Introduction

This book is the product of a twenty-year journey and my personal desire to integrate the literatures on feminist theory and feminist therapy. I first identified myself as a feminist therapist while I was completing my doctoral degree in counseling psychology during the mid1980s. During my first semester of doctoral study, I was fortunate to gain exposure to the classic feminist statements on feminist therapy. These commentaries shaped all other aspects of my graduate education. They affirmed my life experiences, influenced my research interests, and played an orienting function throughout my graduate training and subsequent work.