Therapy for women can refer to any concern that might impact a woman’s mental health. These concerns might be related to gender stereotyping or assumptions and concerns related to women’s health, but they are also likely to include other challenges faced by women that have nothing to do with gender. It is best to avoid making assumptions based solely on gender, as a person’s identity is multifaceted and no single aspect defines a person entirely.
Women may experience certain biological, environmental, and psychosocial challenges related to gender, and these concerns can have a significant impact on mental health and well-being. These issues, and many others, are often able to be addressed in therapy.
Historical Context
In terms of mental health, women have historically faced disproportionate scrutiny for thousands of years. Terms such as crazy, hysterical, and mad have been used for generations, effectively stigmatizing and diminishing the experiences of women facing both mental and physical health challenges. Many early attempts to treat such issues lacked efficacy and, in many cases, were more harmful than helpful.
In the late 1800s, when psychology was in its infancy, mental health treatment for women was not widely practiced. Many mental health professionals of the time, working with minimal research and limited technological capabilities, employed controversial treatment methods based on unproven theories. Many of these practices-most of which are deemed unethical by today’s standards-were used primarily on female patients.
Often referred to as the “weaker sex,” women were considered to be fragile and more emotional than men. Hysteria, a label used to diagnose any number of “symptoms” a woman might exhibit, was considered to be a “disease” experienced exclusively by women. Women who behaved in ways and held beliefs not in accordance with the social norms of the time were often diagnosed with hysteria, and a wide array of protocols were employed to treat hysteria and other similar problems.
These “treatments” often included involuntary commitment (sometimes for life), sexual interventions, lobotomies, hydrotherapy (which often involved the use of high-pressure hoses), and electroshock therapy.
Social and Cultural Issues
Traditionally, women were typically assigned the roles of caretakers and nurturers, while in reality they are capable of being caretakers, providers, nurturers, professionals, or holding any number of roles. Evolving roles and less emphasis on identity based on gender have helped challenge these assigned roles, but women may often face a number of sociocultural challenges that contribute to a greater risk of mental and physical health concerns.
- Sexism/Oppression:
As a group, women have experienced some degree of oppression in many cultures throughout history. This discrimination and unfair treatment, which still occurs today, can stifle the growth, development, and general well-being of women around the world. Women may be forced into marriage, denied basic rights, and excluded from some professions. Women are underrepresented in many fields and are often paid a lower wage than men. - Abuse and Relationship Violence:
Women are statistically more likely to be victims of abuse and intimate partner violence. Surviving these types of abuse may influence the development of depression, post-traumatic stress and/or anxiety. - Adverse Portrayal in Society and the Media:
Media portrayals of idealized women may skew expectations of what women “should” look like. A number of studies conducted on women have explored the link between self-esteem/self-worth and exposure to media’s representations of the feminine “ideal.”
Motherhood
Another major issue unique to those born as women is the complexity and significance of motherhood.
Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and aging bring emotional challenges with them, along with infertility, postpartum depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
Conditions related to perinatal mood might also have a significant impact. In addition to the immediate effects of postpartum depression, mental health concerns can have lasting effects on both mother and child beyond the early years of motherhood. A mother’s mental health can impact attachment, development, and the mental health of the child. If the child develops behavioral and emotional problems, this can place added stress on the mother, thus establishing a cycle of challenges for the entire family.