Many external factors affect our sexuality and self-awareness, from social media and societal pressures to the expectations of those around us. Most women get criticism or advice about sexuality from those that shouldn’t have anything to do with it. Let’s talk about sexual empowerment and shedding unnecessary burdens.
What Is Sexual Empowerment?
If you’re not familiar with the sexual empowerment definition, in short, it’s the ability to be comfortable and completely in charge of your sexuality. It’s the alignment you create in body and mind and rejecting anything that doesn’t help you nurture that.
You don’t have to be going through a quarter-life crisis or even a mid-twenties crisis to start empowering yourself. You can try to achieve it by being friends with already confident people, reading books and following social media accounts that support it, and, most importantly, attending women’s therapy.
Some therapists specialize in helping female patients achieve mental and physical alignment and become comfortable in their sexuality. Many of us have perhaps too much self-awareness, impacted by the beauty or imposed behavioral standards. That can lead to internalized mental issues, which, of course, can be worked on.
Whether Single or Taken, the Journey Will Be Only Yours
Your journey of self-awareness can start whether you’re single or taken. Sometimes our male partners can be a part of it, too.
Some experts would say the best time to work on yourself is while getting over a bad breakup since it’s important to remember your worth during this time. Anyone going through dating with depression also needs a confidence boost once in a while.
Knowing yourself well inside and out will lead to making better decisions and choices when it comes to dating and relationships – we tend to choose those who are bad for us most often when we’re not in tune with our inner (and outer) self.
Becoming Sexually Empowered Means Discovering Things About (and On) Yourself
If you want to love yourself unconditionally, it’s best to take small steps. There’s no universal timeline or formula that applies to every woman who desires to be sexually or physically confident. Discovering yourself has many aspects, and a counselor for women could help you with that.
You’d be surprised how little people know about themselves, and if you claim you know what’s good for you, think again. We’re not the same at 20, 30, and 40. We’re not the same even at 20 and 22, or 30 and 32. Each year will make us change, internally and externally, but it’s all about how much we notice or acknowledge it.
One way to completely take your power is to accept the aging process and reflect on everything you’ve learned or changed at the end of each year. By knowing this, you’ll understand how sexually empowering acts don’t always entail sex; it’s also one of the answers on why do women feel they have sexual empowerment.
Become Friends With Your Body, Even the Parts You Dislike
The biggest challenge for almost every woman is learning to love the parts of herself that she hates. If a woman dislikes her body, she isn’t sexually tuned to her needs and desires. She might think she’s unworthy of love or being lusted for.
Following people comfortable in their bodies on social media, large or small, will help you slowly see yourself in them. Someone physically similar to you but very confident will do wonders for your mental health over time; this would be a positive impact of social media.
Learning how to love the creases, edges, and curves of your body can take a lifetime. Gaze at yourself in the mirror naked and find something new to dedicate love to every day. Ditch unflattering clothes and wear something you’ve always wanted but never had the courage to.
How to (Gently) Introduce Sexual Empowerment for Abuse Survivors
Helping female abuse survivors find their power again can be one of the biggest challenges. Physical and mental trauma have almost permanent consequences, and while you can see the signs of physical, it’s hard to notice a mentally abused person.
Showing an abused woman that she’s still worthy of love can take a long time; however, patience, forgiveness, and tenderness are the key to making someone abused feel worthy again.
When they’re ready to accept that the abuse wasn’t their fault, it’d be a good time to introduce power in sexuality. That way, they’ll not only learn it had nothing to do with them, but they’ll also know how to protect themselves from further pain.
No matter what kind of trouble someone’s going through, they deserve to feel their best. That’s why self-care is important, although it has many gray areas. If you don’t know how to take care of yourself or deal with stress, ask counselors for women for advice.
Sexual Objectification vs Sexual Empowerment
Many people today mix sexual empowering with objectification. However, do you believe a woman could genuinely objectify herself? Giving yourself compliments on your body parts might sound cocky and arrogant to some, but it’s more important how it sounds to you.
People will always have something to complain about, which is most apparent when a confident woman is part of the conversation. It doesn’t get easier to be called names when you feel good about yourself and proudly show it. Still, the less you respond to criticism, the less it’ll happen.
Nothing’s more powerful than a confident and sexually empowered woman. However, even they are subjected to objectification, which seems to be something we as a society won’t be able to escape from. Some misogynistic thinking may simply be reduced to – they love their bodies, so why can’t I?
The relationship between dating and self-love will define how and where you look for partners. You’ll also learn when a potential partner is objectifying and when they appreciate you wholly. Someone less confident will not always understand the difference, but the more you empower yourself, the easier it will be to distinguish between them.
Tradition Can Get In the Way of Understanding the Difference Between the Two
Every woman struggles with societal and traditional influence on their confidence. In some societies more than others, they are looked down on and forced to shrink themselves, fighting with the cost of keeping everyone happy.
It’s normal to outgrow people in your surroundings when they no longer help you feel good about yourself, but sometimes, tradition doesn’t allow for that. The good news is that you don’t have to go around naked to feel powerful; even fully covered, a woman can be confident and know who she is.
Objectification is common and even slightly encouraged in some circles. This type of toxic behavior happens even in private and closed-minded societies, and a woman that’s strong enough to distance herself from it has a complex but imperative task.
You don’t have to fight or counter anyone’s arguments if you don’t know how or are afraid. Removing yourself from a conversation like that will be enough and make you better almost instantly. Being empowered will also give you the confidence to handle even the rudest and meanest comments, which won’t affect what you think about yourself.
How a Male Partner Can Participate In Female Sexual Empowerment
While it isn’t always discussed, male sexual empowerment exists, too. Men can also suffer confidence issues and feel bad about themselves, in a relationship or solo. If you and your partner lack confidence in sexuality, you can learn it together. This will lead to improvements in your sex life and communication.
While therapy for women can help, couples therapy can benefit you and your significant other. You’ll learn how to take care of yourself and each other without feeling like you’re losing touch with your inner selves. Having this opportunity to bond with your loved one won’t leave you wondering if therapy works – it does.
If a partner isn’t willing to help you become empowered or encourage you to love yourself, it may be time to walk away from the relationship. Men can be allies in this case, and any who support you in becoming confident are emotionally stable and secure in their masculinity.
Therapy for Women Is an Excellent Way to Become Sexually Empowered
Counseling for women is an excellent first step towards finding your power. Whether it’s sexually, mentally, or physically, booking your first therapy appointment will lead to improvement in all those aspects. You can choose a therapist by contactin Women of Color Therapy and start the journey of health and self-love as soon as possible.