The Sierra Bender Empowerment Method® and its Effects on Leadership and Motivation in Women

The present study examined the effects of a one-weekend women's empowerment workshop on measures of Empowerment, Leadership, and Motivation. The Sierra Bender Empowerment Method® (SBEM®) focuses on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health, with a goal of improved sense of empowerment. Thirty-one women participated in this study that took place at Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. Twenty-four SBEM® participants completed pre and post questionnaire packets, which consisted of demographic information and measures of Empowerment, Leadership, and goal-driven Motivation. The Control Group included seven women participating in a Rest & Relaxation retreat that took place the same weekend at Omega. Results indicated that overall scores of Empowerment, Motivation, and Leadership trended towards an increase for SBEM® participants, and not for the Control Group. A potential variable affecting the outcome was childhood domestic violence history, such that women with a history of domestic violence had a greater increase in self-reported Empowerment than women with no such history. Further research is needed to replicate and strengthen the findings from the present study.