Jean Baker Miller

Jean Baker Miller (1927–2006) was a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, social activist, feminist, and author. She wrote Toward a New Psychology of Women, which brings psychological thought together with relational-cultural theory.

Early life and education Jean Baker Miller was born on September 29, 1927, in the Bronx in New York City to a Jewish family. She was diagnosed with polio at an early age, and was inspired to pursue a career in medicine while in the care of nurses. The theory is based on clinical observations and sought to prove that "there was nothing wrong with women, but rather with the way modern culture viewed them."

Following the publication of Toward a New Psychology of Women, Miller became the first director of the Stone Center for Developmental Services and Studies at Wellesley College, which incorporated the relational model into all aspects of the Stone Center's treatment. She served as its Founding Director and used the institute to teach the theory of Relational-Cultural Theory to mental health professionals and nonprofit organizations.

Personal life and death She was married to S. M. Miller, an emeritus professor of sociology at Boston University; they had two sons, Dr. Edward D. Miller and Jonathan F. Miller, Chairman and CEO of America Online. Jean Baker Miller died on July 29, 2006, at the age of 78 due to respiratory failure caused by emphysema and post-polio complications.