
I started the Konenki wellbeing group to accompany women going through issues related to being women in mid-life as it is potentially a difficult time for many of us. A lot of women feel that they become gradually more invisible despite their being fundamental in our everyday lives. They will go through the perimenopause and the menopause, but they may also experience empty nest syndrome (when adult children leave home), bereavement, divorce or separation, being a carer, being made unemployed and the difficulty getting new work, early retirement, and of course, a greater chance of illness. All of these experiences are potentially challenging for women. Humanistic counselling can provide therapeutic support to women who are going through these life changes.

Emma Cullinan, of Kentish Town Counselling says that counselling allows women a safe space to explore a range of issues affecting their mental health, of which the menopause may be one. “Menopause does affect feelings and its symptoms can contribute to feelings of sadness, anxiety and low self-esteem. But at this age women are juggling many things. They may be facing the end of a relationship, children could be leaving or returning home, or they may have an ill partner or parent. They may be challenged at work and face replacement by younger people or perhaps be in a dead-end job with nowhere to go. Therapy needs to explore what is at the root of any issues. It can offer tailored and wide-ranging help by addressing concerns in the context of culture, a person’s history and present, their family, relationships and how society regards ageing women – as well as menopausal symptoms.”

The difficulty with all of these life changes is that it can be hard to recognise the number and range of factors contributing to the person’s loss of wellbeing, and to separate them out and find suitable approaches to help. What is clear is that we need to talk to each other more about these stages in life and learn how to take care of ourselves and each other better, and hopefully, move on more positively to what the Japanese call our ‘second spring’. For this reason, I started a group for these women, the Konenki wellbeing group.

This is a group for women in mid-life, based on the Japanese concept of ‘renewal’ or ‘second spring’ in the menopause: ‘Konenki’. Its objectives are to accompany women going through issues related to mid-life to help them to heal through shared experiences, healing activities, regained self-esteem and confidence and ongoing learning.
However, individual therapy isn’t always accessible to everyone, so I thought that group work would be a good way to allow women to heal together and in the process, allow them to get to know other women in the same situation. In this way, we can do group counselling together and they can find a community of women to support them in their free time.
The group meets in the outdoors and the types of activities include:
- group talk therapy
- psychoeducation (learning about looking after our mental wellbeing)
- walking and talking in nature
- reconnecting with nature through nature-focused activities
- meditation and mindfulness exercises
- yoga practices
- creative activities

Alternatively, in my practice of humanistic therapy, I can accompany you individually in your process of change to make your life more manageable. Have a look at my blog post here on the challenges for women during this time of life and let me know if you need someone to guide you through this difficult time, either online or in the outdoors.