New Directions Mental Health is dedicated to supporting your mental health. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, we encourage you to reach out for immediate support through your local crisis services by dialing 988, contacting your local emergency services, or visiting your local emergency room.
Women’s mental health is shaped by a combination of factors such as social pressures, biological and hormonal changes, genetics, caregiving demands, and, for some, the effects of past trauma. All of these can influence how women experience stress, relationships, identity, and emotional well-being. If life feels overwhelming, know that you’re not alone.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), in 2022, the prevalence of mental health conditions in women was 26.4% of women experienced a mental health condition—a significantly higher rate than the 19.7% reported for men.1
Taking care of your mental health isn’t a luxury. It’s a powerful, necessary step toward a healthier, more fulfilling future, and New Directions Mental Health can help. Our mental health services provide personalized care and support for individuals of all ages who identify as women. We are dedicated to equipping you with the tools and resources to enhance your well-being and thrive.
Identifying roadblocks to women's mental health
Although individuals who identify as women are more likely to seek mental health support than men, that doesn’t mean access is easy. Many women still face barriers that delay or prevent care. These include:
Daily responsibilities
From managing careers to caring for families and participating in their communities, women often juggle many roles. Caregiving for children, aging parents, or others adds to the emotional workload, and prioritizing women’s health can take a backseat. Feelings of guilt or internal pressure can make self-care feel undeserved or even selfish.
Financial or insurance-related challenges
Even with health insurance, high out-of-pocket costs, limited mental health coverage, or trouble finding in-network providers can make care feel out of reach. Women in lower-income households may delay or skip appointments due to financial stress, and additional costs like childcare during therapy sessions can add to the burden. New Directions Mental Health accepts most major insurance plans and can help you understand your options.
Shame or fear of judgment
Stigma around mental health in women can show up in subtle ways. Some worry that seeking help will make them seem weak, emotionally unstable, or ungrateful for a life that “looks fine” from the outside. Cultural, spiritual, or family influences may also reinforce the idea that women should always put others first. While selflessness is admirable, persistent self-sacrifice can eventually lead to burnout, resentment, or symptoms of depression.
Negative experiences with the healthcare system
Many women, especially women of color, have been dismissed or overlooked by medical professionals. These experiences can create long-term mistrust in healthcare systems and make it harder to reach out again. LGBTQIA+ individuals may also have faced providers who didn’t affirm their identity, which adds another layer of difficulty in finding compassionate care.
At New Directions Mental Health, we provide inclusive, affirming support for both cisgender and gender-diverse individuals. From the moment you contact us, our intake specialists aim to connect you with a provider who fits your unique needs. Our mission is to ensure every client feels respected, valued, and supported.
Time and energy constraints
Therapy doesn’t just require a slot on the calendar. It takes emotional energy. Many women feel stretched so thin that even starting care feels overwhelming. As a result, therapy may be pushed aside and replaced with temporary escapes, like binge-watching shows or scrolling social media at night.
We understand how real these roadblocks are. That’s why New Directions Mental Health offers flexible care options, including both in-person sessions and convenient telehealth appointments that fit into your life.
What does women’s mental health really mean?
What does women’s mental health really mean?Women’s mental health involves more than just managing emotions. It’s about navigating stress in healthy ways, maintaining meaningful relationships, caring for yourself without guilt, and staying connected to your body and emotional life. It doesn’t mean avoiding stress altogether; it means not relying on things like hours of TV or alcohol and other substances to push difficult feelings away.
Just like your physical health, your mental health will change over time. Some seasons of life feel balanced and grounded, and others are more overwhelming. Many factors influence this balance, including biology, social dynamics, physical health, identity, family roles, and even how supported you feel in your relationships.
Having clear boundaries, a sense of agency, and a trusted support system are key to sustaining mental well-being. Therapy can help individuals who identify as women build habits that support mental health in women and create a more stable, fulfilling life.
Signs of mental wellness in women
Mental wellness doesn’t mean being happy all the time. It means tuning into your feelings with honesty, offering yourself compassion, and reaching out for support when it’s needed.
You can name what you’re feeling
Being able to understand and label your emotions is a sign of mental clarity. If you often feel overwhelmed by emotions or unsure whether you’re feeling sad, stressed, or angry, it may help to slow down and explore what’s going on internally.
