Often, busy high-achieving women don’t slow down long enough to recognize and attend to their own feelings and needs until a crisis occurs.
Do you often experience “imposter syndrome?”
Do you sometimes feel like you “sabotage” yourself?
If you’re like so many of the women I’ve worked with, you’ve worked very hard to get to where you are, and you’ve achieved incredible things despite daunting obstacles. Yet no matter how much you’ve accomplished, you still have trouble recognizing and appreciating your achievements.
Why do high achieving women have difficulty seeing themselves as successful?
- Their authenticity makes them more aware of their weaknesses than their strengths
- High empathy and conscientiousness tend to lead them to take criticism too much to heart
- Numerous studies show that both men and women have more negative judgments of high achieving women, more negative reactions to their authority, and are more likely to question their ability to lead
And then there’s your own personal life story. Perhaps you received very little support and encouragement from your family. Or maybe your family was supportive, but friends rejected you. You learned to hide your light in order to be accepted.
In addition, you face a barrage of daily pressures and challenges:
- If you have children, you’re probably still the one they turn to the most, the one who keeps track of their schedules and remembers to make doctors’ appointments.
- You may also be the one to take care of all the social responsibilities women typically do, such as taking care of elderly parents and maintaining social connections.
- Because of how competent you are, everybody acts like you’re “Superwoman.” Everything you do for others get taken for granted, and you don’t get the help and support you need.
- You could be experiencing difficulties in your marriage, related to the fact that your career and earnings have gone far beyond your husband’s. This frequently brings up feelings in both partners that neither knows how to address.
Many women I’ve worked with have had trouble admitting to themselves how competitive, driven and ambitious they really are. At the same time, they feel frustrated that they haven’t tapped fully into their potential, and angry as they watched men who weren’t as competent as them pass them by.
And they feel lonely. They don’t have enough time to go out for lunch with a friend. And even if they could make the time, many don’t feel they have anyone in their life who understands their interests and ambitions. And if they do know such people, those people are as stretched for time as they are!
Despite all the challenges in your life, and probably many more I haven’t mentioned, you have succeeded. All around you, people depend on you and rely on your knowledge and abilities.
But what about your happiness and fulfillment?
If you all too often put off thinking about your own feelings and needs and desires, maybe it’s time to put yourself back into the equation.
Despite all the challenges in your life, you have succeeded.
But what about your personal happiness and fulfillment?
About Teletherapy
At this time, my practice is completely virtual, seeing clients through Zoom.
I am a licensed psychologist in Maryland, and also hold the PSYPACT license, which grants me the ability to practice Teletherapy in Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Washington state, Minnesota and 26 other states.
Let me help you work through the challenges facing you, and help you become as good at taking care of yourself as you are at taking care of everything and everyone else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Teletherapy Effective?
I have worked virtually for over 20 years with clients throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. When the pandemic began in March 2020 I went fully virtual with my practice, seeing all my clients through Zoom, and I have remained virtual since. My clients and I have found that teletherapy is every bit as effective as therapy in the office, and much easier to fit into their busy lifestyle.
Is Teletherapy Recognized if I Live Out of State?
Teletherapy is becoming increasingly accepted by state licensing boards and health insurance companies throughout the United States. Through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), I have attained authorization to practice telepsychology in the District of Columbia and 32 states, including Maryland, Virginia, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. More states are being added every year.
A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.