Christine Racic is a therapist in Moose Jaw whose decades of counselling experience are now available, condensed and focused, in her debut book Designing Empowered Women.
Racic recently joined Nourish Health & Wellness as a mental health therapist. Her undergraduate degree is in education, and her graduate degree is in educational psychology.
Her book stems from her self-designed mastermind programs, targeted toward women. She updated the class after joining Nourish and found herself with more than enough material for a book.
“At that time, I was teaching mastermind programs, so I updated what I had for Designing Empowered Women,” Racic explained. “After 20 years-plus of therapy, walking alongside individuals, specific again to women, I just started compiling research.
“At the same time, I was working on my doctorate in clinical psychology. And voila, I compiled all the research to put together a mastermind program and then got approached to publish.”
Health issues have temporarily derailed Racic’s doctoral studies, but she’s still on the path.
“It’s not a requirement by any stretch of the imagination,” she said, “but I am a huge cheerleader of education specific for women. It just opens up opportunities.”
Designing Empowered Women allows Racic to reach further with her mastermind program. To keep classes vulnerable, authentic, and effective, she only allows ten women per program session. The first chapters of her book help readers become aware of some of the harms that society imposes on women without them ever knowing it.
“The first seven chapters literally are walking alongside women, removing detrimental thoughts and behaviours. And they’re socially conditioned, and they’re culturally conditioned. And we have to take our time in really examining what that looks like for our personal experience.”
Once readers have started on the journey of confronting unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, Racic starts guiding them to a more fulfilling way of being.
“So, what it looks like, instead of comparative suffering, comparing ourselves to other women, what women walking alongside women really can look like.
“That’s the power of mentoring and how important our tribe is for our growth and development.”
The book concludes by emphasizing what Racic feels are two vital points: Activating divinely given gifts, and understanding the importance of self-authored commitment rather than following societies expectations.
“We are created for connection, but that’s spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, socially, physically, all the areas of holistic health,” Racic said. “For me, I affirm that those giftings that we have, those talents that we have, they’re given just to you, uniquely.
“And then, all those external expectations, like ‘you must be this kind of mother, you must parent this way, you must be this kind of spouse,’ right? Versus, what does it look like for you, with your unique gifts, to live each day with intention that will create and balance a holistic lifestyle?”
Racic emphasizes her research background and the importance of education while also affirming a belief that many people neglect their spirituality, which she said is essential to being healthy. She believes women of all backgrounds need to have access to that part of themselves.
“For myself, I would affirm that I am a Christian, I believe in a triune God, I have a relationship with Christ, for sure,” she said. “I do speak to my belief system, and then I invite women to ask, ‘what does spiritual connectedness look like for you?
“Because, again, this is such a forgotten component in the five holistic health components, and each component is equally important.”
Christine Racic’s Designing Empowered Women, from Saskatchewan publisher DriverWorks Ink, is available for purchase from Nourish Health and Wellness and at the ShadesofJay boutique.
