The theoretical explication of the meaning of relationships in women's lives by researchers at the Stone Center for Developmental Services at Wellesley College brings a rich dimension to the topic of women mentoring women. Rather than trying to understand the development of a "separate self," the Stone Center group has been exploring the development of the "self-in-relation." The concept of relational empowerment, or mutual empowerment, refers more to a "power with" model. From the perspective of the self-in-relation model of development, it is fairly obvious that the psychosocial functions such as role modeling, acceptance and confirmation, counseling, and friendship will carry more import for many women than will the career functions of sponsorship, coaching, protecting, or making the protege known to others. The self-in-relation theory would suggest that the quality of the same-sex mentor dyad for women has the potential for being more mutual in power and provide a fuller range of empathy due to women's developmental experiences. Women's ways of being are often devalued, leaving them somewhat inhibited and feeling inadequate on the job. Limitations to female dyads include that they are still difficult to find; relational aspects of mentoring are not always what gets people ahead in organizations; and people may be affected by underlying expectations of a female authority figure. (ABL)