How a Women’s Empowerment and Process Group Can Help You Grow

A quick note: The phrases “process group” and “interpersonal process group” are used interchangeably throughout this article.

To show you what a women’s process group can offer, let me introduce you to three women who might sound a little like you.

Meet Maya, Sarah, and Sheryl

Maya is a caretaker in her late thirties. She’s the friend everyone turns to, but rarely lets anyone see her own pain. In group, she’s learning how to receive as much as she gives.

Sitting in her car after work, she’s staring at her phone but not quite ready to go home. Lately, something has felt off. She’s surrounded by people all day, yet deeply lonely.

Maya is smart and capable. She keeps things moving. She supports her friends and shows up for her family. But inside, she feels like no one really knows what she’s carrying.

There’s the unspoken grief of an early pregnancy loss she never talks about, not even with her partner. There’s the wish—and the fear of another pregnancy with the possibility of loss.

The growing distance between her and her partner, who also doesn’t know how to talk about it. The pressure of figuring out what comes next in a life that doesn’t feel like it fits anymore.

Some nights, she imagines saying it all out loud—but the thought of being misunderstood keeps her quiet.

Sarah feels invisible. She worries that her needs are “too much,” so she keeps them hidden. In group, she finds out her voice actually matters. People listen.

In her mid-forties, Sarah is raising two energetic children she once longed for with all her heart. 

She used to imagine motherhood as pure joy. But now that she’s living it, she finds herself stretched thin. She’s juggling work deadlines, school pickups, and a partner who often seems to need as much managing as the kids.

At the office, she lets her colleagues interrupt her. At home, she bites her tongue when she feels unappreciated. She tells herself she should be grateful. After all, this is the life she wanted. But in quiet moments, resentment shows up, along with a question she’s not sure she’s ready to answer: What about me?

Sheryl is successful on the outside. But inside, she feels disconnected and unsure. In group, she practices showing up as her real self, without the mask.

She is thriving in her career yet quietly grieving the possibility that at 42, she may never become a mother. 

She’s been in one long-term relationship after another, each ending with promises that didn’t last. Now she wonders whether starting a family is still possible—and if so, whether she can make it happen before her body decides for her.

The question is tangled with old wounds: a fractured relationship with her parents, years of feeling she had to prove her worth, a longing for stability she’s never truly known. On some days, she convinces herself she’s fine without children. On others, the ache is sharp, and she wishes she had somewhere safe to open up.

Though their details differ, all three are navigating a tension between what they show the world and what they hold inside. You may not be Maya, or Sarah, or Sheryl. But you may be living with an unexpressed longing. You may be looking for a way to shift something within.

 You may be seeking more—more depth, more understanding, more connection

The Tension Between What You Show and What You Feel

Maybe it’s your relationship with yourself, your partner, your sister, your best friend, or your parent.

You wish you could speak up about the thoughts and feelings that bubble up inside. You want to be seen and known, but you worry you’re too much or not enough. You fear people won’t understand, and you’ll feel even more alone.

You feel stuck and you want to grow, but you don’t know how. And you wonder: What is the first step toward change?

What Is a Women’s Interpersonal Process Group?

A Woman’s Interpersonal* Process Group could be a doorway to your next step. This isn’t a class or a support group with a set curriculum. A women’s interpersonal process group is a form of group therapy that focuses on relationships: how we relate to ourselves, how we relate to others, and how those dynamics show up in real time.

My group is a Women’s Empowerment and Process Group— an interpersonal process group. In this article, I’ll use “process group” as shorthand. It’s a space where meaningful connection grows through honest conversation and reflection. The group becomes a mirror of your relational world.

Taking risks to share your thoughts and feelings as they arise and receiving in-the-moment feedback highlights patterns and offers the opportunity to practice new ways of being.

Many women come to a process group because they feel isolated, stuck in old patterns, or unsure how to express themselves authentically.

Why Women Like Maya, Sarah, and Sheryl (and Maybe You) Join a Process Group

You may be seeking more—more depth, more understanding, more connection—or something you can’t even put your finger on. You may be tired of pretending everything’s fine. You may want to feel seen and accepted, even when you’re struggling.

In group, you might:

• Say something out loud you’ve never told anyone

• Receive reflection and support from others who understand

• Learn how your words and presence impact people

• Challenge beliefs that say you’re too much or not enough

• Take emotional risks in a space that feels safe

Over time, you might feel more confident speaking up in everyday life. You might set boundaries in draining or difficult relationships. You might realize you’re not broken—just human, and deserving of care.

