Navigating your 20s, 30s, and 40s has unique challenges and opportunities for women. We often carry the weight and freedom of having conflicting desires and expectations—from mainstream society, our families, our unique cultures, what our friends are doing, and our own inner dialogues.

If you're feeling hesitant about seeing a couples therapist for your relationship, you’re not alone. You might not be sure whether couples therapy can help, whether it’s worth investing in your relationship when you already feel checked out, or if it means that there’s something really wrong with your relationship if you’re going to couples therapy. These are all normal thoughts to have.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”- Anais Nin

Having social anxiety, being shy or an introvert can make socializing, dating and letting yourself be seen by others challenging and exhausting.  It can even trigger panicky feelings in people if the stakes feel high and cause symptoms similar to when the body goes into fight or flight, such as dry mouth…

When we have high self-esteem, we view ourselves with respect and approach life with a positive mindset. But cultivating high self-esteem is not always straightforward, especially in a world that often measures worth by external achievements and appearances. The good news is that self-esteem is not fixed; it can be grown with intentional effort.

People pleasers work hard at being pleasant and accommodating. If you identify with being a people pleaser, you may have become one as a reaction to how you were raised. You most likely received subtle or overt messages that in order to receive your parent’s approval, you had to adjust to their expectations.