The Power of Soulful Sisterhood

claudiacounseling
Jun 5, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Jul 15, 2025

Why We Need Each Other Now More Than Ever

In 2020, as the world turned inward, something quietly powerful was born.

I founded a women’s group—Grace and Strength. 

Since that day, we’ve gathered every other week without interruption. A rhythm of presence and holding, of fierce truths and gentle landings. 

In a world where so much is transient—especially in expat life—this circle became an anchor. A home.

Over time, about 40 women have journeyed with us, from over 20 countries.

Different languages, cultures, lifestyles, and beliefs. Some have stayed, others came and went. Some return like tides. And still, the center holds: a living, breathing tapestry of womanhood.

It’s not just a group. 

It’s a safe harbour. 

A multifaceted mirror. 

A space shuttle that speaks beyond words. 

A womb of remembrance—where we rediscover what it means to be a woman.

Sisterhood is Not a Luxury. It’s a Lifeline.

Many of the women I work with are navigating Midlife transitions.

They’ve achieved—built careers, nurtured families, led teams.

They’ve become pillars in their homes, communities, and professions. 

And still, they carry an ache.

The ache of being the one who holds everything—yet rarely feels held. The ache of connection that feels shallow or performative. The ache of craving a space where they can finally exhale.

An ache that whispers: There must be more than this. 

Not more to do, but more to feel.

More to remember.

More of themselves.

Others are in what I defined “The Claiming Years”, that time generally around your late 30s, early 40s when the mask comes off, and a shift from external validation to inner truth happens.

They are no longer trying to “figure it all out”—there are ready to step into what they know.

These woman have achieved a certain level of external success. 

Maybe they are respected in her field.

Maybe they have built a good-enough life. 

But underneath, there’s a fire. 

A quiet but fierce desire to stop shrinking, stop settling, stop apologizing.

They want to:

Ask for the raise. Or the role. Or the respect.
Stop bending to please in love—and finally ask for what they actually want.
Open to a real relationship, one that meets their depth, not just their checklist.
Start living from power, not performance.

It’s a claiming.

Soulful sisterhood offers all of them what no career, partnership, or success can replace: 

Being met without performance. 

Being seen without mask. 

Being held in both your grace and your strength.

Authenticity and the Bonds We Long For

Authenticity isn’t just about self-expression. It’s about how we connect—how we allow others to connect with us.

Psychologists speak of attachment—our innate need for emotional closeness and safety. 

To preserve attachment, many of us learn to adapt. 

We shrink, mold, overfunction.

We become what we think will be accepted.

But this can cost us our truth.

Authenticity challenges attachment, because showing up fully—flawed, fierce, real—comes with risk.

The risk of rejection.

The risk of being misunderstood.

And yet, it also opens the door to deeper, more resilient connection.

When we dare to be honest—with ourselves and with others—we begin building relationships rooted not in approval, but in truth. 

Not in performance, but in presence.

Authenticity invites depth. It allows us to be loved for who we truly are. It teaches us that being seen doesn’t have to mean being judged. It teaches us how to love without editing.

The Ancient Roots of Women Gathering

Across centuries, women have always gathered. 

To weave, to bleed, to birth, to grieve, to remember.

In matrilineal societies, the circle was sacred. The red tent. The moon lodge. The well. The kitchen table.

These weren’t just places of rest. 

They were spaces of power, initiation, and remembrance.

In today’s fast-moving, hyper-independent culture, that lineage has been fractured. 

And yet, the longing remains.

Psychologist Jean Baker Miller called it relational resilience: 

The truth that we grow in connection, not isolation.

What Happens in a True Circle

A soulful circle isn’t about advice or fixing.

It’s about witnessing, honoring, holding.

In Grace and Strength, we meditate, move, and sit in silence. We speak and are not interrupted. We listen with our bodies—not just our ears.

We ask powerful questions. 

We offer honest, compassionate reflections. 

We celebrate victories and beauty—not from envy, but from expansion.

