I had just witnessed women who shingled their own roofs, drove eighteen-wheeler trucks, and built their own houses as well as kept them clean and cooked a damn good meal. On women's land I am a first-class citizen, I'm treated as an equal. I now see the world with righteous anger and hope. Living in womyn's community has provided that lens for me. Elizabeth Sturrus, third wave feminist One of the driving forces in the lives of many lesbians is the search for community in a society that favors heterosexuality and often turns a cold shoulder toward women who love women. Lesbian Communities: Festivals, RVs, and the Internet takes you inside flourishing lesbian communities physical, spiritual, and virtual (online) that provide practical help, emotional support, and much-needed outlets for creative expression. Exploring communities functioning in harmony with general American society as well as separatist groups, festival communities which form for short times annually, and informal online groups offering meaningful communication to physically isolated lesbians, this book offers a ray of light to those whose search is still ongoing.It also provides much-needed analysis of the current state of lesbian communities some decades old now for educators, researchers, and social scientists. In Lesbian Communities: Festivals, RVs, and the Internet, Susan Krieger revisits the vibrant community she first explored in The Mirror Dance. An African American member of Old Lesbians Organizing for Change shares the details of her search for a cooperative, caring space for aging lesbians and what led to her eventual decision to create this space herself. And one of the founders of Hallomas, a back-to-the-land community that has survived in northern California since the late 1970s, reflects on that unique community's birth and life with 13 photographs and illustrations. The book also bears witness to a life-changing encounter and dialogue between second-wave feminists from the woman's land collective of Arcadia and third wave feminists.You'll also learn about: the birth, joys, and tribulations of an online community that becomes physical each year at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival the accidental birth of a lesbian community in isolated and fundamentalist-dominated West Texas the international online lesbian parenting community called MOMS (affectionately known as Dykes and Tykes) how it began, what belonging to this community provides for its members, and a look toward the future the debate on inclusiveness versus exclusiveness (of bisexual women, transgender people, and the male children of lesbians) in lesbian communities the current decline of availability and dilution of the purity of lesbian-only space and the rise of segregation (by social class and financial status) and oppression within the lesbian community the current plight of lesbian bookstores, which since the 1970s have served not only as gateways to a multitude of lesbian communities, but as the centers of lesbian communities themselves the online experience of lesbians searching for community in Japan the issues facing Jewish lesbians and the formation of Nice Jewish Girls, a Montreal group for anyone who identifies as a lesbian, bisexual, or queer woman and their non-Jewish partners and friends the power of myth and mythmaking to help women regain lost strength and reclaim lost history From the efforts of back-to-the-land groups creating wimmin's space to life in modern residential/retirement settings, this book explores the places created by and for lesbians.Photos and illustrations bring these women and their communities to life. Lesbian Communities: Festivals, RVs, and the Internet w

We have earned a certain place in each other's lives, and in the best of times we can rest on what we have made together. Lesbian Ex-Lovers: The Really Long-Term Relationships examines the need for the development of better understanding and more critical analysis of lesbian ex-lover relationships. This eye-opening look into the minds and hearts of women offers personal insight into the possibilities for and potential pitfalls of lesbian ex-lover relations. This book contains personal stories, fictional accounts, poetry, and theoretical analyses of the frequency and significance of ex-lovers at different stages in a relationship. Topics of interest in Lesbian Ex-Lovers include: the roles ex-lovers play in our lives ex-lovers as contexts for change and development how we continue to be influenced by ex-lovers letting go and moving on ex-lovers as current friends and family themes of betrayal and loss of faith reconstructing friendships and community the mystique of the ex-lover friend/family connections among lesbian ex-lovers Rather than totally scrap a relationship, we recycle itfrom lover to ex-lover to friend in a relatively short half-life. Lesbian Ex-Lovers is the only book in print that explores how a lesbian's ex-lovers impact her subsequent romances and lifestyle. This special collection adds a new dynamic to the current literature for and about the lesbian community. Lesbian Ex-Lovers offers advice, anecdotes, and interpretations from such authors, poetesses, and artists as: Michelle Gibson, PhDeducator and editor of Femme/Butch: New Considerations of the Way We Want to Go who says goodbye to her lover in a sad, passionate elegy Marny HallPsychotherapist, editor of the anthology Sexualities, and author of several books, including The Lavender Couch: A Consumer's Guide to Psychotherapy for Lesbians and Gay Menwho muses on the unique bonding between lesbians and their ex-lovers, lending a mystique that surrounds the lesbian lifestyle Alison Bechdelcreator of the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out Forwho presents a humorous comic strip thanking her former lovers for teaching her about herself Jane Futchernewspaper reporter and author of three novelswho uses a chapter in her novel to illustrate the tensions that can occur when ex-lovers choose to remain friends, especially when those bonds provoke jealousy in both current and ex-lovers Renny Christophereducator and award-winning poetesswho expresses her love, loss, and regret in three poems about her ex-lover and much more!

