As therapists, we believe that:
- Life is a profound experience, which carries significant meaning to a woman, her family, and her community.
- Transition, Growth, and Change are a normal process and offer opportunities for learning.
- Therapists are the most appropriate providers of support for women during periods of intense transition, growth, and change.
- Therapeutic care empowers women to assume responsibility for their mental health.
- Therapeutic care takes place in partnership with women and is personalized, continuous and non-authoritarian.
- Therapeutic care combines art and science; it is holistic in nature, grounded in an understanding of the social, emotional, cultural, spiritual, historical, and physical experiences of women and based upon the best available evidence.
- Therapists have confidence and trust in, and respect for women and their capabilities to live life and learn from its lessons.
- The woman is the primary decision-maker in her care and she has the right to information that enhances her decision-making abilities.
As a result:
- Therapeutic care promotes, protects, and supports women’s rights and respects ethnic, religious and cultural diversity.
- Therapeutic practice promotes and advocates for non-intervention when normal life experience are presented.
- Therapeutic practice builds women’s self confidence in handling and developing insights from transition, growth, and change in their lives.
- Therapists use technology appropriately and effect referral in a timely manner when problems arise.
- Therapists offer anticipatory and flexible care.
- Therapists provide clients with appropriate information and advice in a way that promotes participation and facilitates informed decision making.
- Therapeutic care maintains trust and mutual respect between the therapist and the client.
- Therapeutic care actively promotes and protects women’s mental and emotional well-being and enhances the lives of those around her.