Your sleep and appetite are in rhythm
Appetite and sleep changes are early signs that your system may be out of sync. If you’re staying up too late, waking up at odd hours, skipping meals, or stress-snacking through the day, it could be your mind and body’s way of signaling distress.
You can focus and follow through
Everyone gets distracted. But if focus, memory, or task completion has become an ongoing struggle, that could be a sign of burnout, anxiety, or another mental health challenge that needs attention.
You feel emotionally connected
Emotional connection goes beyond simply having people around you. It’s about feeling truly seen, valued, and supported. When you share honest conversations, celebrate wins, or lean on others during tough times, those bonds create a sense of belonging. Feeling emotionally connected can lower stress, improve resilience, and remind you that you’re not alone in life’s challenges.
Your coping skills actually help you feel better
Common coping mechanisms like evening wine, TV, and social media may offer temporary relief but fail to address underlying issues. More sustainable strategies might include journaling, setting boundaries, walking, or talking with someone who understands.
Building supportive routines isn’t a luxury. It’s essential. Though many women feel pressure to keep going no matter the cost, the truth is that women’s health includes mental health. Stress has even been linked to increased risk for chronic illness and autoimmune disorders.
At New Directions Mental Health, we recognize how vital this is. Our team works closely with you to design care plans that fit your schedule, lifestyle, and individual needs because women deserve the time, attention, and support they need to manage their mental health.
Common mental health conditions affecting women
While women’s mental health needs are widely recognized, symptoms are still too often overlooked or dismissed. Women are more frequently diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but a diagnosis doesn’t always mean validation, and it doesn’t guarantee effective care. Across backgrounds, ages, and identities, there are common mental health concerns many women face:
- Depression: Women are diagnosed with depression at twice the rate of men. Contributing factors may include hormonal changes, past trauma, caregiving demands, or high stress levels at work or home.
- Anxiety disorders: Anxiety can show up as chronic worry, panic attacks, irritability, or trouble sleeping. These symptoms may seem manageable at first, but can interfere with daily life over time.
- Perinatal mental health: This refers to emotional challenges that arise during pregnancy or postpartum. It includes more than just depression. It may involve obsessive thinking, overwhelming worry, or mood swings that make day-to-day life feel harder.
- Postpartum depression (PPD): PPD affects up to one in seven women after childbirth.2 It can include thoughts that are frightening, confusing, or deeply upsetting, and many women hesitate to talk about them out of fear or shame.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): PTSD in women is often linked to sexual assault, domestic violence, or other forms of interpersonal trauma.
- Eating disorders: These affect people of all genders, but women are statistically more likely to struggle with disordered eating. These behaviors are often connected to control, perfectionism, body image, or past experiences of shame.
Women of color and LGBTQIA+ individuals may face even greater challenges accessing affirming care, and are more likely to have their symptoms downplayed or misdiagnosed due to implicit bias in healthcare settings.
At New Directions Mental Health, we take those barriers seriously. Our providers work collaboratively with you to create a treatment plan that’s grounded in respect, empathy, and relevance to your lived experience.
When support is missing
When women keep pushing through without checking in on their well-being, stress and emotional strain can build silently over time. That wear-and-tear can lead to disconnection from others, burnout, physical health concerns, and a deep sense of isolation.
Therapy offers space to process the pressures that come with work, relationships, family responsibilities, or caregiving roles. It’s also a chance to rebuild a connection to yourself and your needs, so you’re better able to show up for others without neglecting your own health.
In more serious cases, untreated conditions can result in suicidal thoughts, something far more common than many people realize. Early care and compassionate treatment can enhance the quality of life and can also be life-saving.
Raising women’s mental health awareness starts with recognizing that these struggles are real, valid, and worthy of attention. Therapy isn’t about being “fixed,” it’s about finding someone to walk beside you as you reconnect with your values, goals, and sense of possibility.
Your path to better women's health starts here
At New Directions Mental Health, we provide therapy, psychiatric medication management, and interventional services like NeuroStar® TMS and Spravato®, tailored to meet the needs of women from all backgrounds and identities. We’re proud to accept most major insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare, and we’ll help you find care that reflects your values and needs. To learn more about our mental health services, call 724.374.7414.
For new clients, please click here to schedule an appointment. For existing clients, please click here and find your office location to contact your office directly.
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