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A radical exploration of guilt--what it is, why women feel it so excessively, and how we can reclaim our agency Women are consumed by guilt. Whether in parenthood, relationships, our careers, or identity, we are powerfully socialized to feel as if we''re not doing enough, not caring enough, or are simply not enough.;Over time, guilt becomes the driver for everything we do, from the roles we take on in our homes to the opportunities we pursue. How do we lessen guilt’s debilitating influence on our lives? ;;;;For over a decade, psychiatrist Jennifer Reid, MD has asked herself this very question. Witnessing otherwise highly functional and compassionate women walk through her practice crippled by guilt, she realized there is often a mismatch between one''s expectations and perceived reality. This gap is where guilt resides--and is ultimately the key to freeing us from its grip. ;;;;In ;;;;The result is a guide to moving from guilt to agency, from staying small to living on your own terms.
About the author
Jennifer Reid, MD is a psychiatrist, the creator and host of The Reflective Mind Podcast, and an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches the next generation of psychiatrists. She can also be found at A Mind of Her Own on Substack, where she focuses on empowering women to nurture a deep and lasting self-trust and sense of agency. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and two sons.
Summary
A radical exploration of guilt—what it is, why women feel it so excessively, and how we can reclaim our agency
Women are consumed by guilt. Whether in parenthood, relationships, our careers, or identity, we are powerfully socialized to feel as if we're not doing enough, not caring enough, or are simply not enough. Over time, guilt becomes the driver for everything we do, from the roles we take on in our homes to the opportunities we pursue. How do we lessen guilt’s debilitating influence on our lives?
For over a decade, psychiatrist Jennifer Reid, MD has asked herself this very question. Witnessing otherwise highly functional and compassionate women walk through her practice crippled by guilt, she realized there is often a mismatch between one's expectations and perceived reality. This gap is where guilt resides—and is ultimately the key to freeing us from its grip.
In Guilt Free, Dr. Reid unpacks why this otherwise adaptive emotion disproportionally affects so many women, tracing the unreasonable expectations society, others, and we ourselves uphold that skew our perception of our capabilities. Inviting us to peel back the layers of these impulses, she shows how you can start making choices based on what you want and need, not what you think we should be doing.
The result is a guide to moving from guilt to agency, from staying small to living on your own terms.
