Abstract

SUMMARY This chapter describes and analyzes the contributions of contemporary feminist therapy theorists Ellyn Kaschak, Laura Brown, Mary Ballou, Pam Remer and Judith Worell, and Bonnie Burstow. Themes common to all of the authors are presented, including: (1) the deconstruction of patriarchy in the service of understanding the lived experience of women, (2) the position that there is no single reality, no one “right” feminist theory or epistemological position about women, and (3) the understanding that the relationship of women's multiple realities, experiences, and roles is central to feminist theory building. The approaches of these theorists to the critical analysis of mainstream therapy, to feminist theory building, and therapy applications are described and compared.