The majority of our service delivery team at Edward’s Trust are women so on International Women’s Day, we thought we would look back to some female counsellors in history who have made significant contributions to the field. Here are a few examples:
- Virginia Satir – Satir was a renowned family therapist who is widely considered to be one of the pioneers of family therapy. She emphasised the importance of communication, self-esteem, and healthy family relationships in therapy.
- Carl Rogers – Rogers was a humanistic psychologist who is known for his person-centered therapy approach. While Rogers was not a woman, he was known for his support of women in the field and encouraged them to pursue leadership roles in psychology. (And of course we do have Steve with us at Edward’s Trust as a male counsellor!)
- Mary Ainsworth – Ainsworth was a developmental psychologist who is best known for her research on attachment theory. Her work has had a significant impact on the field of developmental psychology and has helped many therapists to better understand the importance of attachment in therapy.
- Marsha Linehan – Linehan is the creator of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a highly effective treatment for individuals with borderline personality disorder. Her work has helped countless individuals who struggle with emotional regulation, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.
- Francine Shapiro – Shapiro is the founder of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a therapy approach that has been highly effective in treating trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
These are just a few examples of the many significant female therapeutic counsellors in history on whom a legacy of counselling has been built. We are thankful for all of our counsellors, our play therapist and our wellbeing therapist at Edward’s Trust for their crucial work supporting children, young people and families who are facing loss and surviving bereavement. Thank you to Sue, Bindu, Sandra, Karen, Lindy, Tracey, Sophie and Sarah (& of course our Steve) who do such amazing work.