Enhancing Cognitive Therapy with Women

Abstract

In considering the array of therapeutic approaches available today, cognitive therapy offers some special advantages for women. The theory and practice of cognitive therapy appear to be especially harmonious with the feminist philosophy of advancing the rights and status of women (Farrell & Davis, 1986). Dealing with women clients does not mean that the fundamentals of cognitive therapy need to be substantially revised. However, cognitive therapists attempting to understand their clients’ idiosyncratic, internal reality may enhance this understanding by considering the context of gender. Just as it is clearly a mistake to overgeneralize research findings based only on a male sample, so it is a mistake in clinical practice to assume male and female experiences and beliefs are identical. Therapists are becoming more sophisticated in applying cognitive therapy with special populations, as demonstrated by this volume. Recognizing women as a population in cognitive therapy involves consideration of the importance of gender and a willingness to explore the ways in which a woman’s thoughts are influenced by her social realities.