Overview of Women’s Health

As an educated woman you understand now more than ever that we are on the brink of revolution in women’s leadership and issues that affect women are at the forefront. However women continue to experience high rates of psychological, physical, and psychosocial stressors that impact day-to-day functioning. Women have the capacity to change culture and our world at large but many intelligent and capable women continue to struggle against systemic discrimination and the socioeconomic determinants of their lives. 

Unique stressors women tend to face include sexual or emotional abuse, inequity in employment, societal discrimination, pregnancy, postpartum depression and menopause have received which have received little attention in terms of research and resources to help improve the lives of women. 

Women need support to heal from trauma, develop leadership skills, discover, and develop innate talents and increase confidence in order to navigate successfully in today’s world. Women’s health is an important focus as cultural roles, gender expectations and other societal norms can significantly affect one’s mental and emotional well-being. Our goal is help reframe certain issues in the context of societal views, rather than as a result of one’s own personal shortcomings, so that one can focus on the most valuable areas of life. 

Our clinical focus is on supporting and empowering women through various important stages in life including career counseling, choosing and maintaining healthy relationships, and the transition into motherhood through parenting and child development. 

Women continue to experience numerous social and cultural constraints in today’s society.  Traditionally, women were assigned roles of caretakers and nurturers while in reality women are not only providers and nurturers, but also professionals, business owners, ambassadors and CEOs holding down any number of roles. 

While we understand the immense power and complexity of a woman, we know that women continue to face many disparities and unrealistic expectations from society. We strive to provide the support, knowledge, tools and skill women need to navigate successfully in today’s society.

What is Women’s Health?

An approach to psychotherapy that pays attention to gender dynamics/roles, stressors, and the particular challenges women face as a result of gender bias, discrimination, and stereotyping as well as other factors that influence one’s mental health and standing in society. Through the process of exploration and insight, clients can come to discover personal strengths and embrace one’s unique and powerful identity in order to reach goals and improve quality of life!  

What are some of the problems addressed in women’s health? 

Developing and maintaining healthy relationships: 

Many women struggle to find, develop, and maintain healthy relationships. While there are many factors and variables that impact relationships, therapy can be one of the most useful tools to create insight and lasting change in one’s life. 

Oftentimes, women have witnessed or experienced physical/verbal/sexual abuse and have never fully processed or  recovered  from these experiences. In turn, this may play out in unhealthy ways such as the type of partner she may be attracted to and/or the way she behaves in relationships. Unfortunately, unresolved trauma from the past can wreak havoc on the present. 

In order to make better decisions when it comes to choosing partners, it is critical to understand how healthy relationships develop but also how you as an individual, may be negatively contributing to the dynamics and health of the partnership. 

Managing multiple roles and responsibilities: 

Women are under tremendous stress to manage multiple roles as professionals, caretakers, and partners.  Often feeling guilty about falling short in one or more areas of life. Career demands, family responsibilities and personal growth can seem impossible to balance at times. Women continue to do the majority of housework (citation) in addition to often holding demanding positions as leaders in their industries. 

In general, some of the struggles that lead women to seek therapy is because these struggles and imbalance with family/personal demands lead to conflict, resentment in relationships. In addition women are often faced with the decision of feeling choosing to excel in either areas of family or career. 

Meeting expectations, career goals and prospects of having children are quite daunting and life changing decisions that often require tremendous support. The unique benefit of therapy at this point is that you have a neutral and supportive ally in helping you process and make decisions that can have such a positive impact on the long-term quality of your life. 

Career goals/promotions:  

Women continue to be at a disadvantage when it comes to reaching and thriving in leadership positions as it continues to be a man’s world and workplace. Now more than ever women need to understand how to overcome these biases and navigate successfully personally and professionally in the current climate. 

Although studies cite the benefits of having women and diverse leadership, the percentage of men in these positions continue to dominate.

Women can greatly benefit from what holds them back from attaining their goals, learning how to strengthen and develop leadership skills, and to negotiate assertively. 

Divorce: 

While most people enter a marriage with the intention of its longevity, todays current reality is that approximately 50% of marriages will end in divorce.  Divorce is a life changing occurrence that impacts every area of your life. On a very basic level, the structure of your home and family are changed. The impact on family, finances, career, confidence, and emotions are tremendous. Surviving the storm of divorce requires much support and guidance as it is a time of great turbulence. Your therapist can really be a guiding light during you most difficult time. 