Who are the women who struggled to form lesbian communities--and how did they fund their activism?In Everyday Mutinies: Funding Lesbian Activism, two dozen lesbians--including well-known activists such as Martina Navratilova, Alison Bechdel, Dee Mosbacher, and Jewelle Gomez--tell the stories of their activism, with an emphasis on how they support themselves and fund their political activities. Their examples can help you deal with raising and allocating money. Less than 0.3 of all philanthropic dollars are awarded to lesbian and gay projects each year. Yet Everyday Mutinies shares amazing success stories of women surviving, thriving, and making an impact by using the resources they have with intelligence and skill. You will be moved and inspired by the stories behind Naiad Press, The Ladder, Straight from the Heart, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.Everyday Mutinies presents the voices of scientists, political strategists, artists, writers, fundraisers, and community organizers. These courageous women discuss their strategies for getting and using money to pursue their visions, including: funding scientific studies in creative ways liberating corporate resources encouraging responsible stewardship of inherited wealth getting paid for working on lesbian causes choosing a job to support activism financing lesbian media from magazines to documentaries giving time versus giving moneyEveryday Mutinies is an essential resource on the history and practice of lesbian activism. It also contains valuable ideas for any political lesbian who has wondered how she can possibly pay her bills and make the rent while remaining a full-time activist.

While most women's studies texts function "topically" as "readings" for courses and general use, Women's Work: A Survey of Scholarship By and About Women takes a broad spectrum of women's disciplines--psychological, artistic, religious, and philosophical--and gives you a diverse, interdisciplinary view of this important and ever-expanding field of study in one accessible volume. You'll see that women are leading the world into the twenty-first century in such areas as education, business, health, and science. You'll also find your appreciation for the current developments in women's studies increase as you see how far-reaching and multifaceted this crucial discipline really is.Women's Work avoids the compilations of topical readings that tend to bog down typical women's studies courses and explores the different disciplines that continue to make this field central to the development of the academic world community. You'll find your perspective on women's studies expand and take on new meaning as you delve into these and other areas: feminist approaches to research the lack of women in science and feminist critiques of science women and health psychology and discussions on sex differences, sex similarities, and gender roles communication differences between men and women women in literature, art history, and metaphysics Judeo-Christian religions and goddess religionsThis comprehensive compendium has something for everyone interested in the massive contribution that women have made--and will continue to make--in all areas of human development. All readers, especially women's studies scholars, professors, students, and informed members of the general public looking for an excellent, up-to-date resource concerning the general direction of feminist disciplines today, will definitely want a copy of Women's Work.

Breasts: The Women s Perspective on an American Obsession describes and explores our national breast fetish, which is defined as a culturally constructed obsession that is deeply interwoven with beauty standards, breastfeeding practices, and sexuality. By tracing the complex history of this erotic fascination and discovering how it affects men s and women s sexuality and their relationships, this book will help women accept their breasts as they are and provide male readers with insight into how women think and feel about their bodies. This awareness will enable them to better understand and empathize with women s experiences as objects of a cultural fetish.Focusing on adult joys and anxieties about breasts, sex, and breastfeeding, this text uses research and expert opinions from several different fields, including psychology, anthropology, sociology, mythology, and sexology. You will find several other issues in Breasts: The Women s Perspective on an American Obsession that involve men s and women s struggles with this obsession, such as: breast implants human psychology and breasts beauty standards and breast sexuality how breasts are portrayed in mythology and art how ancient religions saw the breast as a sign of motherhood and giver of life "breast men" debates on how and why the breast evolved adolescent girls and breasts breast activists, such as La Leche League, who are proponents of breastfeeding in publicThrough personal interviews with men and women, Breasts: The Women s Perspective on an American Obsession also addresses women s pride and shame about their breasts and their confusion about the attention their breasts receive. Ultimately, this exploration of breast obsession sheds light on our society s general fear of and ambivalence toward women s bodies. Breasts: The Women s Perspective on an American Obsession shows you that breasts have a venerable history and urges you to see beyond the contemporary standards of visual perfection to give you an overall sense of the female body s power and worth."