The Power of a Women-Only Space

In this group, our focus is on what’s happening between us in the moment. While each woman’s experience is shaped by intersecting identities of race, culture, class, sexuality, and life story, being in a women-only space can ease some of the pressures or dynamics that can show up in mixed-gender settings. Sharing space with other women can sometimes make it easier to open up, take risks, and be curious about how we connect. It offers a starting point to explore our similarities, our differences, and the ways we can grow in the here and now.

 You’re not broken—just human, and deserving of care

Is an Interpersonal Process Group Right for You?

This group may be a good fit if you

• Feel disconnected or lonely, even in your relationships 

• Struggle with trust, vulnerability, or expressing your needs

• Long for more authentic and fulfilling connections

• Are moving through a life transition and feeling unmoored

• Want to better understand your patterns in relationships

You don’t need to have a specific issue to join—just a desire to grow and a willingness to show up.

I’m currently accepting members for a new in-person Women’s Empowerment and Process Group in San Diego. This group is designed to support women navigating many of life’s transitions, including:

• Infertility

• Pregnancy or postpartum changes

• Pregnancy or baby loss

• Motherhood

• Involuntary childlessness

• Perimenopause or menopause

• Relationship shifts

  • Or simply the desire for deeper self-awareness and connection

If you’re curious about how a group like this could support you, I’d love to talk. You’ll have a chance to ask questions and explore whether it feels like a good fit.

Click here to learn more or schedule a free consultation.

Personal growth doesn’t have to happen alone. Sometimes the most powerful changes begin by sitting with others, listening, and being heard. If you’re ready to take that step, let’s talk.

Becoming More Mindful: Where to Start?

Photo by Tanushree Khanna on Unsplash

We live in a fast-paced society where it feels like there's rarely (dare I say never) enough time. I know I'm not alone in this feeling; I hear about it daily from friends and family, and of course the clients I counsel in my practice. The overwhelm is folded into the lives of my clients who are struggling to conceive, those grieving, the women who are adjusting to the reality of motherhood, the men who feel a ridiculous amount of pressure to provide and succeed financially. Sometimes the greatest stressors come from within, our attempts to be the best partner/parent/daughter/brother/insert role.

Mindfulness has been a buzz word for the past decade or so and shows no sign of leaving center stage of the $3.7 trillion global wellness market (Reference). And there's good reason-- midnfulness is touted as the antidote for aging, perfectionism, anxiety, depression. The list goes on. But for those unfamiliar with mindfulness, learning what it is and what it isn't, and figuring out how to bring it into your life can cause more of those feelings of overwhelm we're trying to conquer. After all, won't adding something else to your to do list make you even busier?

That feeling of being busy and rushing all the time, there's a choice in that. At least that's what the gurus of mindfulness tell us. With a mindful approach, we get to decide how we interact with the world around us. Mindfulness helps us to slow down and  to pay attention to our thoughts, behaviors and reactions. Mindfulness allows us to respond rather than react.

How to Be More Mindful

So how do we bring mindfulness into our daily lives? Like all things we strive towards, we must develop a mindfulness practice to reap the rewards. We must schedule a time, then stop what we're doing, and sit. Starting with a guided meditation can often be a helpful place to begin for those who have no prior experience with mindfulness. Below is a short 5-minute guided mindfulness exercise. It's one that I introduce to clients in my practice and in my infertility support groups: 5 Senses Mindfulness Exercise. I didn't write it myself, but it's my recording.

I like this exercise because it allows us to recognize the many ways we can be mindful in our own bodies each and every day. By attuning to the senses we can invite ourselves to stay in the present moment when we're eating, resting, gazing, walking, listening-- grounding ourselves wherever we may be, whenever we need it. 
 

The Wandering Mind

Photo by ANDRIK ↟ LANGFIELD ↟ PETRIDES on Unsplash

I like to remind my clients that there's no right and wrong with mindfulness; it's simply about cultivating awareness. Many people incorrectly believe they're "doing it wrong" because their mind wanders. This is normal as our minds are made to think. The practice of mindfulness is to simply guide your attention back to whatever it is you are doing-- breathing, pushing a grocery cart, taking a shower. Yes, each of these activities can be done mindfully. But let's start with sitting.

So find yourself a quiet place to begin. Push the button below when you're ready. You will need to download the link in order to play it on iTunes. I hope this experience allows you to slow down, if even for just 5 minutes

Whether you're a busy parent or longing to be one, mindfulness is an invaluable tool to help cope with the stressors of daily living. If you’re looking for a therapist in the San Diego area, I’m happy to help. Feel free to reach out by phone or email and we can talk about ways you might benefit from counseling.