Intersectional Feminism and Therapy

What This Means in Counselling

Choosing to begin counselling can feel like a big decision. You may be wondering what different approaches look like in practice, and how they might shape your experience. One approach that resonates with many people who have felt silenced, marginalised, or unseen in traditional therapy is feminist therapy informed by intersectional feminism. 

This blog explains what intersectional feminism means, how it influences feminist therapy, and what you might expect in practice. 

What is Intersectional Feminism? 

The term intersectionality was coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989) to describe how people’s experiences of discrimination are shaped by overlapping systems of oppression. For example, racism, ableism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, and gendered expectations don’t act independently - they intersect to create unique challenges. 

Intersectional feminism recognises that: 

• People hold multiple identities (race, culture, class, sexuality, gender identity, disability, spirituality, etc.) that shape how they experience the world. 

• Social power and privilege are distributed unevenly, and people are impacted differently depending on these intersections. 

• Healing and equity require understanding how these overlapping factors influence wellbeing. 

Instead of focusing only on one aspect of identity (for example, gender socialisation), intersectional feminism explores how identities and systems interact in complex and dynamic ways. 

What is Feminist Therapy? 

Feminist therapy developed during the social movements of the 1960s and 70s and has since grown to integrate intersectional and multicultural perspectives. At its core, it challenges the idea that distress should be understood only at the individual level. Instead, it situates struggles in their wider social, cultural, and political contexts. 

Key principles include: 

• Collaboration and shared power: Therapist and client co-create therapy goals. The therapist is not the “expert” on your life - you are. 

• Contextual understanding: Experiences of anxiety, trauma, or low self-worth are explored in relation to socialisation, identity, and systemic pressures. 

• De-pathologising: Distress is reframed as a valid response to oppressive systems, rather than solely an individual 'problem'. 

• Empowerment and agency: Supporting clients to strengthen voice, boundaries, and self-advocacy. 

• Commitment to justice: Acknowledging how wellbeing is tied to broader movements for equity and inclusion. 

What Does Feminist Therapy Look Like in Practice? 

If you choose to work with a therapist who practices through an intersectional feminist lens, you may notice: 

• Your lived experience is central: You’re encouraged to bring your whole self into the room - your identities, culture, values, and history. 

• Exploration of socialisation: Together, you might reflect on how gender expectations, cultural norms, or systemic barriers have shaped your experiences and sense of self. 

• Naming power dynamics: Therapy makes space to acknowledge power - whether in family, work, community, or even in the therapeutic relationship itself. 

• Reframing challenges: For example, feelings of “not being enough” may be linked to societal messages about productivity, appearance, or gender roles - not just personal shortcomings. 

• Empowerment tools: Practices that support building boundaries, self-trust, and resilience. 

• Optional connection to collective healing: Some people find meaning in activism, community, or advocacy as part of their wellbeing journey - this may or may not be explored depending on what feels right for you. 

How Does This Differ From Traditional Counselling? 

Many counselling approaches (such as CBT) are useful and effective. However, they often focus mainly on the individual, with less emphasis on identity and systemic context. 

Feminist therapy differs by: 

• Explicitly addressing the impact of gender socialisation, cultural norms, and systemic oppression. 

• Reducing hierarchy between therapist and client. 

• Honouring that distress is not only personal but often deeply connected to external structures. 

  
  

This doesn’t mean feminist therapy ignores individual growth - it rather adds a lens that honours the bigger picture of your lived reality. 

Audre Lorde (1984, Sister Outsider)

“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”

Resources and References 

• Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167. 

• Brown, L. S. (2018). Feminist Therapy. American Psychological Association. 

• Enns, C. Z. (2004). Feminist Theories and Feminist Psychotherapies: Origins, Themes, and Diversity. Routledge. 

• Moradi, B., & Grzanka, P. R. (2017). Using intersectionality responsibly: Toward critical epistemology, structural analysis, and social justice activism. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(5), 500–513. 

• Comas-Díaz, L., & Torres Rivera, E. (2020). Feminist therapy. In J. C. Norcross & M. J. Lambert (Eds.), Psychotherapy relationships that work (pp. 379–404). Oxford University Press. 

For further reading, APA Division 35 – Society for the Psychology of Women offers accessible resources, many of which address intersectional and inclusive perspectives. 

If you are curious about therapy that recognises not just who you are as an individual, but the broader contexts and identities that shape your life, intersectional feminist therapy may be a supportive approach for you.