About

Joanne Bagshaw, PhD, LCPC, is the author of The Feminist Handbook and an AASECT-certified sex therapist with a group practice in Maryland. She writes the popular feminist blog, The Third Wave, for Psychology Today. Prior to becoming a sex and relationship therapist, Joanne's work as a trauma therapist centered on supporting adult survivors of rape, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and childhood abuse. With almost 30 years of clinical experience, she helps clients transform their relationships and lead happier and healthier lives. An award-winning professor in psychology and women's studies, Joanne has recently retired from Montgomery College.

Drawing on her professional expertise, her personal experience with gender-based violence, and her identity as a baby scoop era adoptee, Joanne explores through writing the connection between internal struggles and external oppression, how to build resilience, deconstruct shame, and, crucially, the importance of telling our stories.

Sharing our stories and putting them in context allows us to process, reframe, and destigmatize the narratives that shape our lives. Joanne is currently writing a researched memoir that investigates the question: In a system driven by profit and ideology, who is advocating for the child? "The Feminist Handbook" illustrates how patriarchal social structures link to individual struggles and encourages readers to shift their focus from self-improvement to societal change.

At first glance, Joanne’s interests in sex and relationship therapy, feminism, and critical adoption studies may appear entirely unrelated. However, Joanne connects these subjects by examining issues such as consent, sexual agency, freedom from coercion, and the ability to make meaningful choices.