music occurs. However, the real trick is the nexus between the two. Enter the dragon; music theory.

As a guitar instructor (35 years), I would approximate that at least 80% of all of my students (intermediates and professional players) become very nervous when they take the plunge into learning music theory. Especially music theory designed exclusively for the guitar. Perhaps they were confused in the past when confronted with the college blackboard. I’ll bet many readers remember sitting in music class and wondering what the professor meant by all of those chalk marks and symbols that were drawn on the blackboard. This for many, was very intimidating. Further, many can not make the transition between the blackboard and the guitar fingerboard. I have great news. It’s really not difficult at all. In fact, theory is simple when presented and taught in a logical, step-by-step manner. Therein lies the problem. There aren’t many guitar lessons or guitar instructors available that have a professional and contemporary approach for someone who desires to advance their guitar skills and knowledge of music theory.

Are guitar lessons essential? Once again, it depends. We’ve all heard the stories of certain guitar players who rose to the top of the charts without ever taking a guitar lesson earlier in life. This is my favorite type of success story. Why? Because whenever an individual listens and follows his/her inner calling, it’s always a good thing. Many would call it faith (myself included). Others would call it luck (myself included). Some would insist that it is a result of education (myself included). Further, there are those that would call it hard work (myself included). One thing is for sure; there is no magic wand involved here. Mastering any instrument requires a burning desire and an absolute commitment to achieve a desired result.

It really doesn’t matter what your level of musicianship is. What matters is defining your goals as a guitarist. Is your desire, as a guitarist, to be able to play a few songs around the campfire(or wherever)? If so, any local music store will provide you with a guitar instructor who can help you attain that goal. Do you envision yourself playing for thousands of fans in a major concert arena? If so, then seek out the type of educational resources that will help you to achieve that particular level of musicianship and knowledge of music theory. Be very accurate with your goals and desires. Don’t waste time. Life is short. Live it.

No matter what your goal as a guitarist, it all starts with the practice of guitar chords and guitar scales. Remember, a good foundation is essential. Become strong as a player. Educate yourself. Believe me, your audience will appreciate your hard work.

©2008 Michael E. Fletcher.

Desi Serna asked:




General music theory is the study of music - how it’s written, notated, discussed, thought of and played. Guitar Theory is the study of how music theory specifically applies to the guitar fretboard and usually focuses on how all the different components of songs, such as scales, chords and progressions, fit together. It’s a topic best suited for intermediate and advanced guitar players who already know the basics of playing such as chords and easy songs and want to take their knowledge to the next level and navigate the fretboard like the pros. These things are required if you want to be able to improvise, compose, or just understand the music you play better.

The Benefits of Guitar Theory

Many players who don’t understand the inter-workings of music are limited in their ability to apply what they know. For example, a student might learn a new scale pattern from a scale book or a new chord shape from a chord chart but have no idea where it fits into songs. Without knowledge of how something functions it’s pretty much useless.

What Does Guitar Theory Do?

Guitar theory will explain what musical elements are and what they do. For example, a new chord shape might be seen as an extension of a common barre chord. Wherever this common barre chord is played the new shape can be substituted for a new sound. A scale pattern might fit together with a specific chord progression. Each time this progression is used the scale tones can add melody and harmony. In music, knowing how the pieces fit together makes all the difference.

What Music Theory Topics Should Be Studied First?

Music can be approached and studied from many different angels. Guitar players can study notation, technique, rhythms, scales, chord construction and so on. While all musical topics are interesting and have their benefits - mapping out scales, chords and progressions on the fretboard is what ultimately has to be done. If you’re interested in developing this type of working knowledge of guitar theory, then follow the outline below.

1. Guitar Scales

99% of guitar scale work in popular music is based on either pentatonic or major scale patterns. Focus on learning and memorizing these patterns. The pentatonic scale patterns are simpler and easier to apply, so they make a perfect place to start.

2. Guitar Chords

There are literally thousands of different types of chord shapes that can be played on the fretboard but most of them can be traced back to just 5 common open forms. These forms are C, A, G, E, and D. Together they make up what’s called the “CAGED chord system,” which includes arpeggio patterns, inversions, fingerings and voicings.

