The major premise of Women Who Run With the Wolves is that most women are alienated from their true natures. This principle is less a theme than the raison d’etre for the entire book. The individual chapters are stepping stones to achieving that goal. According to Estés, psychologists have devoted too little attention to the unique aspects of the female mind. An enormous amount of cultural and familial pressure is exerted to make women conform to the stereotype of soft-spoken, passive ladies. In contrast, Estés believes that female nature is far less polite and far more primal than either society or psychologists realize.

The female essence aligns closely with the archetype of the Wild Woman, who is passionate, instinctual, assertive, and freedom-loving. Women have been actively discouraged from glorifying the qualities they have been taught to suppress, so Estés attempts to engage the reader on a less threatening level by using stories and fables. The objective is to re-establish a connection between the outer woman who goes about the mundane tasks of daily life and the inner Wild Woman who may feel inclined to howl at the moon.