Valentina Albertini and Maria Antonietta Gulino present Diamoci del Lei at GO, published by Giunti Psicologia.io. In the book, they do not simply list biographies, but reconstruct the way in which fifteen women transformed their scientific marginalisation into innovation.

The book:

The history of psychology has long been told from a male perspective, often leaving in the shadows the women who played a decisive role in its development. In a professional field that today is made up largely of women, recovering these roots is not merely a historical exercise, but a necessary act of awareness — one that restores the discipline to its full complexity.

From the clinical insights of Lou Andreas-Salomé and Sabina Spielrein to the theoretical strength of Anna Freud, Melanie Klein and Karen Horney, the volume brings back to light the very DNA of our daily clinical practice.

The journey also explores the methodological battles of experimental researchers such as Mary Whiton Calkins and Margaret Floy Washburn, as well as Eleanor Maccoby’s studies on development. There is also space for the social psychology of Mamie Phipps Clark, who was able to read human complexity within contexts marked by deep racism and exclusion.

The other figures included in the book are Leta Stetter Hollingworth, Margaret Mahler, Eleanor Gibson, Mary Ainsworth, Mara Selvini Palazzoli and Brenda Milner.

The book reminds us that contemporary psychology is, in fact, an architecture of thought shaped also by women. It is a compass for anyone interested in the history of psychological science: an invitation to stop considering women as “historical exceptions” and to rediscover them as part of an authoritative genealogy, capable of offering new generations of psychologists models in which they can fully recognise themselves.

With a preface by Serena Dandini.

The authors:

Valentina Albertini is a psychologist and psychotherapist, currently President of the Foundation of the Order of Psychologists of Tuscany. She teaches at CSAPR, the Centre for the Study and Application of Relational Psychology in Prato, and is a member of the clinical and teaching committee of SIPPR, the Italian Society of Relational Psychology and Psychotherapy.

She is the author of numerous scientific articles published in Italian and international journals, as well as several books, including Dal disagio psichico alla salute mentale. Il lavoro relazionale e la promozione del benessere.

Maria Antonietta Gulino is a psychologist, psychotherapist and lecturer at CSAPR. Since April 2025, she has been the first woman President of the National Council of the Order of Psychologists, and since 2020 she has served as President of the Order of Psychologists of Tuscany.

Over the years, she has worked on welfare and social issues as a member appointed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies. She is the author of many essays published in scientific journals and collective volumes, including La relazione che cura. L’unità della psicoterapia.