Women Psychology – Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis

Women Psychology. Theory and Concepts.

The model of women psychology, proposed by psychologists Jean Bake Miller and Carol Gilligan, was developed in the early 1980s. It is based on a thorough understanding of the importance of relationships with people in the lives of women of all ages. Every year a large number of specialists – psychologists (researchers and practitioners), psychotherapists (psychologists and physicians), psychoanalysts – bring new additions. It is time to review the basic concepts underlying women psychology. According to this, it will be possible to better understand a woman, her place in the social institutions and give it an adequate psychological help in cases where psychological counseling or psychotherapy is necessary – in situations of psychological stress, disorders of mental functioning, whether a neurosis or depression.

Areas of women psychology

For example, therapists know that women in the workplace are often a problem due to the fact the human relations are on the first place in their lives, while in most institutions is welcome orientation of employees to independence and hierarchy. Another example is uncharted area – the relationships of mother and daughter. Despite the frequent occurrence of conflict, they both have a huge deficit of communication. The nature of the conflicts that arise between mother and daughter have been described by Sigmund Freud in the Complex Electra (the female version of the Oedipus complex), but today new psychological concepts offer a look at this problem from another angle and expand the practice of counseling.

Another unexplored area of women psychology – is fight for power. Power means advantage, as well as supervising and coordinating the actions of men. Most women believe that power, as such as they do not need, but they are actively involved in the psychological education of other people, thereby contributing to their own and personal development. When we give people confidence, giving them powers, developing the qualities that allow them to get out into the world of sustainable: self-confidence, sense of self-worth, awareness of their creative potential. People who seek to gain advantage over others do so in order to avoid emotional stress and maintain their own status. Unfortunately, people in our society are interested in achieving personal goals and not take into account the interests and values of others. Often this position is based on the use of force – social (ignoring and discrediting of minority views), psychological (in the subordinate develop feelings of guilt and anxiety) or physical (threats, physical force).

The traditional psychological concepts need to be reviewed – the meaning of the word “dependence”. It is known that women desire to communicate and sincere expression of their emotions often lead to what it labeled as “dependent” and hence neurotic, infantile, prone to depression, neurosis, etc. Therefore, you must stop using the word “dependent” as an insult to the women. We have already determined the value of the trust and the transfer of authority and now we can conclude that the “dependence” is a positive quality, necessary for healthy psychological development and personal growth. Giving a new meaning to this concept, we reject the unfair accusations. Independence and autonomy are highly valued in our society and this inevitably leads to a devaluation of human relationships, which may not truly exist without trust.

“When you stop to sacrifice yourself, you begin to die” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

The inner model of “I”

Revaluation is also carried out for a new understanding of the inner “I” of person, not only women, but people in general. Classic theories of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis focus on the study of the psychological development of a single, independent person and attach a great importance to logical thinking and independence. The authors of non-traditional approaches, psychologists Jean Bake Miller, Carol Gilligan and Jordan found that the main driving force in the lives of women is the desire for communication, reciprocity, responsiveness and creation of a new scheme for studying the life experience – in the context of his relationships with others.

The core of human relations, including in the framework of psychological counseling and assistance of psychologists, is a mutual empathy and trust. Empathy consists of: motivation (the desire to know the other person), perception (the ability to perceive verbal and nonverbal information), emotions (the ability to understand the feelings of another) and cognition (the ability to make sense of the communication).

In other words, empathy – is the ability to understand and penetrate the world of another person, sending it this understanding. Reciprocity implies openness and sincerity, which are necessary for personal growth of people. Reciprocity – is when everyone is full of respect for the life experience of another (Jordan, 1986).

Despite the criticism is centered on the relationship approach was an understanding in certain academic circle and even proved to be very useful. Thus, the revision of the word “dependence” has helped to explain a number of new features of Japanese culture and some line of conduct African – American women to understand the characteristics of the psychological development of lesbians. However, equality and communication, emotional support to each other are the characteristics of married life bring great pleasure to both partners and are a sign of psychological health than pathology requiring psychological counseling or therapist care.