Breasts: The Women's Perspective on an American Obsession describes and explores our national breast fetish, which is defined as a culturally constructed obsession that is deeply interwoven with beauty standards, breastfeeding practices, and sexuality. By tracing the complex history of this erotic fascination and discovering how it affects men's and women's sexuality and their relationships, this book will help women accept their breasts as they are and provide male readers with insight into how women think and feel about their bodies. This awareness will enable them to better understand and empathize with women's experiences as objects of a cultural fetish.Focusing on adult joys and anxieties about breasts, sex, and breastfeeding, this text uses research and expert opinions from several different fields, including psychology, anthropology, sociology, mythology, and sexology. You will find several other issues in Breasts: The Women's Perspective on an American Obsession that involve men's and women's struggles with this obsession, such as: breast implants human psychology and breasts beauty standards and breast sexuality how breasts are portrayed in mythology and art how ancient religions saw the breast as a sign of motherhood and giver of life "breast men" debates on how and why the breast evolved adolescent girls and breasts breast activists, such as La Leche League, who are proponents of breastfeeding in publicThrough personal interviews with men and women, Breasts: The Women's Perspective on an American Obsession also addresses women's pride and shame about their breasts and their confusion about the attention their breasts receive. Ultimately, this exploration of breast obsession sheds light on our society's general fear of and ambivalence toward women's bodies. Breasts: The Women's Perspective on an American Obsession shows you that breasts have a venerable history and urges you to see beyond the contemporary standards of visual perfection to give you an overall sense of the female body's power and worth.

Lesbian Step Families: An Ethnography of Love explores five lesbian step families'definitions of the step parent role and how they accomplish parenting tasks, cope with homophobia, and define and interpret their experiences. An intensive feminist qualitative study, the book offers guidelines for counselors and lesbian step families for creating healthy, functioning family structures and environments. It is the first book to concentrate exclusively on lesbian step families rather than on lesbian mothering in general.In Lesbian Step Families: An Ethnography of Love, you'll explore in detail the different kinds of step relationships that are developed and what factors may lead to the different types of step mothering in lesbian step families. The book helps you understand these relationships and parent roles through in-depth discussions of: how a step mother and legal mother who live together negotiate and organize parenting and homemaking tasks how members of lesbian step families define and create the step mother role strategies family members use to define and cope with oppression how sexism is transmitted within the family and how mothering may limit and/or contribute to female liberation the opinions and viewpoints of the children of these families The findings in Lesbian Step Families: An Ethnography of Love challenge traditional views of mothering and fathering as gender and biologically based activities; they indicate that lesbian step families model gender flexibility and that the mothers and step mothers share parenting--both traditional mothering and fathering--tasks. This allows the biological mother some freedom from motherhood as well as support in it. With insight such as this, you will be prepared to help a client, a loved one, or yourself develop and maintain healthy family relationships.

Jewish women of all ages and backgrounds come together in Celebrating the Lives of Jewish Women to explore and rejoice in what they have in common--their heritage. They reveal in striking personal stories how their Jewishness has shaped their identities and informed their experiences in innumerable, meaningful ways. Survivors, witnesses, defenders, innovators, and healers, these women question, celebrate, and transmit Jewish and feminist values in hopes that they might bridge the differences among Jewish women. They invite both Jewish and non-Jewish readers to share in their discussions and stories that convey and celebrate the multiplicity of Jewish backgrounds, attitudes, and issues.In Celebrating the Lives of Jewish Women, you will read about cultural, religious, and gender choices, conversion to Judaism, family patterns, Jewish immigrant experiences, the complexities of Jewish secular identities, antisemitism, sexism, and domestic violence in the Jewish community. As the pages unfold in this wonderful book of personal odysseys, the colorful patterns of Jewish women's lives are laid before you. You will find much cause for rejoicing, as the authors weave together their compelling and unique stories about: midlife Bat mitzvah preparations the transmission of Jewish values by Sephardi and Ashkenazi grandmothers traditional Sephardi customs the sorrow and healing involved in coping with the Holocaust a lesbian's fascination with Kafka the external and internal obstacles Jewish women encounter in their efforts to study Jewish topics and participate in Jewish ritual becoming a Reconstructionist rabbi the difficulties and benefits of being the teenaged daughter of a rabbiA harmonious chorus of individual voices, Celebrating the Lives of Jewish Women will delight and inspire Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike. It reminds each of us how diverse and distinctive Jewish women's lives are, as well as how united they can be under the wonderful fold of Judaism. This book will be of great interest to all women, as well as to rabbis, Jewish community leaders and professionals, mental health workers, and those in Jewish studies, women's studies, and multicultural studies.

