"Professional women have made tremendous strides in terms of drawing on our strengths, abilities, and confidence in the workplace in recent years, but it's clear that we have a long way to go before we are using our female power with self-assurance and ease," says Kathy Caprino, MA, personal and professional coach, psychotherapist, and researcher of midlife professional women in transition.

Based on her national in-depth research study Women Overcoming Professional Crisis: Finding New Meaning in Life and Work and work with hundreds of professional women each year, Caprino is finding that even high-level, high-achieving professional women report battling insecurity and discomfort in using their voices to lead powerfully and say "no" or "yes" when necessary.  Many professional women do not serve as their own advocate, nor do they experience feeling supported or mentored by other colleagues in the workplace.  They also reveal a reluctance to embrace new opportunities that may lead to greater advancement and leadership, particularly if the change in responsibility or focus takes them out of their comfort zone. 

Clearly, there is a palpable power differential experienced by women in the workplace, and the leadership styles of men and women remain widely divergent, contributing to gaps in understanding, acceptance, and trust.  In the end, Caprino's research participants report experiencing less than a rock-solid sense of empowerment and self-confidence in their work lives.

These empowerment gaps that professional women experience can lead to personal and professional crisis, and a deep desire to transition away from the current professional track to a radically different one.  From her study, Caprino has identified no fewer than 14 common crises professional women face today, and has developed strategies and approaches aimed at helping women overcome these crises and reclaim the direction of their lives.

How can women gain empowerment, and avoid professional crises altogether?