Photo Credit: Samantha F. Hinnenkamp, M.A.
There’s no doubt that feminist mentorship impacts a (feminist) psychologist-in-training’s trajectory, with positive mentors often being crucial to an individual’s success in learning (Fassinger & Hensler-McGinnis, 2005; Hollingsworth & Fassinger, 2002). In an academic setting, feminist mentoring can be utilized in clinical supervision, meetings with faculty or peers, and within the relationship between chair and student. Furthermore, there are training models devoted to feminist mentoring approaches (Benishek, Bieshke, Park, & Slattery, 2004; Fassinger & Hensler-McGinnis, 2005). However, mentoring can occur in less formal ways between individuals with varying relationships other than “teacher/student”.
Many of us who have benefited from receiving feminist mentorship may have become connected with our mentors in strange or unexpected ways. My first feminist mentor, my high school Spanish teacher, offered me texts on disability activist led movements and international labor-rights organizers after seeing me read a copy of a popular yet dated feminist text written by a White woman from the United States. This mentor was critical in pushing my understanding of intersectionality and the linkage of oppressions. I’m not sure what motivated her to connect with me, but this was beyond the capacity of her formal role as high school Spanish teacher.
In other instances, we may actively pursue a connection with a specific feminist mentor. When I applied for graduate programs as a senior undergraduate student, I e-mailed a professor with feminist research interests. When I accepted the offer into my MA program, she became my academic advisor. The phrase “psychologists wear many caps” became real quickly, as her impact on my training spanned the realms of clinical supervision, classroom instruction, research, navigating higher education, and advocacy. Similar to previous experiences, she challenged me to push the bounds of my feminist knowledge base and advocacy interests. Beyond her impact on my life as a human being, she was formative to my developing professional identity.
In sum, I encourage you to engage with feminist mentoring. Accept opportunities that develop for feminist mentorship. If you are still a student or in training, you may find yourself in positions to be the mentor to classmates or strangers who engage you in coffee shops. This might feel natural and easy for some. For others, it might feel odd or presumptuous-try it anyway. Connectedly, seek mentorship to challenge your growth. As a feminist mentor of mine has said “the creative power and knowledge base is always stronger in a group than on one’s own”. Be sure to seek mentors who have similar views to you as well as those who diverge. Seeking mentorship may involve e-mailing, networking at conferences, or participating in mentorship matching programs. Consequently, seek opportunities to provide mentorship by building relationships with change agents and those at earlier stages of training.
References
Benishek, L.A., Bieschke, K.J., Park, J., & Slattery, S.M. (2004). A multicultural feminist model of mentoring. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 32, 428-422. Retrieved from: https://search.proquest.com/openview/bdb1589e9e5a65889b4d3001c6785dfe/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=35948
Fassinger, R. E., & Hensler-McGinnis, N. F. (2005). Multicultural Feminist Mentoring as Individual and Small-Group Pedagogy. In C. Z. Enns & A. L. Sinacore (Eds.), Teaching and social justice: Integrating multicultural and feminist theories in the classroom (pp.143-161). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/10929-009
Hollingsworth, M.A., & Fassinger, R.E. (2002). The role of faculty mentors in the research training of counseling psychology doctoral students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 49(3), 324-330. doi: 10.1037/0022-0167.49.3.324
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