Despite the gains of the women's movement, women are still judged by what they look like--and men, by what they do. Fat--A Fate Worse Than Death? offers hardy resistance to the narrow, random, and irrational appearance standards set for American women through an approach that is personal, eclectic, courageous, and funny. If you are interested in giving up your diet, throwing out your scales, and concentrating on who you are on a deeper level, this book will show you how to accept, appreciate, and even love your body Using statistics, research, anecdotes, and personal experiences, Fat--A Fate Worse Than Death? explores how appearance standards have built a prison for women. With the book's helpful advice, reading suggestions, and list of more than 100 ways to fight looksism, sexism, ageism, and racism, you will learn to express your rights and needs, regardless of your shape or size, and tear down those prison walls. Designed to transcend the boundaries between the personal and the political, Fat--A Fate Worse Than Death? discusses: examples of how weight and size constitute the last socially accepted prejudice the national "War on Fat" counteracting societal influences that support weight preoccupation connection between appearance standards for older women and large women nurturing your body resisting male-defined standards of beauty for women the myth of diets and dieting how the body resists weight loss how women are disempowered by concentration on weight and appearance how concentrating on appearance leaves real-life issues unaddressed how feeling bad about yourself can turn you into a willing consumerFeminists, faculty and students of women's studies programs, aging women, women of radical politics, and other concerned women and men will find that Fat--A Fate Worse Than Death? states explicitly how women are kept powerless by subscribing to cultural and social edicts on physical appearance. Don?t live silently in a society that degrades and discounts women because of their physical stature and don?t let obsession with thinness keep you passive, docile, and unable to give your energy to things that really need your passion and intelligence. Read this book and learn to not only value yourself for who you are, but also to counteract American culture's equality-denying prejudices and practices.

How can you provide effective, meaningful therapy to couples with whom you have little or nothing in common? Couples Therapy: Feminist Perspectives addresses some of the inadequacies, omissions, and assumptions in traditional couples therapy to help you face the issues of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation in helping couples today. In this book, you'll uncover perspectives that are grounded in an appreciation of cultural context, the effects of privilege, and the centrality of a respectful stance on the part of the therapist. Anyone seeking to do informed and responsive work with couples in distress will find it a useful and valuable compilation.Couples Therapy: Feminist Perspectives describes a variety of feminist approaches to couples therapy--giving you a sense of the range of feminist practice in this area and illustrating approaches you can integrate into your work with couples. Specific topics you'll explore include: cultural considerations in couples therapy narrative approaches to couples therapy dilemmas in working with heterosexual couples working with lesbian couples the particular issues of interracial couples the African-American lesbian couple empathy and mutuality in therapy with couples Whether you're an experienced psychologist, social worker, marriage and family counselor, or therapist or a student of family and couples therapy, Couples Therapy: Feminist Perspectives will help you prepare to respond effectively to a more diverse clientele.

Feminist Foremothers in Women's Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health is by and about the more recent wave of feminist foremothers; those who were awakened in the 1960s and '70s to the realization that something was terribly wrong. These are the women who created the fields of feminist therapy, feminist psychology, and women's mental health as they exist today. The 48 women share their life stories in the hope that they will inspire and encourage readers to take their own risks and their own journeys to the outer edges of human possibility. Authors write about what led up to their achievements, what their accomplishments were, and how their lives were consequently changed. They describe their personal stages of development in becoming feminists, from unawareness to activism to action. Some women focus on the painful barriers to success, fame, and social change; others focus on the surprise they experience at how well they, and the women's movement, have done. Some well-known feminist foremothers featured include: Phyllis Chesler Gloria Steinem Kate Millett Starhawk Judy Chicago Zsuszanna Emese Budapest Andrea Dworkin Jean Baker Miller Carol Gilligan In Feminist Foremothers in Women's Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health, many of the women see in hindsight how prior projects and ideas and even dreams were the forerunners to their most important work. They note the importance of sisterhood and the presence of other women and the loneliness and isolation experienced when they don't exist. They note the validation they have received from grassroots feminists in contrast to disbelief from professionals. Although these women have been and continue to be looked up to as foremothers, they realize how little recognition they've been given from society-at-large and how much better off their male counterparts are. Some foremothers write about the feeling of being different, not meshing with the culture of the time and about challenging the system as an outsider, not an insider. These are women who had few mentors, who had to forge their own way, "hit the ground running." Their stories will challenge readers to press on, to continue the work these foremothers so courageously started.Throughout the pages of Feminist Foremothers in Women's Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health runs a sense of excitement and vibrancy of lives lived well, of being there during the early years of the women's movement, of making sacrifices, of taking risks and living to see enormous changes result. Throughout these pages, too, sounds a call not to take these changes for granted but to recognize that feminists, rather than arguing over picayune issues or splitting politically correct hairs, are battling for the very soul of the world.