3. Guitar Chord Progressions

Understanding chord progressions on the guitar and playing by numbers will help you chart and learn songs better. You’ll also better understand the construction of the songs you play and remember more. Chord progressions are also foundational to many other music theory topics including applying scales and playing music scale modes. Progressions stem from major scale patterns. Learn how to build triads and chords using the major scale. When you do this, a major/minor number sequence emerges that is quite possibly the most important foundational concept in all of music. Have you ever heard someone refer to a song by numbers such as 1, 4, 5? The system is all based on major scale degrees.

Conclusion

Hopefully now you have an idea of what guitar theory is, why it’s so beneficial to learn, what it includes and how to get started. With music theory each concept builds on the one before it. Learn things in the right order and everything will fit into place both mentally and physically on the fretboard. Be sure to take your time and allow yourself to fully absorb and apply each subject (this should include learning lots of actual song examples). As you go, light bulbs will turn on in your head and you’ll surely achieve more success and experience more enjoyment as a musician.

Peter Hunter asked:




This is the most difficult book it has ever been my extraordinary pleasure to review.

For some time now I have, at intervals, come across the influence of this book and have never thought to look for the source or follow up the reference.
When I was given a copy of the book I glanced at the first two pages intending to put it on the shelf next to the growing pile of “management” books I keep there for a rainy day.

Two hours later I was making excuses about why everything else could wait until I had finished it.
I didn’t get the book finished in one sitting but at that first sitting I resolved to do what I could to bring this fifty year old wisdom back to the fore.

To say that Douglas McGregor was way ahead of his time is obvious, but to assume that his time has passed is just as wrong.
“The Human Side of Enterprise” shows us how to make more money by doing less work but, because it sounds too good to be true, we assume that it must be, and therefore disregard it.

In the cynical sixties the book got a mixed reception, those who understood and practiced the McGregor philosophy were in the minority and those who were absolutely sure that the McGregor proposition could never happen were the huge majority.

I was neither but assumed that the cynics were right because I heard no other point of view.

What caught my eye first in the book was that this was the source of the Theory Y Management Strategy. Douglas McGregor characterised the current management practises as Theory X and in this book he proposed the antidote to the destruction that was waged by Theory X managers.
He called it, “Theory Y”

Initially this was going to be a simple review whose purpose was to bring to another generation the astonishing wisdom that McGregor had developed in coining the terms Theory X and Theory Y.

Unfortunately, after revealing the grace and power of this alternate theory of management practice, instead of acknowledging that this was an epoch shattering piece of work and being content, the book continues to become even more powerful with every turn of the page until it is almost impossible to write succinctly about the innovative thinking and wisdom of this book without running out of superlatives. You might want to read that sentence again.

Here is a selection of quotes culled from the pages.
You might be forgiven for thinking that this is a book of quotes, it is not.
It is simply so powerful that the quotes seem to leap off every page.

They are as true today as they were when Douglas McGregor wrote The Human Side of Enterprise nearly fifty years ago.

“The effectiveness of organisations could be at least doubled if managers could discover how to tap into the unrealised potential present in their workforces.”

“The ingenuity of the average worker is sufficient to outwit any system of controls devised by management.”

“When people respond to managerial decisions in undesired ways the normal response is to blame them, rather than managements failure to select the appropriate means of control.”

“A half a century ago industrial management had, in the threat of unemployment, a form of punishment which made the use of authority relatively effective.
The situation today is vastly different.”

“When the use of authority does not work don’t use less or more. Use another means of influence.”

“When objectives are externally imposed indifference or resistance are the most likely consequences.”

“It is one of the favourite pastimes of management to decide, from within their professional ivory tower, what help the field organisation needs and then to design and develop programs for meeting these needs.
Then it becomes necessary to get the field organisation to accept the help provided.
This is normally the role of the Change Manager; to implement the change that no-one asked for or wants”.

