“She Just Gets It”: Why So Many Women Prefer a Female Therapist
You go to therapy to feel seen, heard, and understood. But sometimes, it feels like you’re working just as hard to explain why you’re struggling as you are to get support. Instead of focusing on healing, you’re translating your pain, second-guessing your emotions, or wondering if your therapist really gets it.
That’s one of the biggest reasons women seek out female therapists. There’s less to explain. Less to hold back. And more space to just be—messy, emotional, burned out, or uncertain—without having to justify it.
As a therapist for women in Florida, I specialize in helping women navigate anxiety, trauma, and ADHD. I also have ADHD myself, so I don’t just understand these struggles clinically—I’ve lived them. I know what it’s like to internalize stress, to carry too much without asking for help, and to feel like no matter how hard you try, it’s never quite enough.
I also know what it means to finally sit across from someone who says, “That makes sense.”
And I want that for you, too.
Why Gender Can Shape the Therapy Experience
Many women come to therapy carrying a kind of emotional exhaustion that isn’t just about what’s happening—it’s about how long they’ve had to carry it alone.
A new mom overwhelmed by the mental load of remembering everything—but still afraid to ask her partner for more help.
A woman with ADHD who’s spent years masking at work, always over-prepared so no one sees how scattered she feels inside.
A first-generation daughter of immigrants balancing cultural expectations, people-pleasing, and perfectionism—and breaking under the weight of it all.
These stories are common in my practice. And when you add in the layers of gendered socialization—being taught to be “easygoing,” “low-maintenance,” or to “not make a fuss”—it’s no wonder so many women feel like they can’t bring their full selves into the room.
In therapy, that dynamic can play out subtly. You might downplay your needs. Avoid talking about anger. Say “I don’t know” when you do know—just to avoid seeming dramatic.
With a woman therapist, especially one attuned to these patterns, you don’t have to shrink. You don’t have to protect anyone from your truth. You just get to be real—and that’s where the real healing starts.
What Therapy Looks Like When You Don’t Have to Explain Everything
Here’s what I often hear from women who start working with me:
→ “This is the first time I haven’t had to prove that I’m struggling.”
→ “You understand things I didn’t even know how to put into words.”
→ “I didn’t know therapy could feel like this.”
That sense of safety and resonance matters. It helps us go deeper, faster—because we’re not spending precious energy just trying to feel believed.
In our work together, we might talk about:
The pressure to “keep it all together” even when you’re unraveling on the inside.
How your ADHD shows up differently than the stereotypes (hello, emotional dysregulation, decision fatigue, and hypervigilance).
Why you shut down during conflict or feel anxious after setting boundaries.
What it means to build a life that works for you—not the version of you you’ve been trained to perform.
One client told me she thought she was “just bad at being an adult.”
But as we worked together, she began to understand how her ADHD, trauma history, and people-pleasing patterns were working together behind the scenes. Once we unpacked that, she stopped blaming herself—and started building routines, relationships, and a nervous system that actually supported her.
That’s what I want therapy to feel like for you: not like a performance or a puzzle to solve, but a soft landing where the pieces finally start to make sense.
Why I Work Specifically With Women—and What That Means for You
Working with women is not just what I do—it’s what I’m passionate about. Because I’ve seen how transformative it is when women feel safe enough to take off the mask and speak from the heart.
I’ve helped women:
Unhook from productivity as a measure of worth
Grieve identities they never got to fully inhabit (like the “chill girl” or the “supermom”)
Rebuild trust in their own intuition after years of gaslighting or self-doubt
Use EMDR to process trauma that felt stuck in the body for years
Create ADHD-friendly systems that honor how they function—not how they’re “supposed to”
And I bring my whole self into this work. My ADHD doesn’t disqualify me—it deepens my empathy and sharpens my intuition. I know what it’s like to forget a simple task and spiral into shame. I know the relief of being with someone who just knows what that feels like. That’s the kind of space I create for my clients: one that honors the whole of who you are.
What You Can Expect From Working Together
If you’ve been through therapy before that didn’t quite land—or you’ve been putting it off because it just feels exhausting—I want you to know that it can feel different.
My approach is:
Collaborative: You’re the expert on your life. I’m here to help you connect the dots, not tell you who you are.
Integrative: I pull from EMDR, somatic work, and strengths-based therapy—tailored to you.
Real: We’ll laugh. We’ll cry. We’ll challenge old beliefs. But you’ll never feel judged or talked down to.
Most of all, I want therapy to feel like a place where you don’t have to perform. Where you can feel things all the way through. Where you can reconnect with yourself and start to build a life that actually feels like yours.
Learn more about therapy for ADHD here.
Learn more about therapy for anxiety here.
You Deserve Therapy That Feels Like Home
If you’ve ever left therapy feeling more confused or disconnected than when you started, that’s not your fault. And it’s not how therapy is supposed to feel.
You deserve a space that feels nourishing. You deserve a therapist who understands you—not just clinically, but emotionally. You deserve to feel safe enough to stop surviving and start becoming.
I offer therapy for women across Florida, with a focus on ADHD, anxiety, and trauma. If you’re ready for therapy that helps you come home to yourself, I’d be honored to walk with you.
Looking for a therapist for women in Florida?
Take your first step towards a safer and more validating therapy experience.
(Florida residents only)
Do you feel isolated in your neurodivergent experience and long for a space where you don’t have to explain yourself?
My virtual group for AuDHD adults in their 20s and 30s is designed to help you unmask, heal, and belong.
About the author
Nicole Mendizabal is a Hispanic therapist based in Miami, providing online therapy throughout Florida. She specializes in helping women navigate trauma, ADHD, anxiety, autism, and the challenges of perfectionism. Nicole also offers EMDR therapy intensives, creating a focused and supportive space for deep healing and meaningful progress. Weekend and in-person sessions are available for Intensives only.