Winner of the Distinguished Publication Award 1996 from the Association for Women in Psychology, Feminist Visions of Gender Similarities and Differences opens a dialectic between the two traditions of feminism--similarities-based and differences-based--and generates useful scientific, political, and psychological tensions. Psychologists and scholars can benefit from Meredith Kimball's analysis and the tensions she creates because they ultimately broaden feminist visions. She informs the political analysis of those working on the inside and those on the outside of feminism to end all forms of discrimination and oppression.In opening the dialogue between the two traditions, Kimball presents a brief history of gender research and equal-rights feminisms in the early twentieth century, with an in-depth analysis of the work of Leta Stetter Hollingworth. analyzes women's experience in and feminist critiques of science and technology. analyzes research on gender-related similarities and differences in mathematics achievement. presents a brief history of psychoanalytic gender theory and maternal feminisms in the early twentieth century, with an in-depth analysis of the work of Karen Horney. analyzes Kohlberg's and Gilligan's models of moral development. gives a broad overview and analysis of women's caregiving in North America and cross-culturally in motherist-based political movements.The educated reader, whether actively involved in feminism or the general political arena, can apply the non-reductionist political analysis to their own theories and research. Because all oppressed groups face dilemmas of integrating into the dominant culture versus changing the dominant culture, members of these groups will appreciate the over-arching political analysis that forms the theme of Feminist Visions of Gender Similarities and Differences.

Currently, there are over 15 million legally designated refugees all over the world and it is documented that 75 percent of those refugees are women, yet most of the existent literature does not focus on this group as women. Most of the literature focuses on political, economic, and social issues with very little reference to the mental health implications of the refugees'experiences as women. Refugee Women and Their Mental Health begins to fill this paucity of information on female refugees'experiences. A book of immediate interest, Refugee Women and Their Mental Health focuses on understanding the plight of women refugees around the world, with an emphasis on mental health. The book adds successful and innovative treatment and recovery models for these women survivors. Some of the chapters are written by women who are therapists/psychologists now and who have been refugees themselves. This adds additional insight into the plight and resulting mental health problems of refugee women.The chapters cover a vast range of topics: torture and sexual abuse as refugees/victims of state violence elderly women refugees immigration law and women refugees first-person narratives the transformation of identity successful creative treatment programs It becomes clear that women refugees from all over the world under different political events and circumstances share common values and have similar mental health needs. Refugee Women and Their Mental Health explores processes of recovery from the traumas experienced by these women and offers a variety of models for the application of feminist theory to the plight of women refugees. Experienced therapists of women and those in training to be therapists will want to read this book. The topics of refugee women rarely comes up in training programs, so the information in this book is vital for therapists, policy makers, and other service providers and professors of psychology of women, immigration and social work issues, and women and mental health issues.

Currently, there are over 15 million legally designated refugees all over the world and it is documented that 75 percent of those refugees are women, yet most of the existent literature does not focus on this group as women. Most of the literature focuses on political, economic, and social issues with very little reference to the mental health implications of the refugees'experiences as women. Refugee Women and Their Mental Health begins to fill this paucity of information on female refugees'experiences. A book of immediate interest, Refugee Women and Their Mental Health focuses on understanding the plight of women refugees around the world, with an emphasis on mental health. The book adds successful and innovative treatment and recovery models for these women survivors.Some of the chapters are written by women who are therapists/psychologists now and who have been refugees themselves. This adds additional insight into the plight and resulting mental health problems of refugee women. The chapters cover a vast range of topics: torture and sexual abuse as refugees/victims of state violence elderly women refugees immigration law and women refugees first-person narratives the transformation of identity successful creative treatment programsIt becomes clear that women refugees from all over the world under different political events and circumstances share common values and have similar mental health needs. Refugee Women and Their Mental Health explores processes of recovery from the traumas experienced by these women and offers a variety of models for the application of feminist theory to the plight of women refugees. Experienced therapists of women and those in training to be therapists will want to read this book. The topics of refugee women rarely comes up in training programs, so the information in this book is vital for therapists, policy makers, and other service providers and professors of psychology of women, immigration and social work issues, and women and mental health issues.