The above quotes are all taken from the text of this book, written fifty years ago.
All of them could have been written yesterday and still be true.
This book heaves with the lessons that we should have learned fifty years ago.

The Human Side of Enterprise by Douglas McGregor - 1960.

A review of an extraordinary book by Peter A Hunter, Author of “Breaking the Mould.”

Desi Serna asked:




Guitar Chord Shapes

There are thousands of different kinds of chords and chord shapes that guitarists use, but nearly all of them can be traced back to just five basic forms. In the open position, the five basic forms are C, A, G, E, and D. This spells “Caged” and creates the so-called CAGED System. With the proper Theory, each one of the CAGED forms can be turned into a barre chord and moved up the neck. Each barre can be played as an arpeggio pattern which includes even more notes. These arpeggio patterns can then be broken up into all sorts of unique shapes, voicings and inversions.

Guitar Arpeggios

Each major chord in the CAGED system is made up of three notes. With each chord, notes can be repeated, stacked in any order, and played anywhere on the fretboard. Just like learning guitar scales, guitarists must learn how to map out chord-tones on the neck. These patterns of chord-tones are called “arpeggios.” Arpeggios are an important piece to the theory puzzle, specifically learning the guitar caged system.

Chord Inversions and Voicings

Guitar arpeggio patterns show you where all the chord notes are located in each position on the neck. By visualizing all the notes of a chord in a position, a guitar player can then can grab the notes in a variety of ways creating unique shapes and fingerings, inversions and voicings. An inversion, in practical music theory terms, is simply a re-arrangement of the notes from one shape to another. For example, a C major includes the notes C-E-G. These notes are available in this order but only in some spots. In other areas you might find them stacked E-G-C or G-C-E. Each combination produces a slightly different sound or “voicing.”

CAGED Guitar System

When players map out all the notes of a chord across the entire fretboard they end up with a big pattern of notes that covers five positions. This giant pattern runs the whole length of the guitar neck and is very hard to follow. But when this pattern is played one position at a time, practical arpeggio patterns emerge. Reduced to a fundamental chord shape, each arpeggio pattern becomes a common open form. One position resembles an open C chord, the next an open A chord, followed by G, E and D. Hence, the CAGED Template Chord System. So, a little bit of good theory really helps to unravel the mystery to building and playing chords on the guitar neck.

Rhythm Guitar Techniques

Great rhythm guitar players don’t necessarily use strange chords, they just spice up common progressions with unique shapes and voicings. Consider the song “Jack and Diane” by John Mellencamp for example. Each section of this tune sounds different but all sections are variations of the same three chords (A, D and E). By applying a little theory, changing up the inversions and progression, each section has a fresh sound. Understanding this theory and the guitar caged system enables players to learn chords across the whole neck and squeeze new life out of old shapes.

James Stephenson asked:




Egoists would view our actions in any situation as being solely based on our own self interests. If exhibiting good ethics were the means to that end, then they are supported and encouraged. Egoists do not allow for motivations other than the self promotion of the individual or organization.

In the corporate world the general belief seems to be that the interests of the corporation take precedence over the application of ethical standards. Some believe that ethics are hostile to corporate self interests and those organizations that follow courses of action based on their own self interests will treat ethics as optional: Following those ethics that will benefit the organization the most, disregarding those that will not further their interests. There is even a commonly stated belief that business leaders encourage their subordinates to do “whatever it takes” regardless of ethical considerations.

Utilitarian theorists believe that our actions should be based on the minimization of harm and maximization. This would imply that we should only promote our self interest if the net effect of our actions will do more good than harm. If the ultimate goal is to provide the most benefit to the individual or organization, and following a standard of good ethical conduct will accomplish that goal, then that is the course of action that should be taken. If on the other hand the situation called for setting aside conducts of good ethics then that would be the choice to make.

Kantian theorists would argue that respect for the individual is of the highest priority and that any conduct should be in a manner that will maintain the dignity and respect that all individuals deserve. This would seem to preclude the area of self interest and turn our attention outwards, to those around us.

