top of page
Search

Intersectionality in Women’s Counselling: Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All

When we talk about women’s mental health, we can’t talk about it as though all women live the same life. The truth is: womanhood is not a single story. It is a mosaic shaped by race, culture, religion, disability, sexual identity, immigration experiences, economic status, and so much more. Each of these layers influences how women experience the world, cope with stress, seek help, and heal. This is why intersectionality is not optional in women’s counselling — it is essential.



What Is Intersectionality and Why Does It Matter in Therapy?


Intersectionality, a term introduced by Crenshaw (1989), explains how overlapping identities can compound discrimination and shape personal experiences. A Black woman, for example, may face not only sexism but also racism — simultaneously, not separately. A queer woman may struggle with societal expectations of womanhood while navigating sexual identity stigma. A woman with a disability may battle both accessibility barriers and gendered assumptions about productivity, caregiving, and independence (Bowleg, 2020).


Traditional counselling approaches that treat women as one homogenous group often overlook these complexities. When therapy fails to recognize intersecting identities, women may feel misunderstood, dismissed, or pressured to fit into frameworks that were never built for them (Reid & Curry, 2022).


The Risk of a “One-Size-Fits-All” Approach


Standard counselling models often assume a universal female experience — one that is typically rooted in Western, cisgender, able-bodied, middle-class narratives. But for many women, this does not reflect their reality.


  • A Latina immigrant mother may prioritize family harmony over individual expression and struggle with cultural stigma around therapy.

  • A Muslim woman may need spiritual alignment integrated into mental health support.

  • A same-sex female partner may wrestle with acceptance, invisibility, or systemic barriers to family legitimacy.

  • A disabled woman might process trauma linked to chronic medical gaslighting or lost autonomy


At NJCCS, I support women who feel unseen, unheard, or misunderstood because their struggles don’t fit into one box. When your race, culture, faith, sexuality, disability, or family expectations intersect, the world reacts differently to you — and so do your mental health needs. I understand that your story isn’t one-dimensional, and your healing shouldn’t be either.

Together, we can unpack the layers of your identity, create space for the parts of you that have been overlooked, and navigate challenges in a way that honours your lived experiences. You deserve support that doesn’t ask you to split yourself into pieces, but instead sees the whole you — your strengths, your pain, your resilience, and your truth.

🔎 What Intersectional Counselling Offers That Traditional Therapy Often Misses


✅ A space where identity is not just acknowledged but validated

✅ Culturally responsive care rather than cultural blindness

✅ Awareness of systemic oppression, not just individual behaviour

✅ Treatment that aligns with a woman’s community, values, and lived reality

✅ Greater trust and emotional safety in the therapeutic relationship (Hankivsky, 2014)


Therapists practicing intersectional counselling do not just ask, “How are you feeling?” but also, “How has the world shaped the way you learned to survive?” This shift is powerful — it moves therapy from treating symptoms to understanding context.

💔 Why Representation and Understanding Matter in Women’s Counselling


Many women delay therapy because they fear being misunderstood or judged. Research shows that clients are more likely to benefit from therapy when they feel culturally and socially understood by their counsellor (Sue & Sue, 2019). Without that safety, women shrink parts of themselves to feel acceptable.


But healing cannot happen where parts of you are hidden.

When a therapist understands intersectionality, they see more than the challenge — they see the system that created it, the resilience it took to survive it, and the voice that deserves to finally speak freely.

🌱 You Deserve to Be Seen, Heard, and Understood


If any of this resonates with you, please know: your experiences are valid. Feeling misunderstood, overlooked, or “hard to categorize” is not a personal failure — it’s the result of systems that were never built to hold the full complexity of women with intersecting identities. Recognizing this is a powerful first step toward healing.

At NJCCS, I support women by:

✨ Naming the impact of intersectional challenges on mental health and wellbeing.

✨ Rebuilding confidence and self-worth when life has made you feel “too different” to fit in.

✨ Creating safe therapeutic spaces that honour culture, identity, trauma, and lived experience.

✨ Connecting you with community, mental health, and empowerment resources that align with who you are, not who the world expects you to be.


You don’t need to shrink yourself, justify your pain, or explain every layer alone.


Your story is not complicated — it is complete.

And it deserves to be met with care, respect, and understanding.

💌 Closing Thoughts


The emotional weight of carrying multiple, intersecting identities is often invisible to others — but its impact can be profound and lasting.


If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, unseen, or like you don’t fit into one simple narrative, please know this: you are not alone. Your voice deserves to be heard. Your experiences deserve to be validated. Your healing deserves space. 🌟


📧 If this blog resonated with you, I’m here to walk alongside you on your healing journey.

Reach out to me at info@nadajohnsonservices.com.


Together, we can explore your story, honour your identity, and take meaningful steps toward clarity, confidence, and emotional well-being.


With warmth,


Nada Johnson, MSW, RSW

Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist / trained Family Mediator / EMDR Trained Therapist / Certified Racial Trauma Clinician / Mental Health & Sexual Violence Consultant / Professional Speaker


Nada Johnson Consulting & Counselling Services – Online phone and video sessions available

Village Healing Centre: 240 Roncesvalles Avenue





Follow our platforms for empowering content, parenting support, and mental health tools. Please share this post to support other mothers raising neurodivergent children; they deserve care too. 🤝


References

Bowleg, L. (2020). We’re not all in this together: On COVID-19, intersectionality, and structural inequality. American Journal of Public Health, 110(7), 917–917.

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 139–167.

Hankivsky, O. (2014). Intersectionality 101. The Institute for Intersectionality Research & Policy.

Reid, C., & Curry, J. (2022). Intersectional approaches to counselling women: Context, identity, and resistance. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne.

Sue, D., & Sue, D. (2019). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (8th ed.). Wiley.


Want More Support for Your Professional & Personal Growth?

🔷Try Potential Unlocked™🔷


In addition to counselling, NJCCS offers coaching through our sister brand, Potential Unlocked™, designed specifically for professional women navigating career, leadership, and life transitions.


We support clients with:

  • Communication and conflict strategy in the workplace

  • Career development and leadership coaching

  • Navigating workplace dynamics and burnout recovery

  • Building confidence in both personal and professional relationships (Online dating empowerment coaching, because personal growth impacts professional life too!)


👉 Visit www.potentialunlocked.ca to learn more or book a free 10-minute consultation call.


➤ Explore Board Mediation Experts™


In collaboration with NJCCS, Board Mediation Experts™ assists condominium boards, non-profits, and community organizations in navigating complex interpersonal and governance challenges — with clarity, structure, and compassion.



We specialize in:


🏢 Condominium Mediation – Resolve disputes and restore productive dialogue

🤝 Governance Strategy – Strengthen collaboration and effective decision-making

🧠 Workshops & Training – Build communication, leadership, and conflict resolution skills

🧭 Executive Coaching – Equip board leaders to manage tension, burnout, and accountability


Whether you’re addressing interpersonal dynamics, compliance obligations, or leadership culture, Board Mediation Experts™ transforms conflict into an opportunity for growth and stronger governance.


“Conflict isn’t a failure — it’s a turning point. What matters is how you move through it.”


👉 Visit www.boardmediationexperts.com to learn more or book a free 30-minute consultation by emailing us at info@boardmediationexperts.com

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page