Therapy for Women
Do you feel stressed out more often than not? Maybe it feels like you can’t shut your brain off because you’re constantly concerned about work, errands, and your loved ones’ needs. And these anxious thoughts make you feel not good enough, not hard-working enough, just not “enough” in any regard.
Your job, your family, and your friends all get first pickings over your energy. Consequently, you’re left with so little that you often don’t have anything for yourself. You work hard, very hard, and don’t know how to slow down. You’ve needed to go this fast and do this much in order to meet all the demands in your life, especially because you care so much about others.
What is Burnout?
Burnout is the experience of not being as compassionate as you once were due to the high volume of energy you expend. Also, burnout is sometimes called “compassion fatigue.” This term highlights the impacts of caring for others so intensely for so long that you have little to no energy for yourself. Signs of burnout include having low energy levels and feeling irritable, resentful, or cynical. And these feelings are typically targeted at the people you love most. When you’re burned out, you may be asking yourself “is it even okay for me to slow down and rest?” In fact, many women feel guilty for even thinking about their own needs.
Burnout & Compassion Fatigue in Women
Women take on lots of responsibilities. And not only responsibilities in the home, but in groups and communities as well. In fact, women make up a majority of the workforce in helping positions such as nurses, teachers, therapists, and social workers. While many women self-identify as caregivers, in either their personal or professional lives (or both), burnout is likely when you haven’t made your wellbeing a priority.
Furthermore, as a woman, society often expects you to take on more than you can handle. It’s likely that you may struggle to make time for your wants and needs. At the end of a day of caring for your kids, your partner, your friends, and your work responsibilities, you’re just tired. Too tired to make yourself a meal or have a meaningful conversation with your partner. And when you’re so exhausted from caring for everyone else, burnout happens.
The Impact of Burnout & Compassion Fatigue
When you’re burned out, it’s common to feel confused about how you got to this place. You’ve been doing this for so long, so what stopped working? But, when you care for others at an unsustainable pace, your mind and body become run down. Have you gotten sick more in the last year than ever before? And maybe when you ask yourself “what do I need right now?” nothing comes to mind. Because others’ needs have come first for so long, you’ve disconnected from yourself.
Perhaps when you feel guilty when you’ve tried asserting yourself to loved ones by setting a boundary or communicating a need. This makes sense, as it can be uncomfortable to be vulnerable and discuss your needs. And when you’ve prioritized everyone else for so long, they may feel confused about how to care for and support you. However, your needs deserve to be prioritized. YOU deserve to be prioritized.
Therapy for Women Can Help
Meeting with a women’s therapist at our Boulder, CO area counseling practice can help you understand the heavy burden that women carry. And as helpers ourselves, we understand the true impact of carrying others’ “stuff” around with you. Working with a therapist can help you identify your true needs.
Further, one of our women’s therapists will educate you about self-care and boundaries. And no, not “a glass of rose and a bath” self-care. Instead, the kind of self-care that truly fulfills you and brightens your spirit. The kind of self-care that helps you feel reinvigorated with that passion for helping others.
Our Approach to Therapy for Women
Our therapists use mindfulness and self-compassion to help you see the importance of being gentle with yourself. These tools will help you engage in self-growth and recognize when and how to slow down. And your women’s therapist will help you work on managing expectations and setting boundaries with yourself and others. Ultimately, therapy for women will help you understand how to manage your responsibilities and workload while also caring for yourself.
Begin Therapy for Women in Louisville, CO
Women are put under immense pressure to be successful and headstrong while also being nurturing. And there are so many other expectations of us as well. When you start meeting with a women’s therapist at our Louisville, CO-based counseling practice, you’ll find the tools to break free of expectations. Put yourself first and give therapy for women a try.
- Schedule a free 20-minute consultation.
- Meet with one of our women’s therapists to see if our practice is a good fit for you.
- Gain insight about yourself and your true needs. Then, implement changes and find freedom from expectations.
Other Therapy Services at Vitality in Louisville, CO
Here at our southeast Boulder-area counseling practice, we provide both individual and couples therapy services. Along with therapy for women, you may benefit from therapy for life transitions or anxiety treatment. Likewise, if you are a trauma survivor, EMDR or therapy for sexual assault survivors may be a good fit for you. As far as our couples services go, our therapists offer premarital counseling and counseling for parents. Plus, you can improve your communication and revitalize your relationship with the help of a couples therapist. Want to learn more about our practice and online therapy? Visit our blog and FAQs pages!