Being a woman in your twenties and thirties is challenging. There are a lot of intense and often conflicting societal expectations about marriage, motherhood, and having a career. Feeling the need to meet them can feel exhausting, overwhelming, and even lonely at times. Women often feel pressured to meet a certain timeline, and if they don’t, they can feel like something is “wrong” with them.
JF&CS clinicians Lauren Wishneff, LCSW, and Isabel Groedel, LMSW, along with other JF&CS clinicians, recognized this type of struggle with many of their patients. Women had come to JF&CS clinicians in crisis, feeling rushed by society's timelines and feeling that they did not live up to what society told them they needed to be.
“What we found is that a lot of our clinicians were seeing women in their late twenties to early thirties with similar struggles,” Isabel said. “They have these thoughts like, ‘I am so behind in life,’ and ‘I should be married by now, I should have kids by now.’ It was all these ‘should, should, should’ statements.
Isabel added that feeling like you aren’t following “society’s timeline” can lead women to think they aren’t where they are “supposed to be” in life, which fosters negative core beliefs and affects women’s self-esteem.
Both Lauren and Isabel thought, wouldn’t it be great if we had a space for all these women experiencing these same emotions? Wouldn’t it be great to have a safe space for them to process the feelings together, and to know they aren’t alone?
And from that thought, the In Your Time processing group was born. The group aims to serve as a safe, non-judgmental space for members to voice their unique challenges and find strength, support, and perspective. In Your Time is open to women-identifying adults in their late twenties to early thirties, begins August 8, and meets biweekly.
As clinicians, Isabel and Lauren are there to guide and support the group, giving them a safe space to process their emotions and heal: “We are there to make sure it’s a safe space, and to help people who have similar stories,” Isabel said. “We are there to help them make sense of their emotions, point out patterns, and provide support.”
Isabel said those interested can join in the group at any point during the sessions, which will be ongoing biweekly into 2023. When a new member arrives, the group will reorient itself, mention the group norms and expectations, and make sure every person finds their place in the group. The group will be kept small, with only six to eight members, to ensure a close-knit and supportive environment between members.
For many, processing groups can be intimidating. But Isabel and Lauren emphasize that the group is a judgement-free zone where all will be made to feel included and seen. Members will be encouraged to “come as they are,” and work through their individual struggles with a group of caring people who understand what they are going through.
“Admitting you need help can be scary,” Lauren said. “It may be scary to say that in front of a group full of people. But that’s the entire reason the group is there. We wouldn’t be a group if there weren’t enough people that understand that feeling. Only good can come from being in a space of people with shared experiences. You will realize that you aren’t alone.”
To learn more about In Your Time, please email Lauren Wishneff at lwishneff@jfcsatl.org or Isabel Groedel at igroedel@jfcsatl.org. For a complete list of upcoming In Your Time dates, please view our clinical calendar.