Summary: Mid-life professional women often face a crisis of meaning, feeling their careers no longer align with their values or aspirations. This phenomenon, explored by Kathy Caprino, M.A., reveals that many women experience deep dissatisfaction despite high-level achievements. Caprino's research aims to provide strategies to help women navigate and overcome these crises, fostering a more fulfilling and balanced professional life.
What happens when a woman, after years of dedication to a high-level career, suddenly feels that her work no longer aligns with her values or aspirations? This crisis of meaning can be both devastating and paralyzing.
Kathy Caprino, M.A., a personal and professional coach from Westport, CT, experienced this crisis firsthand. After transitioning from a successful corporate Vice President to a psychotherapist and coach, she now helps other women navigate similar challenges. Caprino notes that this crisis is becoming increasingly common, reaching what she describes as "epidemic proportions."
Caprino's study, titled Women Amidst and After Professional Crisis: Finding New Meaning in Life and Work, involves in-depth interviews with over 100 women aged 35-55 from various fields. These women, despite their successful careers, have realized that their professional paths must change.
Caprino's research has identified 14 distinct crisis profiles, each with unique characteristics and contributing factors. These crises often involve experiences of deep loss, discrimination, sexual harassment, toxic work environments, and unreasonable workloads. Despite their achievements, many women feel marginalized and undervalued.
Today's women have different expectations, attitudes, and priorities compared to previous generations. Caprino explains that various factors are converging to create a radical shift in what women seek to achieve. This shift brings new belief systems about what is truly important in life and what women are capable of.
"Our role models didn't prepare us for achieving and maintaining what we most want now that we're mid-life," Caprino says. "We know we can 'have it all,' but we don't necessarily want it all as it is now."
Caprino's study reveals that mid-life professional women have specific longings and needs, including:
An unexpected finding from Caprino's study is the growing divide between different segments of women, such as working moms vs. stay-at-home moms. Caprino notes a high incidence of negative judgments and unforgiving evaluations between these groups. "Women are not helping each other as much as possible," she states.
How can women overcome these professional crises? Caprino emphasizes that it requires significant inner and outer work but is achievable. One interviewee, an organizational design consultant turned life coach, realized that her purpose was to express herself fully and creatively, which required a "shedding" of her old professional identity.
This shedding is a critical step in managing a crisis of meaning. The goal is to break down what isn't working and create a more authentic, fulfilling life through conscious choices. Caprino views these crises as valuable information that must be addressed both individually and universally.
Caprino's ongoing research and coaching reveal similar themes. "Once we acknowledge that life isn't working as we wish and marshal our efforts, there's no telling how far we can go," she says. "The key is to see the crisis as an opportunity to empower ourselves and integrate our full selves into our work and communities."
Caprino's research highlights the importance of addressing the professional crises faced by mid-life women. By understanding and navigating these challenges, women can create more balanced, fulfilling, and empowered lives. This, in turn, can lead to a more humane and integrated world.
By addressing these crises and fostering a supportive environment, we can help women achieve their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society.
The Journey to a Healthier, Happier Bride: A Tailored Weight Loss Success Story
Embarking on a journey to a healthier self, a bride-to-be sets a goal to shed 25 pounds before her wedding day. After years of unsuccessful yo-yo dieting, she discovers the key to sustainable weight loss: a revamped exercise routine, a nutritious diet, and a metabolism boost. This transformation isn't just about slipping into a smaller dress size; it's about embracing a lifestyle change that ensures the weight stays off. This article explores how personalized weight management strategies can lead to real results, and how you too can achieve your health goals with the right approach.
VoIP for Business: Uncovering Your Options
The emergence of new technologies has benefited businesses tremendously. The internet has brought together customers from around the world; laptop computers have made it easier for employees to work remotely; and company phone systems have become completely automated. In each case companies have realized sharp gains in worker productivity while trimming overhead expenses significantly.
The 6 C’s of Marketing Unleashed
Okay, so we have all learned about the 4P’s of marketing in undergrad: Product, Place, Price and Promotion. If not, you can open up one of your old marketing text books, blow off the dust and read about it there. The 6 C’s, however, is a not a concept that replaces the 4’Ps; rather, it just expands on the promotion element and provides a more granular approach to consumer marketing.
