How Your Environment Shapes Who You Are: Understanding Development in Women and Girls
Have you ever wondered why you act the way you do or how your surroundings influence your life? It turns out that everything around you—your family, school, community, and even the government—plays a big role in shaping who you are. This idea is part of a theory called Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development, and it’s especially important when we think about how young women and girls grow up.
What is Bioecological Theory?
Bioecological theory is like a map that shows us how different parts of our environment affect our development. Imagine you’re the center of a big circle, and around you are smaller circles representing your family, school, friends, and even laws and customs. Each circle influences you in some way, and you also influence them. For example, how you behave at school might be different from how you act at home because each place has its own rules and expectations.
Why This Matters for Women and Girls
For young women and girls, understanding how their environment affects them is crucial. As they grow, they are not only influenced by their surroundings but also by the messages they receive from society about what it means to be a girl. These messages can come from anywhere—family, school, media, and even government policies. They shape how girls see themselves and their place in the world.
Sometimes, these influences can make it hard for young women to feel good about themselves or to know where they fit in. For example, if a girl grows up in a community where there are strict expectations about how women should behave, she might feel pressured to act in certain ways that don’t align with who she really is. This can lead to feelings of stress, anxiety, or even depression.
How Therapy Can Help
When young women and girls come to therapy, they often seek help in places like community mental health centers or schools. Here’s why understanding their environment is so important in therapy:
- Seeing the Big Picture: Therapy helps girls understand that their feelings and behaviors are not just about them—they’re also about the world around them. By looking at the bigger picture, we can work together to identify the influences that are affecting them and find ways to navigate these challenges.
- Breaking Down Barriers: Sometimes, there’s a stigma around getting help for mental health issues. In therapy, we can talk about these feelings and work through them, making it easier for girls to get the support they need.
- Building Connections: Another important idea in therapy is called Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT). This theory says that connecting with others is essential for growing and feeling good about ourselves. If a girl feels disconnected from her friends or family, it can lead to problems like feeling lonely or sad. Therapy can help rebuild these connections, leading to a happier, healthier life.
Why This is Important for You
As your therapist, I’m here to help you understand how your environment influences your thoughts, feelings, and actions. By exploring the different parts of your life—like your relationships, school, and community—we can work together to figure out what’s helping you grow and what might be holding you back.
This approach is especially important for young women and girls because it takes into account the unique challenges they face as they grow up. Whether it’s dealing with societal pressures, overcoming mental health stigma, or building stronger connections with others, therapy can provide the support and tools you need to thrive.
Let’s Explore Together
If you’re ready to learn more about how your environment shapes who you are and how therapy can help you navigate these influences, I’m here to guide you. Together, we can explore your world and find ways to help you grow into the person you want to be. Let’s start this journey together, focusing on your strengths and the connections that matter most to you.
