Together with one or two experienced INSIGHT facilitators and 7-10 other women who, like you, are committed to making their lives work, you meet for twelve weekly, two-hour sessions. The INSIGHT Women's Workbook, which details how to develop the new skills that will help you cope with daily life, provides the basis for group study and discussion.

The building-block program focuses less on individual problems than on solutions. How to set goals, letting go of past hurts, and dealing with loss and grief are all part of the curriculum. Brief lectures complement each session. Homework assignments in the form of reading, emotional inventories and goal-setting are vital to the process.

The group atmosphere is at all times caring, supportive, non-judgmental, and positive. In three-year follow-up studies, women who completed the program report they have maintained the significant improvements they achieved through their participation.

Facilitators of INSIGHT groups, observing the powerful group dynamics evolving through the sessions, are convinced that the group approach is far superior to individual psychotherapy for women who are seeking relief from high stress and depression. In the group, women find others who are dealing with the same problems and experiences. They often feel lonely and guilty, and may be struggling desperately to overcome panic attacks or bursts of uncontrolled anger. Some group members have had traumatic life experiences and/or a tragic childhood in which they were victims of abuse. Through feedback from group members, women learn more about themselves and about the choices and alternatives available to them.

The INSIGHT Program is helpful to women with a variety of symptoms and problems, including:

Fatigue
Insomnia
Getting sick frequently
Changes in appetite
Physical complaints
Decreased activity
Oversleeping
A blue, dejected mood
Anxiety
A hopeless attitude
An inability to concentrate
Growing self-centeredness and self-concern
Pessimistic outlook on life
Isolating oneself from others
Difficulty in making decisions.

INSIGHT teaches women to be responsible decision-makers and to be in control of their own lives through an in-depth exploration of the following subjects:

What is depression?
How to recognize our feeling states
Women, anger and depression
How to set success-oriented goals and reach them
How to change negative and pessimistic thinking for good
Learning ways to affirm ourselves and keep self-esteem healthy
Learning how to take time for ourselves to reflect on our experiences
How we defend ourselves from anxiety?
What can we learn from knowing more about our families?
What can we reasonably expect from single life, marriage and parenting?
Learning to grieve in a healthy way so we can avoid depression
Strategies for healthy communication
The value of networking and how to do it
Developing more assertiveness
Learning to resolve conflict with others in a positive way
How to manage stress in constructive ways
Managing a crisis
Learning to nurture ourselves in an uncertain world
Women and sexuality
Carrying ourselves into an emotionally healthy future
Learning to say good-bye.

See Manual Table of Contents