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SAGE Publications, Affilia: Feminist Inquiry in Social Work, 2(28), p. 153-164, 2013

DOI: 10.1177/0886109913485707

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Trauma Theory Without Feminism? Evaluating Contemporary Understandings of Traumatized Women

Journal article published in 2013 by Emma Jane Tseris ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

In this article, I critically examine contemporary notions of trauma and how they have informed mental health interventions for women. The feminist underpinnings of trauma therapy invite practitioners to understand women’s mental health “symptoms” within the context of such experiences as child abuse and sexual violence that disproportionately affect women. However, this article poses the question: Has trauma theory caused paradigmatic shifts in mental health interventions that have increased practitioners’ capacity to engage with sociopolitical issues, or are preexisting assumptions about the biological basis of women’s mental illness guiding treatment approaches simply by another name? Implications for social workers are discussed.