Many believe though, that it is still possible to have self interest in a given situation, if their actions follow in accordance with accepted ethical standards and allow those around them to freely make the choices they are presented with.

Overall it appears that the ethical theories as presented, both support, and refute, the principle that “self interest and good ethics generally coincide”. Support coincides with their stated theories: Egoist - if it serves the self interest of the individual/organization. Utilitarian - if it creates the most good and the least harm. Kantian - if the dignity and respect of the individual is maintained and/or the individual willfully accepts it. But, the theories are also refuted, in that they may be adapted, or, in many cases, ignored depending on the particular needs, wants, and situations that organizations face.

As opposed to following a strict set of guidelines that must be applied in all cases, it appears that conflict, and its resolution, will ultimately be determined by the goals and basis of philosophy of the organization, and applied on a case by case, situational, basis.

Elizabeth Mahaney asked:




Abstract
Feminist Therapy focuses on empowering women and helping them discover how to break the stereotypes and molds of some traditional roles that women play that may be blocking their development and growth. This type of therapy grew out of influences of the women’s movement of the late 1960’s. Feminist therapy tends to be more focused on strengthening women in areas such as assertiveness, communication, relationships, and self esteem. One of the main goals of feminist therapists is to develop equal mutual relationships of caring and support. The therapist believes that her client is the only “expert” in her own issues and will help her develop the tools needed to reach her potential as a unique and valuable individual. There are six main tenets of feminist therapy theory with five main principles. It is important to realize that feminist therapy is not just for women but men can benefit as well. Furthermore, there is a notion in feminist therapy that “personal is political”. This notion means that personal experiences are embedded in political situations, contexts, and realities.

Feminist Therapy
Feminist psychology grew from the influences of the women’s movement of the 1960’s. This movement was a grassroots one; therefore, no one particular theorist can be named the originator of feminist therapy. Feminists tried to keep elements of other psychological theories that worked but attempted to get rid of sexist aspects of the theories. They then tried to explain some of the common experiences and difficulties associated with the social roles that women endure that may be blocking their growth and development. The focus is mainly on helping women in areas such as assertiveness, communication, self-esteem, and relationships. Feminist therapy also focuses on empowering women by helping them see the impact of gender issues. The aim of therapy is change rather then adjustment. It is important to acknowledge *** roles, minority status and socialization in society as possible sources or causes of psychological difficulties. A core concept is equality; therefore, the therapist is seen as equal in the relationship with an outside perspective who provides guidance and new information but the client is seen as having the power to create his or her own desired outcome in themselves and their lives. Reclaiming personal power is a key concept. A task of the therapist is to help individuals explore and understand what is causing dysfunction and unhappiness and then to help develop strategies to overcome these difficulties…

Feminist therapy is not just suitable for women, men can benefit from this therapeutic process as well. Men also deal with social and gender role constraints such as the demands of strength, autonomy, and competition. In addition, they are limited by the notion that they should not express vulnerability, sensitivity, and empathy. Both men and women are exploited by a patriarchal society and limited culture and gender stereotypes. Men can benefit from therapy by working on these issues and by learning new skills to help them understand and explore issues involved with emotions, intimacy, and self-disclosure.

There are four main philosophies of feminists with differing goals in therapy including socialist, radical, cultural, and liberal. First, socialist feminists emphasize the need for change in institutional and social relationships. Next, radical feminists focus on the need for change in gender relations and societal institutions. In addition, they strive to increase women’s self awareness in regards to her sexuality and her desires and views for having children. Subsequently, cultural feminists emphasize the importance of the recognition that women are devalued in society and how detrimental this is. Finally, liberal feminists focus on the individual and the biases these people face in regards to self awareness, self-respect, esteem, and equality. Many ideas and views held by these philosophies overlap and are integrated with the main focus on equality.

There are four major approaches that are unique to feminist therapy which include consciousness-raising, social and gender role analysis, resocialization, and social activism.

