MISSION & PURPOSE
The WOMENSPEAK Project is dedicated to helping women have the best possible journey from youth to old age. Each woman creates her own experience, and we want to help make your journey healthy, happy and full of joy. This Web site offers resources and connections, an opportunity to advance research on women and aging and a way to share experiences with other women.
HISTORY
As a baby boomer struggling with the reality of her own aging process, psychologist Dr. Nancy became frustrated by the lack of candid information available to help women deal with their aging issues. Available resources seem to fall into three types:
- Fountain of Youth myths: These deny that we have to age, …More as long as we take a certain supplement, follow a particular diet or practice the author’s technique.
- Organ & Disease prescriptions: Physicians often “medicalize” the process of aging as if it was a disease. They focus on what can go wrong.
- Crone stories: New age authors celebrate the sags and wrinkles while mourning the loss off respect for old women in our society today.
None of these materials speak honestly about women’s fears of aging, not do they help women deal with these fears. Dr. Nancy decided to find out what women really think and feel. As a practicing professional psychologist, she knew that women want someone to ACTUALLY LISTEN to them, and they want to hear what others say. Knowing that other women feel as we do validates our experience. Even better, we can learn from each other how to cope with the challenges and opportunities of aging.
The WOMENSPEAK research, Web site and book have all developed to meet these needs.
A comment from one of our visitors:
Our focus group was a wonderful experience as it proved to me that it didn't matter your education or social status, women as a whole all have the same fears, health problems & dreams. Depending on who we are is how we handled them. As much as we are different we are alike, therefore we are all part of the sisterhood of women. ~Sandy Stockham
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