Navigating Change, Inside and Out
For women, there are natural challenges brought on when shifting through a new stage of life, and this is specifically heightened with any change in health and hormones. The result can be disorienting for our life choices and values. Counselling for these transition times can help women gain clarity and confidence.
Life Transition Phases for Women
Consider these life stages and how challenging they can be for women:
Teens to Young Adulthood: Young women navigate physical body changes, body image concept, gender roles with societal pressure, family traditions, navigating cultural or religious expectations, decisions and pressures of school or career path, and relationships.
Early Adulthood: Questions emerge about confidence in one’s path for both school and work, navigating the corporate world, financial independence, pressures for marriage and starting a family, and the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy and child rearing.
Mid to Mature Adulthood: Navigating pressures of society – expectations of motherhood, or lack of motherhood, career, and relationships. Potential for putting one’s life on hold for others or change of heart for one’s life/career/relationships, possible re-birth of one’s identity, menopausal changes, and new health challenges.
Retirement Years: Finding new meaning at this stage of life – contribution and role confusion with community, family, and friends. The possibility of grief and loss of friends and family and looking back on one’s life with possible regrets or missed opportunities. Emerging need to heal old wounds and examine one’s life existentially alongside spirituality.
How Counselling Helps Women in Life Transition
We want optimal health and fulfilment at these junctures in life and therefore, it’s during these times it is invaluable to connect with an unbiased and supportive professional who understands women’s issues and who will provide you with the healthy reflection of what is important to you for your next steps in life.
Counselling Approach for Women’s Life Transitions
A holistic approach where your physical, emotional, and relational health are considered in treatment. In order to make clear decisions and plans for one’s life, it is important to consider the stages of development to optimize healing and re-integrate this into one’s current age and life circumstances. Your relationship with yourself is the focus of treatment in order to forge new patterns of awareness, body acceptance, internal confidence and certainty, and build on your strengths for what is to come.