Consciousness-raising is sometimes held in small groups in a leaderless manner involving the discussion of women’s individual and shared experiences. Women in these groups do not have to feel that they are alone and they could listen and support others. These individuals examine how oppression and socialization contributes to personal distress and dysfunction and they talk about ways in which solutions for creating individual and social changes can be made. Consciousness-raising helps women feel more powerful to take steps against oppression by participating in social action.

Social and gender role analysis involves the evaluation of the client’s psychological distress and methods of coping. First clients will learn about the impact and affects of social and cultural norms and expectations and how negatively these issues affect society. This helps the client become aware and identify his or her own experiences in regards to social and gender role norms. The therapist helps the individual become aware of both implicit and explicit *** roles that the client may have experienced over his or her lifetime. This helps the client explore possible origins of psychological distress. Together the therapist and the client come up with ways to implement change and gain self knowledge.

Resocialization follows social and gender role analysis and involves reorganizing the client’s belief system. They learn to view things differently and they develop new coping skills and strategies. Methods are taught that increase self esteem, assertiveness, and self views. A main goal of resocialization is an overall increase in well being.

Social activism is rather controversial and not practiced by all therapists. It is embedded in the notion that “personal is political”, which is one of the basic tenets of feminist therapy. This means that there are underlying roots of client’s problems that stem from society and politics. Feminist therapy should not only help the individual but it should help all individuals. Social activism may involve participation by both the therapist and the client. This can be accomplished by speaking out, organized protests, and letter writing campaigns. Feminists agree that social change is crucial and advantageous to the mental health of all individuals.

According to Gerald Corey, feminist therapy is based on five interrelated principles:
1.The personal is political which implements social change.
2.The counseling relationship is egalitarian which encourages equality between the therapist and the client. The client should be aware that she has the power to change and define herself and the therapist is only a tool with new insight and information.
3.Women’s experiences are honored and they should get in touch with their personal experiences and intuition.
4.Definitions of distress and mental illness are reformulated involving the internal as well as external factors of distress. Pain and resistance are viewed as a positive confirmation of the desire to live and overcome distress rather than being viewed as weak.
5.Feminist therapists use an integrated analysis of oppression which means that they understand that both men and women are subjected to oppression and stereotypes and that these oppressive experiences have a profound affect on beliefs and perceptions.

These core principles set the basis for feminist therapeutic practice and it is important to acknowledge that these principles contain overlap and interrelated common ground. Additionally, Lenore Walker indicates that there are six tenets of feminist therapy theory:

1.Egalitarian relationships: this equal relationship between client and therapist models for women personal responsibility and assertiveness in other relationships.
2.Power: women are taught to gain and use power in relationships and the possible consequences of their actions.
3.Enhancement of women’s strengths: so much of traditional therapy focused on a woman’s shortcomings and weaknesses that feminist therapists teach women to look for their own strengths and use them effectively.
4.Non-pathology oriented and non-victim blaming: the medical model is rejected and women’s problems are seen as coping mechanisms and viewed in their social context.
5.Education: women are taught to recognize their cognitions that are detrimental and encouraged to educate themselves for the benefit of all women.
6.Acceptance and validation of feelings: feminist therapists value self-disclosure and attempt to remove the we-they barrier of traditional therapeutic relationships.

Feminist therapy is beneficial and needed for several reasons. The main goal is change, not just change within the individual but change in society. Gender issues need to be addressed because they can cause psychological distress and shape unwanted behavior. Our lives are affected and influenced by the stigmas and stereotypes associated with these internal and environmental pressures which can affect one’s identity. Feminist therapy recognizes this and implements these concerns in practice. Furthermore, women live in a world dominated by males and masculine patterns of thought and behavior. Until recently, psychological studies of human behavior were almost always conducted by men and on men. The results of these studies were generalized to apply to women equally. The results are biased for several reasons including the fact that men and women are not the same. They have developed differently from early childhood and they tend to view the world in different ways. The media gives young children strong gender biased messages. Boys are supposed to be independent, self sufficient, dominant, aggressive, and successful. Girls are sweet, well behaved, passive, submissive, overemotional, and attractive. There is a conflicting problem here because the same traits that are considered appropriate for little girls are considered negative and inappropriate as mature adults. Males tend to view the world in terms of competition and power, while females look at aspects of the world through relationships and connections to others. Therefore, these studies and techniques may not represent women very well.

