About Me:
Before retirement, I worked in adult and adolescent education. I didn't do retirement well ... I was bored beyond words. I decided to change careers, however, and have returned to graduate school in Clinical Mental Health. During those post-retirement years, I found myself growing more and more invisible. My age and stage of life were influencing how I was perceived by potential friends, the medical community, the higher education community, and potential intimate partners. It felt like I had been repeatedly punched in the gut. I began experiencing depression and anxiety when I placed myself in new situations. I had a choice to make: acquiesce to invisibility and limit my engagement with the world OR fight for my right to remain a whole woman who continues to grow. I chose to fight for myself. Not easy! But I've learned a lot on this journey that I am excited to share.
Concepts that Influence My Coaching
A basic part of this journey is understanding what ageism does to American women. While ageism is a global problem, American culture leaves a special imprint. Sometimes it is blatant discrimination; other times, it is more subtle depending on who you are and your particular circumstances. As women, we've already experienced sexism (and perhaps racism, homophobia, classism). Ageism is another layer of debilitation.
I am deeply influenced by the art and the philosophy behind Kintsugi, which originated in 15th century Japan. Kintsugi is a Japanese philosophy that embraces imperfection, celebrates the beauty of brokenness, and sees repair as a meaningful transformation rather than a fix. This philosophy is exemplified by the art of repairing broken pottery. Restoration is done with gold and results in a beautiful symbol of being human and honoring change.
Special Areas of Competance
Through education and lived experience, I feel confident in working with these areas of life:
family dynamics~adoption~parenting~spirituality/religion~LGBTQIA+ issues~race and socio-economic challenges~ gender and sexism~education~cultural alienation~isolation and loneliness.