Women's Conflicts About Eating and Sexuality explores the strong relationships food and sex have represented to women over the years. No other book has spelled out so clearly the parallels between sex and eating nor integrated the relationship of these to women's basic need to be loved.

Today's dilemma for women--be fat or go hungry--and the endless variations and unsatisfying solutions to this problem have contributed to the incidence of anorexia, bulimia, and obesity. The pursuit of slimness, the obsession with having the perfect body, excessive aerobicizing, and diet books ad nauseam are all part of this phenomenon. Authors in Women's Conflicts About Eating and Sexuality skillfully discuss the parallel between women's obsession with sex and romance in the fifties and their obsession with food today. An important book for all women, it sheds light on the complex issues facing women and devotes special attention to the career woman and the additional pressures to be slim and stay slim.

The woman who reads this potentially life-changing book can examine, question, and change her behavior, using the specific step-by-step program aid included in the book. This book is for every woman who has ever worried about being too fat or too sexual. Women's Conflicts About Eating and Sexuality will appeal to women of all ages--young women and their mothers will be fascinated by the parallels between sexual obsessions of thirty years ago and the eating obsessions of today.

This healing book will particularly attract single career women for whom sex and relationships are fraught with complications. Counselors and therapists will find this book an excellent resource in their work with helping women. It is also a good auxiliary text for courses in Women's Studies focusing on psychology and history of women and the sociology of women and eating disorders.

Here is a useful and illustrative guide for those interested in the impact of feminist scholarship on traditional academic disciplines. This important book explores the changes that have taken place in the academic world as a result of feminist approaches to scholarship, including issues of staffing, organization, administration, recruitment, student support, faculty advancement, and learning. Appropriate for readers not familiar with feminist scholarship as well as for those who are deeply interested in the message of feminist scholarship, Foundations for a Feminist Restructuring of the Academic Disciplines comes out of the experiences of women who are intimately involved with feminist pedagogy and curriculum transformation. The contributors describe a variety of educational environments that feminists have established in the academy, reflecting various disciplines.This profoundly important book raises new questions about the bias in traditional education and challenges basic assumptions about women--in education and society. In chapter after chapter, readers discover changes in perspective and knowledge brought on by feminist approaches to scholarship: the common images of women in literature written by men and contrast them with women writers'revisions of these traditional images the elimination and/or misrepresentation of women in the history books a feminist perspective on and critique of the image of women as traditionally analyzed by economists the major feminist challenges to political science the traditional and contemporary approaches to women in psychological theory and research how the teaching and practice of medicine, as it is related to women and women s health issues, has served to communicate an unfair and erroneous image of woman

This new book looks at an important issue--the emotional impact of success upon women--at a time when opportunities are more available to them than ever before. Using research, clinical experience, and personal anecdotes, the contributors examine the timely issues of women and worry, women's sense of their own entitlement, fear of success and fear of failure, and women's impostor feelings. The dilemma that feminist therapists frequently experience of encouraging women clients, often superbly qualified in their fields, to take a risk that might involve rejection or failure, is highlighted here. Therapists will recognize the often expressed fears of academic and intellectual failure, as well as the fears of various interpersonal failures that result from a combination of women's opportunities in society as well as socialization.

Outstanding feminist scholars present seldom discussed women's views of sexuality. In the past, there has been little feminist discussion among sexuality professionals and between feminist therapists and sex therapists. The valuable ideas expressed by the contributors to this book are aimed at increasing the possibilities for all therapists and counselors to discuss with their clients the nature of sexuality, and in particular, what women feel about sex. Professionals provide remarkable perspectives on issues that concern all women--orgasm, the double standard, new reproductive options, intimacy, bisexuality, and more.

