How To Become An Empowered Woman: Unlocking Your Inner Strength

Growing up, many women are told what they can or cannot do or what they should or shouldn’t do. This is oftentimes based on outdated societal expectations and stereotypes. Empowerment for women is about changing that narrative and supporting women in finding strength, confidence, and the ability to make decisions for themselves, have control over their own lives, achieve their full potential, and to break free from limitations.

Empowerment for women has become more critical than ever in today’s ever-changing society. Women’s interactions with the world are influenced by many factors including personal, relational, social, economic, and political ones. It’s difficult to address all of these factors and the complexity of female empowerment in one short blog. However, I would like to address several factors that can help you further understand what empowerment is and steps you can take to achieve it. 

Understanding Women’s Empowerment

There are many different ways to understand and approach what empowerment for women is. It is a multifaceted concept and can be even more complicated when put into play in the real world. At the most basic level, as an empowered woman, you will have the ability, confidence, and freedom to make decisions for yourself. This can include taking control of your life as you want, and working towards achieving goals that you have chosen. Empowerment requires that you recognize and use your strengths, capabilities, and rights to influence and shape your circumstances and the world around you.

From a psychological perspective, empowerment is deeply connected and rooted to self-esteem and autonomy. Self-esteem is your perception of your worth, value, and abilities which shapes how you see yourself and what you are capable of. And autonomy is your ability and freedom to make your own choices and to act independently without excessive influence or control from things external to yourself. Empowered women feel a strong sense of control over their lives which allows them to face challenges with resilience and optimism. 

Overcoming External Barriers

Overcoming external barriers to female empowerment is likely the most complicated part of the conversation in which individuals have the least control over at times. We cannot have a conversation about empowerment without thinking about and addressing the multifaceted nature of barriers that can exist outside of ourselves.

Some external barriers include:

• Cultural and societal norms

• Economic inequalities

• Discriminatory laws and practices, and

• Other systemic obstacles that prevent women from realizing their full potential.

Dismantling these barriers would promote that everyone has equal access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities to name a few things.

Though it seems that there are many, many external barriers that exist that I am not able to fully address in this blog, I do want to bring up one thing that can help support women to feel more empowered, which is social inclusion. Creating environments where women feel valued and included in all areas of life can provide a safe space where women can explore women’s issues, societal and cultural issues which affect them, and support each other in their personal journeys.

Overcoming Internal Barriers

One of the first steps in empowerment is to identify and overcome barriers that are within yourself. These barriers often show themselves as deeply ingrained and self-limiting beliefs that stem from one’s experience in different relationships, society, past experiences, and internalized gender roles. For example, many women struggle with the fear of not being good enough, not doing enough, or feeling pressure to conform to traditional expectations.

Sometimes these self-limiting beliefs are so deeply ingrained that it can be hard to even identify them. Going to therapy can help women identify these beliefs and to learn how to reframe these beliefs that create self-doubt and to transform them into beliefs that create self-confidence.

Going to therapy can also help women build self-awareness which is critical for overcoming internal barriers. Women can further understand their values, strengths, and weaknesses which will allow you to make informed decisions in your life and to have realistic expectations and goals. Journaling and mindfulness exercises can help enhance self-awareness by encouraging introspection and reflection.

How To Develop Empowerment Skills

One of the most impactful skills to learn that fosters empowerment is assertiveness. Being assertive means that you confidently and effectively express your thoughts, feelings, and needs while respecting the rights and feelings of others. Assertiveness involves standing up for yourself in a direct, honest, and appropriate way that still maintains mutual respect and open communication. This allows you to set boundaries and to be respectful of yourself and others.

There are many ways to practice being assertive. It might be helpful to start with small steps, such as speaking up and voicing your opinion in a group setting or to negotiate for what you want in your personal or professional life. Role-playing with family, friends, or a therapist can also help you build assertiveness skills. 

Concrete decision-making is another important empowerment skill to learn. Empowered women can make informed decisions confidently because they know they have the tools and knowledge to choose what is best for them. This doesn’t mean that they didn’t struggle with the decision or take some time to decide what the best path forward is. Empowered women will use strategies such as weighing pros and cons, seeking advice from people they trust, exploring options in therapy, and visualizing potential outcomes.

Resiliency is the ability to bounce back from adversity and setbacks and will play a huge role in your empowerment journey. Though challenges are inevitable and many aspects of life are unpredictable, empowered and resilient women use these experiences as an opportunity to grow rather than to feel defeat. 

Self-care is another essential component of empowerment. Taking care of your psychological, emotional, physical, professional, and spiritual well-being is crucial for maintaining resiliency and balance in your life. Self-care can range from activities that help you recharge in the moment to long term practices that help you sustain your well-being. Examples of these are exercise, eating a healthy diet, hanging out with friends, meditating, going to therapy, journaling, or doing something that you love that helps you relax and feel recharged.

Mindfulness activities and meditation can be powerful tools for empowerment as they can help you stay present and focused in the face of stress and uncertainty. It involves paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations without judgment and allowing yourself to respond to challenges with calmness and clarity. These exercises can help you to center your mind and boost your confidence. 

Support Systems for Women

Empowerment typically doesn’t happen in isolation. Women need a strong support system consisting of family, friends, mentors, and peers to fully feel empowered and supported. This system will provide encouragement, advice, and a sense of community and belonging. For example, think of a Women’s Support Group, or a group of supportive friends, even family members.

Relationships between a therapist and client can also play a significant role in empowerment. Therapy provides a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space where women can explore their identities, values, and desires, develop coping strategies, and receive unbiased support.

Becoming an empowered woman will allow you to use your strength, confidence, and autonomy to shape the outcome of your life. It’s about taking control and embracing your full potential and psychotherapy, amongst other things, can be an important tool in your journey.

How We Can Help

Interested in learning more about how counseling can help you?

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

If you are looking for extra support, or if you would like to talk to someone more about how we can help you, follow these simple steps:

1. Contact us today for a free 20-minute phone consultation

2. Or, you can book directly online with the therapist of your choice

3. Begin your journey towards a calmer, more relaxed life

Other Therapy Services Available at Catalyss Counseling:

Here at Catalyss Counseling, we want to meet all of your counseling needs in the Denver area. Our supportive therapists provide depression counseling, therapy for caregiver stress, grief and loss therapy, stress management counseling and more. We also have specialists in trauma and PTSD, women's issues, pregnancy and postpartum depression or anxiety, pregnancy loss and miscarriage, and birth trauma. For therapists, we can also provide clinical supervision! We look forward to connecting with you to help support your journey today.

Author Biography

Pansy Ayala is a licensed therapist with Catalyss Counseling and specializes in treating adults with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, and relationship issues. She uses a holistic, individualized approach to better understand who you are, what areas of your life you find problematic, and how you can reach your goals. She especially enjoys working with parents. Follow Catalyss Counseling on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.