Counseling the Contemporary Woman. Suzanne Degges-White
services (Lewis et al., 2003; Ratts et al., 2016). Counselors can develop or utilize existing community resources to create change. While large-scale research may seem out of reach for many, research using smaller-scale designs, such as single-subject design, participatory action research, and qualitative research, can promote deeper understanding of groups often overlooked in research. It is also imperative that counselors stay abreast of and engaged in local, state, national, and global affairs as these issues engulf client and counselor experiences. Counselors may underestimate their role as advocates and leaders, but as counselors work to empower women in their communities, it is also critical that they too become empowered as social justice advocates, adding mental health issues of women to the social and political agendas of policy and decision makers.
Conclusion
Clearly, women are not a homogenous group and are differentially affected by issues based on membership in other social identity groups. Additional cultural factors interact with gender in women’s experience, complicating the reductionist “women’s issues” label that often solely focused on the experiences of white, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied women. Using intersectionality as a conceptual framework for understanding women’s social location and positionality allows for more comprehensive understanding of cultural identity and lived experience. Application of intersectionality lays the foundation for appropriate individual counseling and counseling advocacy that can be precisely designed for each client’s unique experience.
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