The Political is (Still) Personal: On Women’s Mental Health, Post-Roe

Photo Credit: Manny Becerra

​Like so many of you, I am still reeling from the Supreme Court decision to take away a women’s fundamental right to reproductive healthcare. Make no mistake about it: Roe’s overturn was another collective trauma.
 
The ruling, while not surprising, was a punch to the gut. It was an assault and an insult to our autonomy and a basic premise: Women can and should be trusted with their own bodies. If you are feeling despair, fury, hopelessness, anxiety, numbness or any combination thereof, please know these feelings are a valid and healthy response to trauma. So many women (and folx with uteruses) feel threatened and powerless right now. For women in red states, with marginalized identities and/or with less resources, that threat is heightened. And for women in blue states like California, we may be wondering what to do next. How do we use our privilege to help other women who have already been impacted by restricted or no access to healthcare?
 
It’s for these reasons, women-centered psychotherapy is essential right now, and that’s where Feminist Therapy comes in. Feminist Therapy, unlike many other therapeutic approaches, centers the nuanced experiences of women and girls and recognizes that one’s emotional health hinges not only on a strong sense of self and nourishing relationships, but on a society where everyone feels safe and respected. That starts in the therapy room by creating a therapeutic relationship that feels collaborative, respectful and acknowledges the client as the expert of their own experience. You’d think those tenets would be more common place than they actually are.  
 
To be clear, I’m not speaking for all feminist therapists here or the field at large. Instead, I’ll share some values and principles that I incorporate into my own Feminist Therapy practice, which focuses specifically on the support of self-identified women and girls in California.

These include: 

• Honoring an individual's cultural, political and social experiences
• Recognizing the importance of relationships and interconnection in our lives 
• Recognizing the political as personal and working toward political/social change
• Focusing on and cultivating strengths and resiliency, while honoring painful experiences 
• Practicing self-compassion
• Creating partnership  & authenticity in the therapeutic relationship
• Cultivating joy, purpose and meaning in our lives
• Exploring creativity & spirituality as a means for healing and growth

I share my approach here because as I've written many times before, I believe Feminist Therapy is revolutionary, just as I believe healing is our birthright. Both are needed now.

These continue to be trying times, and women and girls deserve support tailored just to them. Too often people shy away from therapy because they fear their experiences won't be fully honored. It feels safer to push through on their own, despite the pain it may cause, not realizing there is a therapeutic frame that is in line with their own values and experiences.
 
I expect in coming weeks I’ll write more in detail about women’s mental health and how to care for ourselves in a post-Roe era, but for now I wanted to offer that women-centered support is available and that we don’t need to get through this on our own.
 
If you're interested in knowing more about Feminist Therapy, the work I do, or are in need of support during this trying time, don't hesitate to reach out.

Till next time, wishing you health & ease,
​Jessika