THERAPY FOR WOMEN

Do You Feel Alone Or Frustrated On Your Journey As A Woman?

alicia patterson
  • Does your female experience feel more challenging than it “should”?

  • Do your symptoms seem unmanageable or unsustainable?

  • Does the guidance you receive from our healthcare system or loved ones fall short of your needs?

  • Do people in your life feel uncertain how to support you?

  • Are you feeling confused about the female bodily and psychological experience?

As a woman, feeling lost about your relationship to yourself, your body, and health can be frustrating and confusing. Though our lifespan as human beings has grown significantly over time, many of the changes we experience in our bodies, brains, and lives are not easy to navigate.

Shifts In Your Health Can Be Disruptive

Life is stressful enough. Sometimes simply being a woman in today’s world adds another level of adversity to the mix. At best, it can be irritating and at worst, overwhelming or even debilitating.

Our bodies and brains evolve throughout the womanhood journey. Women are living longer and have a specific experience of life. The biggest life hormone & brain shifts, during adolescence, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause, create profound changes that, sadly, are just now being fully researched. These changes can lead to symptoms, altered energy levels, changing feelings in relationships, mood shifts, different needs, identity crises, and more.

This can leave you to wonder if something is wrong with your life, your circumstances, or yourself. Consistent disruptions or surprising challenges can make you feel like your needs are not being met. Understanding and finding out what those needs are may feel impossible to do alone. Perhaps messages from others lead you to think you must be the problem, so you either isolate yourself or shut down under the weight of shame and guilt. Over time you may begin to feel like a bystander in your own life, especially if something powerful happens that leaves you struggling to respond in a healthy way.

How do we create stability for ourselves amidst confusion, uncertainty, and changing brains / bodies? Fortunately, therapy for women can teach you how to build this for yourself and guide your loved ones. Working with a mental health specialist, one who has licensure, extensive experience & unique training in treating women’s issues, can be a bridge on this path to feeling happier, healthier, and more empowered.

 

Reach out today!

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Most Women Face Bumps In The Road

Almost every woman deals with challenges as life progresses and changes. The path to a mature womanhood experience is laid down in childhood, young adult development, and progresses into pregnancy & birth experience, becoming a parent / longing to / letting go of the idea of being a parent, choosing a childfree path, fertility challenges or loss, perimenopause, surgeries & health impacts, to going through menopause and for some, becoming an elder. Each decade brings something new, and each woman’s journey is powerful and nuanced. The challenges we face can be uncomfortable and are unavoidable. They are also an opportunity.

In addition to moments of difficulty— which women typically struggle with in isolation—there are other curveballs life brings. The death of a loved one, children growing and leaving home, having friends go through big family changes, moving or having close people move away, watching relationships change, moving through career shifts—it all impacts women’s emotions and behaviors differently. The resulting stress & anxiety that most people are operating with on a daily basis can lead to a number of symptoms, health issues, malaise, and mood challenges.

Isolation Amidst The Wider Need For Women’s Health Resources

Many women facing difficulty avoid discussing their concerns and desires with family, friends, and even their spouse or partner. Now that everyone on social media is a women’s health and menopause expert, it’s hard to know where to turn. Stereotypes about common and “normal” women’s mental health challenges can make you wonder about your sanity, leaving you feeling alone instead of surrounded by grounded and objective pillars of support.

Over time, many women make a huge sacrifice and allow the needs of others become more important than their own well-being. In some cases, when a woman feels lost and doesn’t receive the support she needs for extended time, it leads to a crisis. There may be a new experience in oneself and in relationships that leads to fragility. With the help of a compassionate, experienced professional, women can enter a whole new phase of life with a sense of ground and inner fulfillment.

Women’s Health Work Can Help You Revive Your Relationship With Yourself And Life

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Regardless of what kind of challenges you are going through, I have treated a broad spectrum of issues that many women face both personally and professionally. I am not just a therapist who works with women’s issues, I am a woman who supports others in their humanity. I combine extensive experience in helping women find healing and personal growth with a grounded, solution-focused, humor & empathy-filled approach to therapy.