Women’s natural gifts of being nurturing and caring do not hold much power and value in society according to our social norms. These views and norms prevent women from feeling a sense of strength and power. These characteristics should not be viewed as weaknesses yet society sees it this way. Women should be commended for all he roles that they play. It is hard to juggle a family with children and a career, then come home and do housework and errands. As society becomes more of a dual income earning community some of these issues may turn in a more positive direction. Men do not have it easy either. If a man were to stay home and raise the children and tend to the household needs, society may call him lazy or worthless. Feminist therapists recognize how these factors and they understand how much relationships, connections, and nurturance plays a huge role in individual’s lives. They consider *** bias in a male dominated society and they honor women’s experiences and instincts as being valid. Feminist therapists specifically address issues such as family and marriage relations, reproduction, career concerns, physical and sexual abuse, body image disorders, and self esteem. One of the most important concerns of a feminist therapist is the empowerment of women in today’s world. Bohan (1992) states six guidelines for feminist practitioners to follow:

1.Therapists are knowledgeable concerning gender role socialization and the impact these standards have on what it means to be a woman or a man.
2.Therapists are aware of the impact of the distribution of power within the family and power differentials between men and women in terms of decision making, child rearing, career options, and division of labor.
3.Therapists understand the sexist context of the social system and its impacts on both the individual and the family.
4.Therapists are committed to promoting roles for both women and men that are not limited by cultural or gender stereotypes.
5.Therapists acquire intervention skills that assist clients in their gender role journey.
6.Therapists are committed to work toward the elimination of gender role bias as a source of pathology in all societal institutions.
These principles are based on a gender fair ideology for counseling which may be applied to family therapists as well. These principles also apply to both individual and group therapy. The fact that many principles of feminist therapy can be incorporated into other therapies is a strength because it can broaden the theoretical base of other models and therapies. Feminist therapy aims at enriching and enlightening everyone’s lives by hopefully encouraging social activism in a positive direction.

There are some criticisms and limitations to feminist therapy. Some therapists may be too feminist and militant in their views there by persuading clients. No therapist should persuade nor tell someone the “right” way to look at things. The therapist’s task is to offer support and information to challenge the client to examine for herself which road to take. Another criticism is the biased stance that feminists take. They are not neutral. They are all for a definite change in society and they should take caution not to be too pushy with their views on clients. It is also important that clients take responsibility for actions and experiences and not just blame society. They can be aware of society’s impacts but they also need to fess up and not avoid taking personal responsibility. Another criticism is the fact that feminism originated and was developed by, middle class, white, heterosexual women. Other races and cultures were not involved. This has been brought to attention and feminists have become much more inclusive.

In summary, feminist therapy is beneficial and advantageous to today’s society. The human race will continue to evolve and new theories will also evolve to meet the needs of our unsustainable, plastic society. Feminist therapists will continue to break down the hierarchy of power by therapeutic approaches and interventions with the overall remaining goal as empowerment of the client and social positive change and transformation.

References
1.Walker, Lenore E.A. (1990). A Feminist Therapist Views the Case. In Dorthy W. Cantor (Ed.), Women as Therapists, (pp. 78-79). New York: Spring Publishing Company.
2.Hecklinger, Fred J. (2003). Training for Life: A Practical Guide to Career and Life Planning. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishers.
3.Bohan, Janis S. (1992). Replacing Women in Psychology: readings Toward a More Inclusive History, (pp. 88-99). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishers.
4.Swanson, Jane L. (1999). Career Theory and Practice: Learning Through Case Studies. Thousand oaks, CA: Sage Publications
5.Benjafield, John G., (1996). A History of Psychology, (pp.321), Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon
6.Corey, Gerald (2001). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy 6TH Edition, (pp. 341-375), Wadsworth: Brooks Cole, Thompson Learning.