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The Unbearable Weight of Social Pressures:
Psychologist’s Book Helps Women Lighten the Load
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.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Life-Way-Pressures-Limiting/dp/0578401002/
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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