Whether the problems you are dealing with happened three weeks or 30 years ago, working with me can help you learn to change, grow, and heal.

What To Expect From Therapy For Women

In our sessions, we’ll address your needs, worries, and wishes. When you work with a professional who truly understands and balances your needs with solutions and feeling-focused work, it becomes easier to identify the right strategies for moving forward.

It is important to remember and utilize the resources you have, especially when you are struggling with difficult times. That is why we use a strength-based focus in our sessions to identify the areas of your network that have helped you on your life’s path and fill in what may be missing. This allows us to work together to develop strategies and discover new tools that will help you get where you want to be, now and in the future.

If you want change in your life, believing that growth and change is possible is the beginning. When we grow, we often grieve. Once you embrace it and commit to finding the proper solutions as you navigate transitions, you may find that the results go beyond anything you've imagined possible.

Customizing Approaches For Your Needs

I can help you develop different perspectives about these nuances, as well as learn new strategies for making life a little easier. For instance, we may incorporate reflection exercises to help you get clear. At times, I give homework and I always incorporate psycho-education. Though I offer this education, your intuition and making choices is always focused on what feels best to you. This is part of finding center and power, and I am always looking for the empowerment. We will practice emotional regulation techniques for staying grounded in times of distress.

You are not the same person you once were. As you face challenges in life, thoughts and behaviors evolve. With the help of a supportive and experienced women’s mental health specialist, it is possible to learn to listen to your body and psyche for what you truly need. As a result, you can make lasting changes and develop a deeper, more whole relationship with yourself and others.

Right now, you may feel you’ve have lost the footing you once had. Perhaps you never felt that solid footing, but you’re ready to find it. Maybe you’ve got the footing, and want to launch further into your next phase of life, with grounded support. Whatever challenges you face, there is always the next step waiting for you. Therapy for women & the female experience can help you develop important insights into yourself and new tools for moving forward with confidence and grace. I have a range of options and if you are unsure if the counseling process is right for you, I offer a more focused / structured women’s health coaching program. We will discuss your needs and the right approach for you when we can have an initial conversation.

I think I need help, but I’ve heard holistic support can be expensive.

Individualized, attuned service is an investment in yourself and your life. By developing a sustainable connection with yourself and those around you, you can significantly reduce symptoms and instability. Taking time to work on it now can help you avoid even harder crises down the road. I offer a variety of services, including counseling, consultation, health coaching & bodywork. Please read the about page to learn more about my history and experience. I also offer mentorship for professionals.

But You May Still Have Questions About Therapy For Women…

What if my problems become too big to address, or other issues come up?

This work may reveal insights and core themes you weren’t aware of before entering therapy. Bringing awareness to our lives truly does change things. You are considering getting help because you need to address the challenges that are present. It can be gentle and easier than you expect. I provide a caring, compassionate, and confidential environment where you can work through the sensitive issues that being a woman can bring. Extended and ongoing availability means you always have a support system.

What if this makes things worse?

Deciding not to get help for a problem right now sometimes leads to the problem becoming larger in a few months or years—especially in the context of women’s health. Unfortunately, given the nature of how complex women’s bodies and brains are, sometimes it can be damaging or expensive if we wait too long. Things will continue to change because the only constant in life is change. Professional support puts you in a position where you can understand these changes and have some control over how your path evolves.

Your Growth Awaits

I am committed to making my services available to those who are in need. I offer in-office work, located in Denver Colorado as well as virtual sessions. I am licensed in CO and MD. If you want to avoid driving / parking / waiting rooms / scheduling challenges / privacy concerns, telehealth offers more flexibility and convenience while still meeting a high standard of care. If you would like to schedule an appointment or discuss your needs, please schedule a call via my contact page or email me. I strive to return messages within 48 business hours.

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Therapy for Women in Denver

2253 North Downing St

Denver, CO 80205