Women’s Power Circles – my personal experience

The title of Rosjke Hasseldine’s book "The Silent Female Scream" resonated with me as soon as I heard the author’s brief synopsis at a networking event last year. In fact I was recommending it to many people before even having read it myself.

I already knew from my own life experience, as well as from the wonderful people I have been privileged to coach, that it is inevitably our beliefs which hold us back, or cause us to put on the brakes. For women, many of these beliefs are linked to our culture’s “accepted” perception of the woman’s role.

Rosjke’s extensively researched book, backed by her own psychotherapy practice, gives a clear insight into how this perception is passed on from generation to generation, and how women themselves, often without realising it, perpetuate inequality. The good news is this; if we are responsible we also have the power to change if we choose to.

To sustain change as an individual though is incredibly difficult when we still need to live and operate in the society and culture that does not necessarily like or support that change.

Enter Women’s Power Circles, which Rosjke started running in 2008. I became a circle member earlier this year, and for six weeks eagerly anticipated meeting up with my new friends. I am sure that every circle is special to its members (limited to maximum 7 women); I was overwhelmed by the rich diversity of backgrounds, talent, experience, knowledge, skill, compassion and feminine strength (sometimes yet to be discovered) that surrounded and supported me each time my circle came together.

Each week we listened and were listened to without judgement; we shared, explored and disclosed as much or as little as we felt comfortable to; cheered each other on for minor and major successes and encouraged anyone who felt they had had a setback; we laughed, cried, celebrated, stepped out of and extended our comfort zones; all in the knowledge that this was a safe and confidential place to be vulnerable while we explored our thoughts and emotions and beliefs.

So what did I gain from my experience? Well it was certainly life-changing, in a subtle rather than dramatic way, and many seeds of change that were planted during those first six weeks will continue to grow and bear fruit in time future. The most immediate benefits though for me were:

- Increased confidence in speaking my truth, in an assertive non-threatening way
- Identifying boundaries that I need to honour to maintain my own integrity
- Valuing my own unique contribution to the world
- Knowing that I share similar emotions and experiences with other women, and they are OK
- A renewed admiration and respect for the way my mother, against many odds, rebelled against “accepted” perceptions, and made my life journey easier as a result

To find out more about Women’s Power Circles, and a Circle near you, please contact sue@resolutions-for-change.co.uk