And when jealousy does arise, we give it space too. Not to shame it—but to process it. 

To transform it into desire, clarity, and growth.

This circle is non-hierarchical. Not led from above, but held from within. Every woman learns to hold the night. 

Every voice matters.

Every presence counts.

And oh, the becomings we’ve witnessed:

Leaving an abusive marriage and reclaiming deep confidence
Standing on stage after years of fear and freezing
Negotiating a fair exit from a job that had long drained her soul
Reconnecting with a distant parent, healing a traumatic bond
Manifesting the long-awaited dream of a home
Choosing, finally, to return to one’s home country after years of indecision
Rediscovering pleasure in the bedroom—after disconnect and silence
Hiring a personal coach to rebuild a business—not from burnout, but from worthiness

These are not small changes. 

They are sacred thresholds, crossed with courage, and witnessed with love.

This is the power of sisterhood.

A Call to Remember

If a part of you whispers: “I want this. I need this. I’m ready.” 

Please listen.

You are not meant to do this alone. 

Not the healing.

Not the rising.

Not the remembering.

Sisterhood is sacred medicine. 

It reveals you to yourself again and again—in the most beautiful ways.

🌿 Begin With Us

If you’re longing for a circle like this—or ready to create your own—I’d love to hear from you.

And to support your journey, I’ve gathered some of my most powerful reflections into a free eBook:

In 2020, as the world turned inward, something quietly powerful was born.

I founded a women’s group—Grace and Strength.

Since that day, we’ve gathered every other week without interruption. A rhythm of presence and holding, of fierce truths and gentle landings.

In a world where so much is transient—especially in expat life—this circle became an anchor. A home.

Over time, about 40 women have journeyed with us, from over 20 countries.

Different languages, cultures, lifestyles, and beliefs. Some have stayed, others came and went. Some return like tides. And still, the center holds: a living, breathing tapestry of womanhood.

It’s not just a group.

It’s a safe harbour.

A multifaceted mirror.

A space shuttle that speaks beyond words.

A womb of remembrance—where we rediscover what it means to be a woman.

Sisterhood is Not a Luxury. It’s a Lifeline.

Many of the women I work with are navigating Midlife transitions.

They’ve achieved—built careers, nurtured families, led teams.

They’ve become pillars in their homes, communities, and professions.

And still, they carry an ache.

The ache of being the one who holds everything—yet rarely feels held. The ache of connection that feels shallow or performative. The ache of craving a space where they can finally exhale.

An ache that whispers: There must be more than this.

Not more to do, but more to feel.

More to remember.

More of themselves.

Others are in what I defined “The Claiming Years”, that time generally around your late 30s, early 40s when the mask comes off, and a shift from external validation to inner truth happens.

They are no longer trying to “figure it all out”—there are ready to step into what they know.

These woman have achieved a certain level of external success.

Maybe they are respected in her field.

Maybe they have built a good-enough life.

But underneath, there’s a fire.

A quiet but fierce desire to stop shrinking, stop settling, stop apologizing.

They want to:

Ask for the raise. Or the role. Or the respect.

Stop bending to please in love—and finally ask for what they actually want.

Open to a real relationship, one that meets their depth, not just their checklist.

Start living from power, not performance.

It’s a claiming.

Soulful sisterhood offers all of them what no career, partnership, or success can replace:

Being met without performance.

Being seen without mask.

Being held in both your grace and your strength.

Authenticity and the Bonds We Long For

Authenticity isn’t just about self-expression. It’s about how we connect—how we allow others to connect with us.

Psychologists speak of attachment—our innate need for emotional closeness and safety.

To preserve attachment, many of us learn to adapt.

We shrink, mold, overfunction.

We become what we think will be accepted.

But this can cost us our truth.

Authenticity challenges attachment, because showing up fully—flawed, fierce, real—comes with risk.

The risk of rejection.

The risk of being misunderstood.

And yet, it also opens the door to deeper, more resilient connection.