Here is a unique collection of personal memoirs from feminist therapists which provides a revealing look at their professional training experiences. This superb volume offers a rare glimpse at the struggles of these women, both as therapists and feminists, as they continue to develop professionally while maintaining their own identities. These candid accounts clearly recount the realities of professional training for the feminist therapist as a combination of painful memories, active struggle, impromptu friendship, and humor. The stories comprising this extraordinary volume cover several decades, ranging from the experiences of therapists trained in the 1930s to those of women currently undergoing therapy training.Share the trials and triumphs of these seventeen women who faced professional, personal, and ethical challenges during their professional therapy training. Read about the variety of experiences in the heterogeneous group of feminist therapists who describe the circumstances of their training including the account of mother and daughter therapists who compare their training of the 1930s and the 1970s; that of one woman who entered graduate school in the 1950s and was prohibited from specializing solely in research; one woman whose teaching was sabotaged by the "old boy" network; one woman's experience of coming out as a lesbian in medical school during a psychiatric residency program; one therapist's double minority status as female and Japanese-American; a Black student's confrontation with the alienation and invisibility of her presence in an all-white classroom; and a first-year graduate student who describes her transition from a women's studies undergraduate focus to a traditional male-dominated research institution.Students and instructors in clinical psychology, counseling, and social work will find the accounts in Professional Training for Feminist Therapists: Personal Memoirs a valuable resource for exploring the experiences of women in professional training for feminist therapy. Established therapists will value this work for the clarity and insight that comes from reflection, as will women who undergo professional training in future generations.

How can being closeted or out affect the personal and professional life of a lesbian in academia? This volume, a collection of over thirty personal narratives, explores what it's like to be a lesbian working in a college or university setting. Along with the stories are in-depth analyses of the narratives by other academics. Issues such as race, class and age and how these factors distinguish each individual's "place" in the academy are examined.
The contributors have written from a wide range of experiences-- different degrees of outness, various academic disciplines, many geographic locations, and several types of academic settings.

Feminist Foremothers in Women s Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health is by and about the more recent wave of feminist foremothers; those who were awakened in the 1960s and 70s to the realization that something was terribly wrong. These are the women who created the fields of feminist therapy, feminist psychology, and women s mental health as they exist today. The 48 women share their life stories in the hope that they will inspire and encourage readers to take their own risks and their own journeys to the outer edges of human possibility. Authors write about what led up to their achievements, what their accomplishments were, and how their lives were consequently changed. They describe their personal stages of development in becoming feminists, from unawareness to activism to action. Some women focus on the painful barriers to success, fame, and social change; others focus on the surprise they experience at how well they, and the women s movement, have done. Some well-known feminist foremothers featured include: Phyllis Chesler Gloria Steinem Kate Millett Starhawk Judy Chicago Zsuszanna Emese Budapest Andrea Dworkin Jean Baker Miller Carol Gilligan In Feminist Foremothers in Women s Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health, many of the women see in hindsight how prior projects and ideas and even dreams were the forerunners to their most important work. They note the importance of sisterhood and the presence of other women and the loneliness and isolation experienced when they don t exist. They note the validation they have received from grassroots feminists in contrast to disbelief from professionals. Although these women have been and continue to be looked up to as foremothers, they realize how little recognition they ve been given from society-at-large and how much better off their male counterparts are. Some foremothers write about the feeling of being different, not meshing with the culture of the time and about challenging the system as an outsider, not an insider. These are women who had few mentors, who had to forge their own way, "hit the ground running." Their stories will challenge readers to press on, to continue the work these foremothers so courageously started.Throughout the pages of Feminist Foremothers in Women s Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health runs a sense of excitement and vibrancy of lives lived well, of being there during the early years of the women s movement, of making sacrifices, of taking risks and living to see enormous changes result. Throughout these pages, too, sounds a call not to take these changes for granted but to recognize that feminists, rather than arguing over picayune issues or splitting politically correct hairs, are battling for the very soul of the world."

Wilderness Therapy for Women offers women risktaking adventure activities in the outdoors as an alternative to traditional therapy. The contributing authors illustrate the empowerment, confidence, and self-esteem women can derive from adventure and experiential activities. This is the first book of its kind devoted to the symbolic value of wilderness accomplishments to women s mental health. Wilderness Therapy for Women unites women with nature and each other by lifting the social constraints surrounding women in adventure pursuits. It offers women a new method of healing while developing an appreciation for the uniqueness of the environment. Daring experiences in the outdoors rekindles a sense of strength and a respect for the provider of that strength. A therapeutic experience from the outdoors provides women with an awareness of their capabilities to strengthen and preserve themselves and their surroundings. This book is divided into four parts: Theoretical Perspectives, Wilderness Therapy in Action, Special Populations, and Personal Narratives. Readers will find many topics of interest including: Body image and wilderness therapy The therapeutic value of the wilderness Ethical considerations of experiential therapy Ropes courses for women All-women s river trips Special populations: rape and incest survivors, welfare mothers, and mid-life women. Intended as a guide book, Wilderness Therapy for Women is ideal for mental health professionals who are either practicing wilderness therapy or merely inquisitive about it. Outfitters and professional outdoor leaders will benefit from chapters on theory, applications, and special populations. Outdoor program administrators and educators who must remain on the cutting edge of their industry will also profit from this book.

