Therapy for Women

Navigating the Complex World of Womanhood

Let’s face it, it is difficult to figure out how to live in a world of contradictions, and even more difficult as a woman.

Women typically play many roles in their lives and are intimately involved in the lives of others. These roles often include partner, friend, mother, employee, caretaker of children, caretaker of aging parents, taxi driver, protector, home maker, cook, provider, housekeeper, daughter - just to name a few.

On a larger scale, women face struggles around glass ceilings, patriarchal manipulation, oppression, and bias. These aren’t women’s issues; they are social issues. AND how do you navigate them? Where do you gain your momentum and gather your strength?

Coping with all the responsibilities whether you were assigned the responsibility, or it was assigned to you by someone else can be challenging. Where do you as a person fit into all the responsibilities and priorities in your life, goals, and ambitions? Where and how do you prioritize yourself?

Self What?

I don’t care for the term “self-care” because it conjures up in me the image of a woman in the bathtub with a glass of wine. And this MAY VERY WELL be self-care. However, I am more interested in what a woman does to take care of herself before she is exhausted, weeping in the closet eating chocolates and downing a bottle of wine. I am interested in what can be done before the desperation or hopelessness sets in.

Self-care is on a continuum. True self-care requires doing a little something for yourself every day rather than waiting until your experiences are such that you feel you have to escape. It is like watering, feeding, and pruning your soul rather than a full transplant when things are overwhelming.

Samples of true self-care

1. Identify the feeling, if you can, as one of the following:

a. Anger

b. Pain

c. Shame

d. Guilt

e. Fear

f. Joy

g. Passion

h. Love

2. Feel your feelings for a specific abbreviated amount of time, NOT ALL DAY, not even an hour. Bookend 3-7 minutes where you will sit in your feelings. Then put them back on the shelf and continue with your day knowing that you’ll come back to them.

3. Breathe from your core. Deep belly breaths.

4. Journal about those feelings- even if it is scribbles on a journal page.

5. Call a friend and let them know at the beginning of the conversation that you just want to be witnessed, no advice is desired or requested.

6. Lay on the floor and experience how the floor feels touching your back, legs, and arms. Notice your breathing, how your hair feels on your head. Simply be aware of your body sensations.

7. Tap lightly on your cheeks, ears, top of head, around your eyes for just two minutes.

See if any of these techniques help to reduce the stress, anxiety and overwhelm of your day.

At Graceful Healing, I am here to walk the journey with women experiencing the struggles that we all experience. You are not alone. I can help.

Karen Jolly, MSW, LCSW-C

The journey to healing starts with the decision to take the first step.

I am here to support you on this journey towards feeling lighter, safer, and living a more fulfilling life.