Do you ever feel you are just “therapizing” your clients to try and “be OK” with a bad system? Often when caseloads are high we can get stuck in a role of treating the individual when the mental health professional within us knows that the individual is not the real problem. We are talking systems of oppression like patriarchy, racism, anti LGBTQ+ prejudice. In this episode Dr Rebekah Shallcross tells us how her work with the Feminist Therapy Centre aims to create social change through psychology. Listen in for inspiration and a call to action!

Full show notes and links available at psychologists.drrosie.co.uk

Interview Highlights

Bekah's Passion for Feminist Psychology

Personally, as a relatively new mother, the systems I was working in no longer were working for me – I was stuck on a band, no permanent contracts – working more than my hours for the benefit of others – not really making the difference that I wanted to see in the world. So I left and I am now knee deep in birthing the Feminist Therapy Centre which aims to be an alternative the mainstream psychology which centres white, male, heteronormative standpoint.

It aims to take account of systems of oppression and how this is really fucking up peoples mental health. And it aims to bring that into the consciousness of people I work with who often times have so internalised patriarchal narratives that they are now oppressing themselves.

If you don’t mind talking personally, I think it would really help to illustrate the point, how did patriarchy show up in your life?

o At points my weight has been unhealthy low

o I had a nose job at the age 25

o I got married because that’s what you do at 27 – and the feeling of stuckness without know what was ‘wrong’ left me with very poor mental health - divorced by the time I was 32

o I have used alcohol as very unhelpful ways of coping o I’m queer, I’m bisexual and I never let myself be that because for me, being brought up in a religious household, heteronormative ideals were presented as the only way to have a normal life

o I haven’t followed my dreams and desires because I just thought they were for other people, I thought they might upset other or I didn’t think I was good enough

Really starting this business is also a way of liberating myself from limiting beliefs about what is and isn’t possible for me

The people that have supported the feminist therapy centre

Business coaching! The wonderful Lucy Sheridan and Tessa Clarke The powerhouse who is Emma Svanberg @mumologist whom I work with as part of the psychology collective along with other amazing psychologists Having a partner who is like – yep! Go for it! Who trusts in my ability to make this work

Two action steps for psychologists and therapists

Read about feminist therapy – it is intersectional in its nature and lots of things we already do – such as fully informed consent originates from the feminist therapy its just not acknowledge as its now just so much part of mainstream psychology.

Make sure you are reading widely – look at your bookshelf – are all you books by white men? If so – why? Make sure you are ready women authors, trans authors, black authors, brown authors, queer authors, differently abled authors both psychologists and not! People who aren’t academic (again so white and male) also have important things to say – so think about who are listening to and who you assume has knowledge worth listening to – and then question those assumptions Then put it into practice – ask your clients about the systems that oppress them – how has it affected them

Socials

Insta: @dr_rebekah_shallcross

Website: www.thefeministtherapycentre.co.uk

@mamafeminologist

Links

Join the 5 day blogging Challenge

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Psychologists and therapists often get paralysed when we try to speak to more people.

The inner critic says we “aren’t good enough” that we “don’t have anything to say”

So we often stop before we start.

Or maybe we write a blog but we don’t REALLY promote it (because promoting ourselves feels gross, right?)

I know first-hand that your writing can make a big difference to peoples’ lives and my free 5-day blogging challenge exists to help you push through the paralysis and get your valuable work in front of the people who need it.

Over five days you will:

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