Discover the diverse ways aging women attempt to deal with the universal challenges of loss, sickness, and death along with the problems of being old women in a society that values women mainly as sexual partners or producers of children. Old women are often seen as poor, powerless, and pitiful in our sexist and youth-oriented society. The truth is that women age much more successfully than do men and they are increasingly in the majority as our population ages. These truths and others are presented in Faces of Women and Aging--a collection written by women, a number of whom are themselves older women who bring their unique life experiences and personalities to the topic.This uplifting book emphasizes that middle and old age are merely stages of growth and development, not just seasons of loss and decline as the end approaches. A wealth of topics are covered in Faces of Women and Aging that broaden the reader's awareness of the problems of women and aging including: how to maintain self-esteem in the face of sexism, ageism, and severe illness the problems of being single or divorced in the later years the problems of maintaining a good body image for older women in a society which values the young and the beautiful the additional difficulties of minority women, specifically lesbians and native American women increased dependency brought on by illness and loss of partners Faces of Women and Aging combines personal narratives that serve as reminders of the human beings behind statistics and case studies with theoretical observations which help therapists assist older women cope with the daily hardships as well as the more catastrophic problems of aging.

Discover the diverse ways aging women attempt to deal with the universal challenges of loss, sickness, and death along with the problems of being old women in a society that values women mainly as sexual partners or producers of children. Old women are often seen as poor, powerless, and pitiful in our sexist and youth-oriented society. The truth is that women age much more successfully than do men and they are increasingly in the majority as our population ages. These truths and others are presented in Faces of Women and Aging--a collection written by women, a number of whom are themselves older women who bring their unique life experiences and personalities to the topic.This uplifting book emphasizes that middle and old age are merely stages of growth and development, not just seasons of loss and decline as the end approaches. A wealth of topics are covered in Faces of Women and Aging that broaden the reader s awareness of the problems of women and aging including: how to maintain self-esteem in the face of sexism, ageism, and severe illness the problems of being single or divorced in the later years the problems of maintaining a good body image for older women in a society which values the young and the beautiful the additional difficulties of minority women, specifically lesbians and native American women increased dependency brought on by illness and loss of partners Faces of Women and Aging combines personal narratives that serve as reminders of the human beings behind statistics and case studies with theoretical observations which help therapists assist older women cope with the daily hardships as well as the more catastrophic problems of aging."

Women's Conflicts About Eating and Sexuality explores the strong relationships food and sex have represented to women over the years. No other book has spelled out so clearly the parallels between sex and eating nor integrated the relationship of these to women's basic need to be loved. Today's dilemma for women--be fat or go hungry--and the endless variations and unsatisfying solutions to this problem have contributed to the incidence of anorexia, bulimia, and obesity. The pursuit of slimness, the obsession with having the perfect body, excessive aerobicizing, and diet books ad nauseam are all part of this phenomenon. Authors in Women's Conflicts About Eating and Sexuality skillfully discuss the parallel between women's obsession with sex and romance in the fifties and their obsession with food today. An important book for all women, it sheds light on the complex issues facing women and devotes special attention to the career woman and the additional pressures to be slim and stay slim. The woman who reads this potentially life-changing book can examine, question, and change her behavior, using the specific step-by-step program aid included in the book. This book is for every woman who has ever worried about being too fat or too sexual. Women's Conflicts About Eating and Sexuality will appeal to women of all ages--young women and their mothers will be fascinated by the parallels between sexual obsessions of thirty years ago and the eating obsessions of today. This healing book will particularly attract single career women for whom sex and relationships are fraught with complications. Counselors and therapists will find this book an excellent resource in their work with helping women. It is also a good auxiliary text for courses in Women's Studies focusing on psychology and history of women and the sociology of women and eating disorders.