Women Who Have Their Parental Rights Removed by the State: The Interplay of Trauma and Oppression

Abstract

Although there is extensive literature related to assessment, intervention, and outcomes for families in the child welfare system, less is written about the experience of mothers in these families when the legal system moves towards terminating parental rights. The experiences of three women in this situation of removal and termination are presented through clinical case studies by the four family therapists whose lives intersected with theirs. As feminist therapists, we use a lens of critical consciousness; and recognize the real influence of social oppression that has culminated in the loss of their children. All three women are young, low-income, were at times homeless and unemployed, and represent diversity in both ethnicity and sexual orientation. Their case studies highlight the interplay of trauma and oppression that capture their lifelong and current situations and impede their ability to mother.

Keywords:

• mothers
• mothering
• complex trauma
• oppression
• feminist therapists
• reflexivity
• social justice