By all statistical data, in all likelihood, the first person to ask for counseling assistance is of the female gender. Men like to think of themselves as tougher than women and find it hard in many ways to even ask for directions much less help from a professional counselor. What are the common reasons for women to seek assistance from a counselor? The primary reason is found is in the diagnosis of depression.

Today’s woman is under a great pressure to be all things to all people. She is to be mom, wife, PTA member, head chauffeur, lover, maid, employee, dish washer and cook. Some of the emotions elicited are resentment, bitterness, and anger. The inability to meet the expectations creates disappointment and shame. Even though she knows the expectations are unrealistic, she finds it hard to back off on the expectations of the prototype.

Additionally, monthly hormone fluctuations are another factor that tend to wreak havoc on emotions and have a tendency to work against rational thinking (In reality, this also affects men, just not to the same extent as women). Another source of depression occurs post-partum and can have very deleterious effects left unchecked. With today’s increasingly numerous and effective interventions including talk therapy and medications, it makes little sense to leave depression, whatever the cause, untreated. (While mentioning hormones, it is also important to mention that you regularly have your thyroid levels checked as they can radically affect your mood and dealing with others.) With a depressed mood that continues to afflict you, not only do you experience regular discomfort, but those around you also suffer through these moods with you.

Women are also subject to numerous other problems resulting from sexual abuse as a child or an adult. Statistics place women in the three out of four or 75% likelihood of experiencing some kind of sexual trauma or abuse by the time they reach adulthood. In my experience, and as reflected by most research, there is not anything so common and likely to happen to a female that has such a traumatic and global lifetime effect on a woman’s entire existence than sexual trauma and abuse. For that reason, it deserves your attention and healing in this area will also globally affect many areas of your life. The old saying that “Time heals all wounds” is especially untrue when it comes to abuse or trauma of a sexual nature, however, most women who choose to deal with this difficult topic do not choose to do so until they reach their early to mid-thirties.