Understanding Women

This is an appraisal of women's psychological development based on clinical evidence. In their work as psychotherapists at the Women's Therapy Centre in London, the authors have isolated many problems that largely affect depression, phobias, eating disorders and poor self-image, for example. In this book, they relate these to the role of women in society, the dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship and the familial and social context in which women grow up. Challenging the views of Freud and the theories of biological determination, the authors demonstrate their own findings with examples from the consulting room and the revelations of both individual and group therapy.

Luise Eichenbaum and Susie Orbach are also co-authors of What Do Women Want? and Between Women. Susie Orbach is the author of Fat is a Feminist Issue and Bodies. They are the founders of The Women's Therapy Centre in London and New York and conveners of endangeredbodies.org.