Women's Identity & Self-Worth
Women are handed a lot of definitions of who they should be. Daughter, mother, partner, caregiver, professional — each role comes with expectations, and over time those expectations can crowd out the question of who you actually are outside of them. Therapy offers a space to untangle that question honestly.
What It Can Look Like
- check_circle A sense that you've lost yourself — your preferences, desires, or sense of direction
- check_circle Defining your worth through your productivity, caregiving, or others' approval
- check_circle Difficulty identifying what you want separate from what's expected of you
- check_circle Shame or guilt when prioritizing your own needs
- check_circle A feeling of emptiness or flatness even when life "looks good" from the outside
- check_circle Resentment that's hard to name or express
- check_circle A sense that you're performing a version of yourself rather than being yourself
Identity isn't fixed — it's built through relationships, experiences, choices, and reflection. For many women, a significant portion of that identity-building has happened in reaction to external demands rather than internal discovery. Therapy is one of the few spaces where you can slow down and actually explore what you think, feel, and want — without an agenda.
This work often involves grieving: the choices not made, the parts of yourself not developed, the years spent meeting expectations that weren't yours. That grief is real and worth honoring. It's also the beginning of something — a more intentional, self-authored way of living.
Women's identity work doesn't happen in isolation from the other things we carry. It intersects with depression, anxiety, relationships, body image, and every transition and loss. That's part of why it's so meaningful — and why it often yields changes that ripple across every part of a client's life.
My Approach
I use a feminist, person-centered approach to women's identity work, drawing on narrative therapy, values clarification, and self-compassion practices. This is expansive, open-ended work — less about fixing a problem and more about building a genuine, self-determined relationship with yourself.