Women's Issues - Bloomingdale Psychological

Psychological Testing

Relationships

Stress Management

Women's Issues

Bloomingdale Psychological Services understands the particular needs and specific issues of women. Just as physical disorders affect women differently than men, women's psychological needs are different. Also, some issues are specific to women. When you are seeking a therapist it is important that she can understand your particular issues.

Assertiveness

Many women have been raised to be passive and place the needs of others before themselves. For example, a woman, who is a wife and mother may define her role as the giver and nurturer and disregard her own emotional needs. She may reach a point where she begins to experience anxiety and depression as she has lost her own self-identity. A psychotherapist can help the woman uncover her strengths and work toward understanding her needs and goals. The psychotherapist will help her to become more assertive when addressing difficult interpersonal situations.

Body Image

In today's society there is a significant emphasis placed on body image. Through TV, magazine, movies, and other media young women receive a distorted message regarding appropriate body image. Thus women's definitions regarding their own body may be distorted, developing eating disorders such anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Many women view their body with fear and loathing sometimes leading to self injury. Working with a psychotherapist, women learn to develop a positive body image.

Depression

Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression. Psychological studies show that women tend to respond to adversity by withdrawing and blaming themselves. In contrast, men tend to deny adversity and throw themselves into activities. Hormones can create mood changes before menstruation (premenstrual tension) and after childbirth (postpartum depression), or due to the use of oral contraceptives. Psychotherapy is a proven treatment for depression.

Teen Pregnancy

When an unwanted pregnancy occurs in this stage of a woman's life, it can significantly alter her eventual emotional development. Counseling can help her to understand the options available and help her use her strengths to cope with her current situation.

Infertility

Infertility may not be able to be cured by medical technology. Infertility can be financially, emotionally, and psychologically draining. Although infertility effects both men and women, women often fell the loss of not being pregnant and a psychological loss of not being a "real woman." Counseling can help her to cope with the feelings of loss associated with infertility.

Domestic Violence

More than 50% of all women will experience some form of violence form their spouses during marriage. This may occur in the form of verbal abuse, limiting behavior or actual physical attack. Emotional abuse is something more difficult to identify leaving the victim with a sense of something wrong but doubting their own perceptions. The abuser will call her names, ridicule her, imitate her, tell her she is stupid, degrade her dignity and self worth an make her feel worthless. A therapist who specializes in counseling women who have experience domestic violence can help a women reestablish her sense of self worth and remove herself from the violent situation.

Rape

Women who have been the victim of rape by a stranger, date rape, or family member often experience a psychological effect known as Rape Trauma Syndrome. Women experience low self-esteem or low confidence. There is a lot of self-blame and self-attack. Other common feelings are depression and anger. It is important for women to process the feelings they have regarding the rape and resulting trauma with a qualified psychotherapist.

Women

Women experience some disorders differently than men. For example, many female alcoholics drink alone at home as compared to men who drink in the company of others. Thus, female alcoholics are less likely to be recognized and diagnosed and given treatment. Females with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder differ from males as they manifest their hyperactivity by talking excessively rather than being overly physical.

For more information please call Bloomingdale Psychological at 610-688-2737.