Issues Facing Women Today

What are women’s issues that I might experience?

While being a woman can be empowering, sometimes hormonal and life transitions lead us to experience difficult issues. Women are susceptible to unique reproduction considerations, hormone issues, and other challenges specific to us.

Some focus areas that our NYC and New Jersey BeWELL locations support and offer guidance around include:

  • Fertility issues
  • Pregnancy
  • Menopause
  • Career
  • Motherhood
  • Premenstrual disorder
  • Pregnancy anxiety & depression
  • Postpartum anxiety & depression
  • Traumatic labor experience
  • Miscarriage/infant loss
  • Infertility
  • Perimenopause
  • Menopause

We collaborate alongside women who may find it hard to navigate challenges. We recognize that in many women’s lives there comes a time in which she may feel disconnected from family, partners, and friends; this may be compounded with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.

Know that we’re here to help.

How do you assist women navigating their fertility?

We support women who have challenges with fertility. In addition to having biological maternal instincts or a physiological desire for a family, there are societal pressures as well to procreate. We recognize and understand how some women have a hard time conceiving; this is a situation that we treat with tremendous care and support.

If you are having difficulty with infertility, know that 1 in 8 couples have trouble getting pregnant. Getting pregnant is not as easy as we may have been told in our youth- the natural fertility rate is only 20%. This means that for every 100 fertile 30-year-old women trying to get pregnant in one cycle, 20 will be successful and the other 80 will have to try again. Of those who do become pregnant, 1 in 8 pregnancies results in a miscarriage.

We don’t share these statistics to raise alarm, but to remind you that this is a problem many women endure and there are ways to feel more empowered through community, therapy, and other techniques. Our therapists are ready to help you if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms on your road to conception:

  • Persistent feelings of sadness, guilt, or worthlessness
  • Social isolation
  • Loss of interest in usual activities and relationships
  • Agitation
  • Mood swings
  • Constant preoccupation with infertility
  • Marital problems

Infertility is a medical condition that touches all aspects of your life — your relationships with others, your perspective on life, and how you feel about yourself. Let us support you as you navigate your feelings, identify coping mechanisms, and work toward solutions for these challenges.

How can counseling help women during pregnancy or postpartum?

Sometimes pregnancy and the year following childbirth are not at all how we expected it to be. While pregnancy is often associated with excitement and joy, you might find that you are anxious, irritable, or otherwise sad. The reality is that if this resonates with you, then you might be one of the 1 in 5 women who experience pregnancy/postpartum disorder.

We have to wonder: if 1 in 5 women report feeling sad in this capacity, how many more women might be having this experience yet are not talking about it? It’s important to acknowledge your experience as legitimate (whether it be during pregnancy, traumatic labor, or postpartum); there are both physically and emotionally demanding challenges that come with having a baby. These pregnancy issues may be mild or serious, but they can affect the health of the mother and child, as well as put strain on a romantic partnership.

At BeWELL, we help women navigate through the emotions, difficulties, and shifts that occur with pregnancy and postpartum. Our therapists can offer techniques to help monitor your mental health, note shifts in mood, and ultimately ensure you get additional support as needed both during pregnancy and after delivery.

How can counseling help women during menopause?

Each woman’s experience with menopause is unique — many report sleepless nights, temperature spikes (hot flashes), night sweats, and foggy memory. Others recognize its onset due to fluctuating moods, dry skin, hair loss or facial hair increase.

It is an inevitable part of life for women yet one that is not discussed often. Some women have never heard of perimenopause (which can begin up to 10 years before menopause) — perimenopause can bring its own uncomfortable symptoms such as irregular periods, incontinence, general moodiness and loss of sex drive. Through perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause, therapists can help women navigate these natural biological processes.

Many BeWELL clients seek counseling to feel empowered during this time, as they navigate the information they may receive from their medical health professionals regarding menopause. Speaking to a trusted medical and mental health professional is important, as the discomfort around menopause can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

How do you work with women navigating their careers?

While we’d be hard pressed to find a job with no stress (given that some work demands and pressures may come and go), it is important for women to recognize when the tension rises above a normal level for a sustained period of time.

If you find work stress extending into your personal life, you are not alone. 7 of 10 individuals surveyed identified work as having a very or somewhat significant source of stress in their lives. Work-life balance is important, yet particularly in the digital age, it has shifted to a work-life blend. It’s important to recognize that work-related stress can dramatically affect your personal life and relationships as well as mental, emotional and physical health.

Therapy can help you manage challenges with colleagues or a manager, it can help you recognize a toxic work environment, and it can help you advocate for yourself when it comes to career conversations. BeWELL therapists have extensive experience drawing insights about client patterns and coping styles, offering tasks between sessions, and sharing specific techniques to reduce your work stress.

How does therapy help me as a mother?

Women have many roles in life — we can be friends, daughters, sisters, aunts, colleagues, and mothers. As we have these various identities, it is important to recognize the shifts that occur fluidly and sometimes not so fluidly. Becoming a mother is recognized as a distinct identity shift. Especially for new parents, the information and external advice can be overwhelming to manage.

Parenting challenges may include:

  • Providing consistent care
  • Attending to the needs of an infant or toddler
  • Maintaining adult relationships
  • Financial difficulties
  • Feeling rushed or “out of time”

Whether your child is a baby or a teenager, therapy can help you sort through your feelings, set parenting boundaries, communicate effectively with your child, and ensure you prioritize your own well-being. BeWELL therapists have extensive experience helping new parents, parents of young adolescents, parents of adult children, and all stages in between.

I’m ready to connect on some of these issues. How will I know therapy is working and what are my next steps?

In terms of seeing growth and success in therapy, BeWELL clients start to get the things in their life that they want. With progress, you’ll start to feel more connected to the world. Know that therapy provides you with a place where you can talk about anything without judgment. If you feel like this is something to explore, get started today at our therapy practice in Midtown Manhattan or Hoboken, NJ.

Our BeWELL therapists are well learned in a variety of fields and are here to help you become your best self. Whether you are struggling with issues related to Anxiety, Depression, Sexual Orientation, Race and Identity, or relationships, BeWELL therapists welcome you with an open ear.

Meet Our Therapists

Filters
Menu

Be.WELL. Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest updates and news.
SUBSCRIBE
close-link