Today, I was asked why I love coaching groups. Here is my response. 

“I love groups because there is a connection and communal energy. Organically there is a safety and support that resonates with many. It’s amazing when someone else is speaking and yet another member of the group is being met, seen and emotionally fed in that process”.

Many women from ethnic minorities have historically made strength a part of their identity. The suppression of their emotions has resulted in health issues such as obesity, high blood pressure and mental health disorders. 

A group setting can create a space where the stress that many women may be experiencing can be shared. While stoicism, silence and selflessness maybe promoted in different culture, the process of providing a space for women to express themselves without shame can bring a voice to a demographic that is often silenced. 

Many women have been conditioned to minimize their problems. The belief, here, is that feelings of deep sadness are a normal part of life, and only the “insane” seek help for these issues. Countless women experience “survivor’s guilt” in addition to the need to be “strong”. They may feel pressure to sacrifice more for others when they feel undeserving of their success. Years of emotional enslavement, both figuratively and literally, have brought a manifestation of psychological conditions of self-hatred, sadness, hostility and self-destructive behaviours.

The bottom line is our stories, backgrounds, upbringings may be different,  however in a group environment, we can find ourselves in each other.

Samantha Carbon

samanthacarbon@yahoo.co.uk

Psychotherapist - MSc Psych, PTSTA (P), CTA (P), UKCP, MBACP

Clinical Supervisor

Mobile: 07938435233

www.bakerstreettherapy.com

www.samanthacarbontherapy.co.uk