Authenticity as a woman is complicated. Our bodies are constantly changing. Puberty, periods, hormone fluctuations and possible sensitivities, pregnancy, miscarriage, infertility, perimenopause, menopause. Even our monthly cycle changes us internally from week to week — emotionally, physically, mentally. And that’s if you have a regular cycle.

A woman can spend decades learning and relearning herself.

Alongside all of this biological change, we each carry our own unique inner experience. Who we were taught to be, what was expected of us, what was praised, what was silenced, what made us feel “too much”, “too emotional”, “too difficult”, or “not enough”. We have external pressures, relationships, caregiving, appearance, health, and motherhood, to name a few. It’s not surprising, then, that many women end up exhausted, disconnected from themselves, anxious, depressed, burnt out — or turning to alcohol, substances, overworking, overgiving, or other ways of surviving.

Therapy is not about “fixing” yourself. Sometimes it’s about seeing yourself more clearly, more compassionately, and allowing every part of you to exist — because authenticity as a woman may be less about consistency, and more about staying connected to yourself through change.