Women may navigate a wide range of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, trauma, identity struggles, relationship issues, and the unique pressures of motherhood. Women can also face distinct social, cultural, and biological factors that may impact their mental health. These can include gender-based oppression, domestic violence, and unrealistic social expectations.

Understanding these challenges often requires a compassionate, multi-faceted approach that addresses the emotional and environmental influences on mental health while providing support, empowerment, and practical tools for coping and growth.

Common mental health challenges in women

As a clinician working with women, I see a variety of therapeutic issues, including:

Women are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than men are, and I tend to see these issues more present in women. Biological, environmental, and psychosocial factors can contribute to mental health concerns, as well as other issues, such as gender socialization, the prevalence of domestic violence, and lower socioeconomic status which can also contribute to the stress that may have a negative impact on a client’s mental health.

Women who have experienced oppression, whether that be cultural or discrimination and unfair treatment in the workplace, can lead to stress that contributes to negative mental health symptoms. Women may be denied some of their basic rights, forced into a marriage, or often underrepresented or excluded from certain career paths. In these situations, I find it helpful to work with women on assertive communication skills, boundary setting, and providing understanding and empathy. Women who have experienced oppression or trauma often manage a significant degree of shame.

Women more often experience domestic partner abuse and face issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Again, the emotion of shame can be a very difficult feeling to understand and process. I think I am at an advantage of being a woman because I can empathize from a personal point of view and have a clear understanding. I also utilize a calm, patient approach with clients who have endured trauma.

Signs of depression in women.

Social factors and motherhood

As a former group therapist, I developed a process and psycho-educational groups on topics such as depression, anxiety, self-esteem building, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy core skills for borderline personality, and survivors of trauma. I gained an additional perspective seeing women interact with each other in a group. I often find it helpful to assist clients in finding local support groups in the area and connecting with other resources designed for women, such as First Step and Haven. Women tend to find additional comfort in knowing they are not alone and are able to bond with other women.

Additional women’s issues are affected by social media, which has contributed to unrealistic beauty standards, and women sometimes place unrealistic expectations on themselves. Women often connect these standards to self-worth, which contributes to issues like body dysmorphic disorder, anorexia, and bulimia. Another major issue that affects women is motherhood. This may come in the inability to reproduce or carry a child, the decision to have children, perinatal mood issues, postpartum depression, and parenting issues.

Working with women is a passion of mine and something I find incredibly fulfilling and challenging. I think it is important to continually educate myself on current research and training, as well as to connect to local resources to best help these complex issues and use a multi-faceted treatment approach.