Co-parenting 

Many separated and divorced couples continue to suffer because of interactions and obligations they share due to coparenting a child. Issues and dynamics that led or contributed to the end of the relationship haven’t been resolved and play out in the attempts to parent the child together. We provide parents and children with a safe space to discuss concerns and learn effective ways to interact and communicate. Improving the relationship with your child’s parent has the greatest impact on your child’s overall wellbeing. If you are struggling to coparent, therapy can be a valuable asset to helping your family heal through difficult times.

Infertility:

The decision to have a child will be one of the most important and life changing decisions you can make, but when a couple experiences infertility, it can be one of the most devastating feelings of loss one can experience.  Often between the feelings of uncertainty, stress of medical appointments, and emotional strain, couples experience great upheaval in the relationship. It is normal to feel sad, angry, anxious, alone, hopeless. Couples report that sex becomes a performance and less of a shared act of intimacy creating a host of uncomfortable feelings and interactions between the two. 

One of the most difficult challenges couple face is the emotional toll and resentment that infertility can bring to the surface. Women are often blamed and battle feelings of inadequacy for not being able to have a child and meet societal expectations. Couples can struggle with what lengths they are willing to go to conceive a child. Disagreements occur often as treatments can be costly and have a huge toll on a woman’s body, hormones, and emotional well being. 

The goal is to help you through the major physical and emotional changes that infertility can cause. Different strategies can be helpful depending on your personal goals. Therapy can help you reframe feelings of shame, guilt, or blame and instead focus on a proactive approach to reach your goals. 

It can also improve communication and processing feelings with your partner. The goal is to help you to navigate safely through different decision and  help you make informed decisions if you are at a crossroads in your treatment journey. 

Pregnancy:

While pregnancy can be an amazing and exciting time, it can also be overwhelming, anxiety provoking and life altering. Changes in one’s body and hormone levels can significantly alter one’s mood. It is normal to have worries and fears during pregnancy. 

Up to 1 in 10 women and 1 in 20 men experience antenatal depression. Antenatal anxiety is also common, and many people experience anxiety and depression at the same time.

The following factors can increase the  risk of developing mental health issue during pregnancy:

• past problems with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other mental illness. 

• feeling alone and that you don’t have enough support

• going through a major life change such as a death, separation, divorce or move. 

• past or current abuse physical, sexual and or emotional.

• problems with drugs or alcohol.

It is very important to take care of your mental health during this time, especially if you have a history of mental illness, anxiety or depression. Some women struggle to enjoy the pregnancy because of a previous miscarriage, upcoming tests/procedures, concern about the health of the fetus or are experiencing a complicated pregnancy. Therapy is a great way to keep yourself healthy and give your child a better quality of life. 

Transition to motherhood:

Motherhood can be one of the most rewarding and yet challenging roles in one’s life. The truth of the matter is that many women often feel exhausted and overwhelmed by the emotional and physical demands of motherhood. Women often feel guilt or shame about sharing the not so good thoughts and feelings related to being a parent. 

It is normal to struggle with a sense of loss of one’s previous life and independence before having children. Women often experience the ‘baby blues’ after the birth of a child. Symptoms such as sadness, mood swings, anxiety and irritability are common, however keep in mind that intense symptoms that last longer than two weeks and are interfering with other areas of your life, may be indicative of postpartum depression. Symptoms may develop within the first few weeks or up to a year after birth.

Signs and symptoms may include:

• Severe mood swings or extreme sadness/anger

• Uncontrollable crying

• Difficulty connecting with your baby

• Inability to sleep (insomnia) or sleeping too much

• Extreme fatigue or loss of energy 

• Significantly reduced interest and pleasurable activities

• Feelings of hopelessness shame or guilt 

• Inability to think clearly, concentrate or make decisions

• Anxiety and panic attacks

• Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

What are some warning signs for women that you may need therapy:

• Persistent sadness with feelings of hopelessness

• Abuse of alcohol and or drugs

• Significant changes in eating or sleeping habits 

• Appetite/weight gain or loss

• Excessive fear or worry

• Extreme high or low moods

• Social withdrawal

• Aches, pains, headaches, stomach problems that don’t have a clear cause and have been cleared or ruled out medically.

What are some of the benefits of women’s health?

• Improve your self-esteem and confidence 

• Focus on your strengths and use it to empower you in society.

• Further develop your identity in a way that serves your personal growth. 

• Embrace role as a leader in more areas of your life.

• Heal and move forward from past trauma