When we dare to be honest—with ourselves and with others—we begin building relationships rooted not in approval, but in truth.

Not in performance, but in presence.

Authenticity invites depth. It allows us to be loved for who we truly are. It teaches us that being seen doesn’t have to mean being judged. It teaches us how to love without editing.

The Ancient Roots of Women Gathering

Across centuries, women have always gathered.

To weave, to bleed, to birth, to grieve, to remember.

In matrilineal societies, the circle was sacred. The red tent. The moon lodge. The well. The kitchen table.

These weren’t just places of rest.

They were spaces of power, initiation, and remembrance.

In today’s fast-moving, hyper-independent culture, that lineage has been fractured.

And yet, the longing remains.

Psychologist Jean Baker Miller called it relational resilience:

The truth that we grow in connection, not isolation.

What Happens in a True Circle

A soulful circle isn’t about advice or fixing.

It’s about witnessing, honoring, holding.

In Grace and Strength, we meditate, move, and sit in silence. We speak and are not interrupted. We listen with our bodies—not just our ears.

We ask powerful questions.

We offer honest, compassionate reflections.

We celebrate victories and beauty—not from envy, but from expansion.

And when jealousy does arise, we give it space too. Not to shame it—but to process it.

To transform it into desire, clarity, and growth.

This circle is non-hierarchical. Not led from above, but held from within. Every woman learns to hold the night.

Every voice matters.

Every presence counts.

And oh, the becomings we’ve witnessed:

Leaving an abusive marriage and reclaiming deep confidence

Standing on stage after years of fear and freezing

Negotiating a fair exit from a job that had long drained her soul

Reconnecting with a distant parent, healing a traumatic bond

Manifesting the long-awaited dream of a home

I founded a women’s group—Grace and Strength. 

Since that day, we’ve gathered every other week without interruption. A rhythm of presence and holding, of fierce truths and gentle landings. 

Different languages, cultures, lifestyles, and beliefs. Some have stayed, others came and went. Some return like tides. And still, the center holds: a living, breathing tapestry of womanhood.

It’s not just a group. 

It’s a safe harbour. 

A multifaceted mirror. 

A space shuttle that speaks beyond words. 

They’ve become pillars in their homes, communities, and professions. 

The ache of being the one who holds everything—yet rarely feels held. The ache of connection that feels shallow or performative. The ache of craving a space where they can finally exhale.

An ache that whispers: There must be more than this. 

These woman have achieved a certain level of external success. 

Maybe they have built a good-enough life. 

But underneath, there’s a fire. 

Soulful sisterhood offers all of them what no career, partnership, or success can replace: 

Being met without performance. 

Being seen without mask. 

Authenticity isn’t just about self-expression. It’s about how we connect—how we allow others to connect with us.

Psychologists speak of attachment—our innate need for emotional closeness and safety. 

To preserve attachment, many of us learn to adapt. 

When we dare to be honest—with ourselves and with others—we begin building relationships rooted not in approval, but in truth. 

Authenticity invites depth. It allows us to be loved for who we truly are. It teaches us that being seen doesn’t have to mean being judged. It teaches us how to love without editing.

Across centuries, women have always gathered. 

In matrilineal societies, the circle was sacred. The red tent. The moon lodge. The well. The kitchen table.

These weren’t just places of rest. 

In today’s fast-moving, hyper-independent culture, that lineage has been fractured. 

Psychologist Jean Baker Miller called it relational resilience: 

In Grace and Strength, we meditate, move, and sit in silence. We speak and are not interrupted. We listen with our bodies—not just our ears.

We ask powerful questions. 

We offer honest, compassionate reflections. 

And when jealousy does arise, we give it space too. Not to shame it—but to process it. 

This circle is non-hierarchical. Not led from above, but held from within. Every woman learns to hold the night. 

These are not small changes. 

If a part of you whispers: “I want this. I need this. I’m ready.” 

You are not meant to do this alone. 

Sisterhood is sacred medicine. 

Let’s reclaim this ancient, necessary way of being. 