Working on Womanhood (WOW)
Last Revised: September 30, 2025
- Issue Areas
- Health and well-being
Program overview
Comprehensive school-based mental health support: Working on Womanhood (WOW) is a school-based, trauma-informed group counseling program designed to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression in adolescent young women in grades 6-12. The program is run by the nonprofit Youth Guidance and is tailored to young women exposed to traumatic stressors in high-risk and under-resourced communities, ensuring accessible and relevant mental health care.
Embedding group counseling in schools: Youth Guidance partners with school districts to deliver WOW throughout the academic year in weekly 50-minute group counseling sessions. Group counseling sessions with 10–12 youth are led by a trained counselor and provide a vital space for young women to connect, share similar experiences, and receive guidance from caring adults. In addition to group sessions, WOW counselors are embedded within schools and have at least one “brief encounter” per month with each group member for relationship building and individualized emotional support. This presence throughout the academic year helps WOW counselors become trusted adults and supports long-term positive behavior changes.
Evidence-based therapeutic curriculum: A key component of WOW is the integration of evidence-based therapeutic models into group counseling sessions. These include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Narrative Therapy. Through these methods, WOW offers multiple approaches to support healing, critical thinking, and self-regulation skills for young women.
Developing resilience and holistic skills: Each WOW lesson is structured to promote comprehensive skill development, incorporating psychoeducation, interactive group activities, journaling, and "committed action" assignments for practical skill generalization. The curriculum is built upon five core values: self-awareness, emotional intelligence, healthy relationships, visionary goal setting, and leadership. The ultimate aim is to empower young women to develop resilience to traumas they may experience in their home or community and provide self-regulation skills that will serve them into adulthood.
- Strategies
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School climate and student behaviorSchool-based supports for child health and well-being
- Cost per Participant
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The program cost was estimated to be $2300 per participant in WOW.
- Location
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Chicago (IL), Kansas City (MO), Greater Boston (MA), Dallas (TX)
A single study with a rigorous design provides some evidence for WOW as a strategy for improving mental health outcomes for participants.
A 2023 randomized controlled trial (RCT) of WOW in Chicago, IL found that participating in the program for at least four months induces a 22 percent reduction in PTSD symptoms and leads to a 14 percent reduction in depression, as well as a 10 percent decrease in anxiety symptoms.
Building social support through a group counseling format: Group counseling addresses the social isolation that many young women experience during adolescence. The group format provides an opportunity for participants to empathize with one another, experience being vulnerable with others, and to build healthy relationships. This aligns with WOW’s core values of growing self awareness, emotional intelligence, and healthy relationships among young women.
Emphasizing mental health and trauma resilience: WOW’s approach weaves together several therapy models, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Narrative Therapy. Combining therapeutic approaches addresses the different sources of stress and trauma many young women face while helping them build a variety of skills and behaviors to improve their mental health.
Strong school and non profit partnership: Key to WOW’s model is embedding counselors in schools, which requires strong partnerships between Youth Guidance and school districts. Essential for this collaboration is school staff understanding counselor roles; embedding counselors in other school activities, when appropriate; and providing counselors with dedicated space for programming.