Real Life Story
How do we get over heartache?
We talk to friends. We find a therapist. We look for comfort in community.
And we acknowledge that it takes time.
Here’s Carla’s experience of growing stronger by Going Solo.
Carla had lived with verbal intimidation for much of her long marriage. But when berating became battering, she left for safety. During the separation and divorce that followed, Carla used The Women’s Center’s Going Solo group as a source of support for several eight-week sessions. “I felt myself growing stronger by being part of the group and I wanted to continue that feeling,” she recalls.
“The Women’s Center was crucial for me to get through the divorce, especially during the holidays, which were hard,” she says. Despite apprehension when she began, she soon felt heard. “The group leader was so relaxed and comfortable in her own skin, it gave us permission to be ourselves.”
Carla was relieved to discover that other women had similar experiences and to learn that she could trust her intuition. “I felt more compassion for myself, clear about which issues were mine and what was abuse,” she says.
Besides Going Solo, Carla took the financial and legal workshops offered at The Center. “I did them twice. I had some emotional resistance; my brain wouldn’t take it in the first time. I didn’t want to have to learn all that,” she remembers.
“It’s so rare to have a place that focuses on the advancement of women. The Women’s Center is empowering and compassionate, with useful resources and a great staff,” Carla says. “My experience there expanded my capacity for empathy for myself and others.”
