2. A woman's empowerment comes in part from feeling strong enough
to make her own decisions without feeling as much need for
approval from others. In the security of a therapeutic relationship
a woman can learn to express difficult feelings like anger and
frustration. It can be healing to express these feelings to another
woman and be heard and respected. From this, more clarity and
a sense of what's right for the individual can come. Even
regarding body size and image, women need to feel supported
and encouraged to have their own experience, not to try to mold
themselves into what someone else wants them to look like or
feel.
3. The need for others' approval can be deep seated in women. It's
scary to speak your mind in the face of controversy or
disagreement. It's hard to hold your own sense of who you are
and who you want to be. It is important to have the opportunity to
explore your values and what feels "right" to you on more than a
superficial level. Psychotherapy for women can teach you about
yourself and help you experience validation for what you believe
and not only how you look.
4. We know about assertiveness and how to ask for what you want in
a firm yet non-aggressive way. That is not so easy in and of
itself. In addition, the question is, how does a woman know what
she wants? Women are encouraged and enticed into countless
options for action. It could be how to dress, wear your hair, what
kind of man or other woman will make you happy in a
relationship. Women are often castigated for not knowing what
they want. I think this impression may come from women trying
to mold themselves into what they think they should be, then
being unable to keep up the front.
5. How does self-exploration work? Sometimes there is a shift, an
opening, that allows another way of seeing yourself or
understanding yourself. Sometimes writing can help for example
writing an outline of your life and its themes, writing down your
dreams, or reflecting on the "why" beneath some of your
interests and activities. Other ways of understanding yourself
are: understanding your family and how your felt growing up,
understanding your emotions and feeling permission to feel and
identify them, and feeling more grounded in your physical self so
you can access information from your body.
