Anxiety and Self-worth in Women

Navigating your 20s, 30s, or 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. Therapy can offer a supportive space to unpack all of that so that you won’t have to be held back by anxiety, a difficult past, or being disconnected from your desires. 

In Your 20s: Is This What Being an Adult is?

Your 20s can be filled with questions about autonomy and direction. You might be launching your career, dating, renegotiating your relationship to your parents, or confronting anxiety that seems to have come out of nowhere. You could be wrestling with imposter syndrome, finding your voice or battling pressure from your mother about your relationship status.

The 20s can be a time when old wounds—childhood attachment injuries, past trauma or old relationship pain start to surface. Women often seek therapy at this time because they’re tired of just surviving and want to heal from their past.

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In Your 30s: Needing to Figure it All Out

There’s often a pressure in your 30s to have it all figured out in regards to your career, relationships, finances, and family. You might feel like you should already be settled down or reached a certain marker of success, which can lead to anxiety or low self-esteem if your life doesn't match those expectations. At this stage in life, women are often navigating long-term commitment or marriage, dating (or choosing not to), deciding when to have children or not to, motherhood or infertility. 

You’ve probably settled into a career at this point, but you may begin to question: Am I fulfilled by what I’m doing? Do I want to switch careers, take a break, or go back to school? Burnout is also common, especially among high-achieving, ambitious women.

There may be seismic shifts in your friendships at this stage because some friends may be parenting, focused on marriage, or you may have grown or drifted apart with friends. You may have had a falling out with friends and unsure who was at fault. You might be feeling lonely and have a desire for deeper female friendships but uncertain how to go about making those connections.

In Your 40s: Reclaiming Your Voice

By your 40s, many women begin to re-evaluate the paths they’ve taken—at work, in marriage or partnership, in motherhood or chosen child-free lives. You may be going through a divorce, taking care of young children while also caring for aging parents. You may have regrets and also feel uncertain about your future. Therapy can be a space to unpack your thoughts and feelings about your life at this mid-point and help you think about how you want the rest of your life to look. 

As a therapist who works with a lot of women, I understand how anxiety, self-doubt, or depression can surface at any stage of life. It can be rooted in childhood attachment wounds, past trauma, present pressures, or something else entirely. Whether you’re constantly wondering if you’re doing the right thing, feeling unfulfilled, or repeating patterns that leave you questioning your worth, therapy can help. Together, we would work through these issues so that you can understand yourself more deeply, heal from stuck pain, and create more joy in your life.

Therapy is not just about advice, it offers a relationship where your experience is seen and heard. It can help you develop a stronger sense of self so that your choices come from a place of clarity, not fear. If you're ready to embark on a new path, and would like to see if we’d be a good fit, contact me for a free phone consult.