Our History

Womankind began September 1977 as a feminist collective which was created to meet the counseling needs primarily of women. From its inception, it has been a place where women, men, couples, children, and families have addressed the central concerns of their lives. During the Second Wave Feminist Movement in the United States women and their allies mobilized for greater gender equality and reproductive rights. Women formed consciousness raising groups, book groups, and woman-owned businesses. There was an explosion of research across academic domains on all aspects of women’s lives. Research was re-written to include women’s perspectives, uncover forgotten histories and ‘speak about the unspeakable’ such as prevalent violence against women, lesbian existence, workplace and pay discrimination, and mothering concerns.

Women began numerous professional organizations to mentor each other. The field of psychology of women was born with enormous ramifications for analyzing the assumptions and treatment of women in psychotherapy. The first offices for Womankind were located at 15 Warren Street in Concord, NH. Rent was $230.00 per month for a space with five counseling offices. The founding mothers were Pat Wilczynski of Concord, Carol Moore of Contoocook, Marilyn Patterson of Warner, and Paula Bacher of Henniker. Pat, Carol, and Marilyn had all worked for the NH Women’s Health Services in Concord (now the Equality Health Center).

From its beginning, the focus of Womankind was on feminist informed research and clinical treatment of women, an egalitarian, shared power workplace model, and attention to the personal lives of staff as a significant influence on clinical work. Womankind believed then, as it does still, that “the Personal is the Political is the Clinical”. Womankind has employed more than 40 multidisciplinary staff in its history-social workers, psychologists, nurse practitioners, mental health counselors, office managers, a minister, and a psychiatrist. Early decades were marked by community activism and brown bag discussions open to the community. The practice was concerned about the various forms of violence against girls and women, gender discrimination in law and in the workplace, sexual orientation diversity, and sustaining the growing practice through numerous grants.

Womankind has evolved to specialize in evidence-based trauma treatments, psychology of expanding gender identities, broadened clinical expertise among staff, greater professionalization of organizational bylaws, policies, and mission statement; progressive political activism, and computerization of medical records and office billing. Given its unique history, health, and longevity in its initial mission, Womankind Counseling Center is a noteworthy feminist entity in women’s history. As Womankind persists, there is ongoing effort to preserve all organizational documents and ephemera for the Women’s History Collection at the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University.

Phone: (603) 225-2985
Fax: (603) 225-6160

21 Green Street
Concord, NH 03301