At Elevé Therapy & Co, we are an all-women team of therapists dedicated to supporting women's health. Our practice offers convenient online therapy services for adults throughout California.
01. Navigating Life Transitions
The 20's-30's period can be really hectic. While some of the milestones are relatively concrete (graduating college, entering the workforce, and living on your own), others feel more ephemeral and nuanced. For example, should you get married? Should you choose a safe job with a well-paying salary or pursue entrepreneurship? Should you have children now? Or should you freeze your eggs and wait?
There are, of course, no right answers, but everyone will have an opinion, and there can be so many tender feelings to navigate.
Some of the common life transitions we treat in our practice include:
- work-related changes: Career uncertainty, entering the workforce, pursuing creative work, and managing stressful work dynamics
- romantic relationship changes: Entering a new relationship, breakups or divorces, getting married
- changes related to your family of origin: Setting boundaries with family members, living on your own for the first time, navigating conflict with parents or siblings, and stressors associated with homesickness or autonomy
- infertility, pregnancy, and parenting: Planning for a family, navigating postpartum depression or other mental health symptoms, readjusting to life as a parent
02. Relationship Challenges
Good relationships add such meaning and depth to our lives, but the opposite can also feel true. Difficult dynamics or strained relationships can exacerbate stress, insecurity, and loneliness. Unfortunately, managing relationships isn’t always a straightforward process, and it can absolutely trigger complex emotions.
We help clients strengthen their relationships by:
- breaking free from people-pleasing behaviors: This includes building assertiveness, addressing fears of disappointing others, and setting boundaries in daily life.
- enhancing conflict resolution: It's important to have tools to navigate tension within relationships. Conflict resolution entails being able to affirm yourself internally, assert yourself respectfully, and co-create new meaning despite any differences
- increasing vulnerability: We all have the need to feel witnessed and seen by another person.
- recognizing and reframing negative thought patterns: Changing how you think about yourself or others can distance you from self-critical, perfectionist thoughts. For example, maybe you believe, If I’m not a perfect wife, I’m a failure. Untangling yourself from this belief- and recognizing it as just a thought- can help you achieve more balance and emotional flexibility
03. Negative Body Image
A recent study found that, by 17 years old, 78% of girls feel 'unhappy with their bodies.' Of the many women's issues affecting society, this one is among one of the most insidious and devastating.
It’s no secret that poor body image comes with a steep cost. You may take out this “war on your body” in various ways, including negative self-talk, disordered eating, self-harm, sexual issues, and a complicated relationship with exercise. Simply put, if you don’t feel comfortable in your own skin, you probably don’t feel all that comfortable moving about in your daily life.
Many women also closely tie their physical appearances to their internal worth. There’s often this idea that if you could just change one part of yourself, you’d feel better overall. But even if you can and do make that change, the relief tends to be short-lived. As a result, many women feel trapped in challenging cycles of insecurity, shame, guilt, and more.
In our practice, we help women struggling with their body image by:
- unpacking the internal messaging that led to such negative beliefs in the first place
- understanding and deconstructing social norms driving women’s insecurity
- learning new ways to build a healthy and healing relationship with your body
- affirming yourself for exactly who you are by rediscovering your own intrinsic value
- learning how to realistically integrate concepts of body neutrality or body positivity
04. Societal Expectations
Although the superwoman trope is definitely a myth, it's a prevailing myth so many women internalize. There's an intense pressure to do it all while looking flawless at the same time. In addition, social media can make it look like everyone's doing amazing things 24/7, and even if you know real life is different from those portrayals, it can still feel unsettling.
Societal expectations can take women away from their core values. Our clinicians help women identify their core values to make more intentional decisions that better reflect those priorities. Sometimes this means restructuring your commitments; other times, it means deliberately spending more time doing what matters most to you.
You may be struggling with navigating societal expectations if you:
- resonate with feeling like you do more for other people than you do for yourself
- frequently "change your mind" based on different trends
- never feel like anything you do is good enough or struggle with perfectionism
- feel the need to be productive 24/7 even if you're exhausted
- want support navigating the intersection of various identities, including your race, gender, socioeconomic background, cultural heritage, sexual orientation, and more
FAQs
Our online therapists specialize in numerous women's health issues, including depression, mood swings, anxiety, low self-esteem, dealing with challenging life transitions, intrusive thoughts, trauma, relationship difficulties, and more.
Starting therapy sessions is a personal decision, and there's no "right" answer. However, therapy can be immensely valuable if you're struggling with your self-confidence, relationships, work performance, or overall emotional well-being.
We work with many high-achieving women who present as extremely successful in their daily lives. Many associate asking for help as a sign of weakness or failure. If you're used to doing it all, the idea of therapy may feel uncomfortable.
That said, we also know that success and mental health challenges can and do sometimes coexist. Therapy sessions help people who are visibly struggling, but they can also help people seeking to experience more balance and enjoy a more fulfilling life.
Finally, comparing struggles with others may minimize the importance of your own emotional well-being. In therapy, all experiences and emotions are validated, no matter how significant they seem.
The first appointment really starts with getting to know you. Your therapist will use this time to understand your goals for therapy, and they will work collaboratively with you to create an initial treatment plan. This sets the tone for structuring future sessions.
We use a variety of treatment options to support our clients. Our therapists generally use a combined approach of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). We're also huge proponents of integrating self-compassion work from Dr. Kristin Neff's research.
CBT helps people understand the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. ACT, which is often used in conjunction with CBT, allows you to practice deeper acceptance of your individual needs and values. Tuning into this can help you feel more authentic and whole.
Many clients also benefit from engaging in more self-compassion, which refers to integrating self-kindness during difficult moments. Rather than shaming yourself when you make a mistake, self-compassion allows you to lean into your own humanness and cope with your feelings adaptively.
Many of our clients have participated in some form of therapy in the past. We believe that these past experiences offer a wealth of knowledge- your therapist will encourage you to share what was and wasn't helpful for you.
If you have any specific preferences for your treatment, you can discuss them at any point.
Evidence-Based Therapy for Women in San Diego, California
Elevé Therapy & Co is a modern group therapy practice specializing in the health and wellness of women. Our experienced therapists offer convenient, online services for busy professionals women navigating their mental health and relationships. We also specialize in high-achieving women who often feel like they're "managing it all" but would like additional support, guidance, and introspection.
We adamantly believe that it's so important for women to support other women. Therapy offers a safe space where all your emotions, needs, and experiences are welcomed. You're embraced for who you are, and your therapist will collaborate with you to cultivate deeper insight and make meaningful changes in your life.
We provide individual therapy services for women residing in California. Contact us today to get started.