1998 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 13-23
The purpose of this study is to investigate what counseling services at the women’s center actually do. Many women’s centers were built by local governments to promote women’s issues, and to provide counseling and library services, classes and research activities focused on women’s issues. There are few studies on women’s centers. 100 new clients at N women’s center were questioned about their needs and expectations from counseling. The counselors were asked about their services and how they thought these services could benefit their clients. Answers from both counselors and their clients were assessed and compared. Although counselors were there to counsel, 47 clients demanded consultations with female lawyers at the women’s center. Fourteen requested counseling though the counselors thought that 29 of their clients would benefit from it. However, only 16 clients actually received counseling. Most clients did not know what counseling could provide and what counseling was. This was a first time experience for 52 clients who came for counseling. The counselors realized that their clients would be unable to resolve their problems if they only met with them less than two sessions on the average. Lack of information about counseling is the problem that needs to be addressed by the women’s center. The counseling office at N women’s center should let women understand what services it can provide, what counseling is and what kind of women’s issues the office could help to resolve. The women’s center should adopt a community psychological approach in addition to a feminist therapeutic approach to empower women.
