Today, while secular society has opened up a new range of roles and psychological expectations to women, the status and life of Orthodox Jewish women remain circumscribed by Jewish religious law. Orthodox women face inequality in four areas: in the synagogue and participation in prayer; in religious education; in legal areas such as status in religious courts and divorce proceedings; and in communal leadership. When confronted with criticism, Orthodox religious spokespersons resort to apologetics and defensiveness. The result is resistance by some Orthodox Jewish women, anger among many, and confusion in the minds of nearly all. Eventually, some turn to psychotherapy for help in resolving the conflict between the traditional world of the home and synagogue and the attractions and pressures of the secular world. Feminist therapy is particularly well-equiped to address such issues as: (1) helping the Orthodox woman patient to understand that change is possible even within the confines of religious law, and that traditional social and sexual roles need not inhibit the feminist objective of enabling each woman to realize her own individual and unique potential; (2) focusing treatment toward action rather than introspection; (3) enabling women hwo have traditionally seen themselves as powerless to accept power and responsibility for themselves; and (4) helping the woman to examine previously unquestioned roles and stereotypes, thus changing her perceptions by heightening her consciousness. (Author)