The Unbearable Weight of Social Pressures: Psychologist’s Book Helps Women Lighten the Load
LEAGUE CITY, Texas — Throughout her 25 years in private practice as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Alicia Lamberghini-West has become abundantly aware of the social pressures women face and how unhappy, guilty or ashamed women feel when they do not rise to meet these expectations.
“Women around the world, of all ages and socio-cultural backgrounds, experience social pressures that lead to expectations and challenges in their lives,” Dr. Lamberghini-West explained. “These pressures are often internalized, and we women lose touch with our authentic selves, our inner lives and what makes us who we genuinely are.”
In her book, Your Life, Your Way: Become Aware of Social Pressures Limiting Women, Dr. Lamberghini-West provides an objective view of common sources of pressure women face, including the pressure to be perfect; to have the ideal body; to be productive at work and exceed expectations but at the same time take a second place; to find a partner and get married; to start a family and have children; to be the best mother and/or wife; to comply with imposed religion and/or societal norms and customs; to “Have It All”; and many more. Then, she explores how societal pressures clash with a woman's personal preferences, ambitions and desires, revealing the tension between these external pressures and individual goals.
“The reality is that we women often feel caught between the expectations coming at us from the two directions of patriarchal ideology and feminism — the demands of our social reality and the pressures of living up to the goals we set for ourselves,” she said. “As a result, we experience a lot of conflict over which set of expectations to respond to.”
Ultimately, Your Life, Your Way is a springboard to motivate all women to take steps toward greater personal choice and freedom, inspiring them to recognize their power and rise above social pressures and expectations.
But make no mistake, the message is relevant for men, too, “because undoing social pressures is everyone’s responsibility.”
“It is only from a foundation of freedom and equitable distribution of power between men and women that a new and better world can develop,” Dr. Lamberghini-West added. “We each have a unique personal identity and the right to develop and express it since it’s our life.”
About the Author
Alicia Lamberghini-West, PsyD, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and author with 25 years of robust experience in psychiatric rehabilitation and private practice with a strong focus on women’s issues. Dr. Lamberghini-West has a lifelong passion for empowering women in all aspects of their lives, across cultures, ages and social classes, and is firmly established as a global expert, advisor, therapist, presenter and lecturer on various topics surrounding mental health, addictions, and gender subjects. In 2015, she was incorporated into the Fulbright Specialist Roster for this field.
For more information, please visit www.alicialamberghini-west.com, or find her on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Your Life, Your Way: Become Aware of Social Pressures Limiting Women
ISBN-13: 978-0578401003
Paperback: 274 pages
Available from Amazon.com
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