Client Stories
Our services are diverse and wide ranging. We share our client's stories so that you may get a better idea of how we can work with you and fit into your journey toward aging powerfully!
Michael - Addressing Early Life Trauma & PTSD Symptoms
BACKGROUND:
​
Michael, a 52-year-old project manager and devoted family man, had spent much of his life managing anxiety and hypervigilance stemming from early life trauma. Growing up, Michael experienced significant emotional and physical adversity that had led to persistent PTSD symptoms, including heightened anxiety and difficulty trusting others. Despite his efforts to cope, including maintaining a strong work ethic and being a committed family member, these unresolved issues had impacted his relationships and overall well-being.
Michael had worked hard to mask his struggles and maintain a façade of control, but he found himself increasingly aware of old patterns that were affecting his ability to deepen his relationships with others. His hypervigilance and anxiety had led to challenges in forming close, trusting connections, both at home and in social settings. After years of doing his best to cope, Michael had reached a point where he felt ready to address these deep-seated issues, seeking to gain insight into his anxiety and improve his interpersonal relationships in the second half of his life.
HOW THE PROGRAM HELPS:
​​
​Individual Psychotherapy provided Michael with a tailored and supportive environment to explore and address his early life trauma and PTSD symptoms. The program focuses on helping him understand and manage his anxiety, develop trust, and improve his relationships. To support Michael, the use of Cognitive Processing Therapy was used to assist Michael in identifying the underlying belief systems that had been established in childhood. Belief systems that had been developed initially to help him survive a difficult early home environment. Through therapy, Michael uncovered ways his fear of his caregivers as a child had developed into fear of developing trusting relationships in adulthood. As Michael used skills from therapy his relationship with his wife improved and his overall communication with others.
Evelyn - Finding Hope and Self-Forgiveness Through Narrative Therapy
BACKGROUND:
​
Evelyn, a 74-year-old retired nurse, sought therapy to work through her life history and find hope for her later years. Throughout her career and personal life, Evelyn had experienced significant achievements but also grappled with feelings of regret and self-blame regarding various decisions. Despite her long and dedicated service in nursing and the positive impact she made on countless patients, she often reflected on missed opportunities and past mistakes with a sense of unresolved guilt.
Â
Evelyn had realized that these feelings affecting her ability to fully embrace and enjoy her later years. She desired to understand her life story from a more compassionate perspective and to cultivate self-forgiveness. Motivated by the desire to view her life through a new lens, Evelyn was eager to engage in narrative therapy to re-frame her experiences and find renewed hope and meaning in her remaining years.
HOW THE PROGRAM HELPS:
​
Psychotherapy employed narrative therapy to assist Evelyn in exploring her life history, reframing her experiences, and fostering self-forgiveness. Therapy sessions focused on helping her reconstruct her personal narrative and find a hopeful outlook for the future. Throughout the course of therapy, Evelyn shared that she was able to see herself in a different light and better understand how her life path had contributed to her current position. For the second half of Evelyn’s therapeutic work, she focused on her story ahead. She used elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to identify the fundamental values that gave her life meaning and how she hoped she could engage more with her values in retirement.
The Cohen Siblings - Proactive Legacy Planning Through Family Mediation
BACKGROUND:
​
The Cohen family consisted of three adult children—David (age 45), Laura (age 43), and Rachel (age 40)—who were seeking family mediation services to proactively plan for their parents' future. Their parents, Robert (age 72) and Sarah (age 70), were in relatively good health, but the siblings wanted to ensure they were well-prepared for any eventuality as their parents aged.
David, Laura, and Rachel had observed that while their parents were managing well, they had starting to think about legacy planning, including decisions about healthcare, financial management, and long-term care. They wanted to take a proactive approach to understand their parents' wishes and preferences, avoid potential conflicts, and ensure that their parents’ needs were met effectively in the future.
​
The siblings had decided to seek family mediation to address several key areas:
Legacy Planning: They wanted to discuss and document their parents’ preferences regarding estate planning, including wills, trusts, and the distribution of assets. This helped ensure that Robert and Linda’s wishes were clear and executed smoothly.
Healthcare and Long-Term Care: The siblings wished to understand their parents’ healthcare preferences, including choices related to medical treatments, long-term care facilities, and potential end-of-life decisions. They aimed to create a plan that respects their parents’ wishes and prepares them for future needs. As well as identifying what were practical demands on each adult child as only one lived in the same town as their parents. e
Family Roles and Responsibilities: The siblings wanted to establish clear roles and responsibilities for themselves in terms of caregiving and decision-making. They sought to prevent conflicts by agreeing on who would handle various aspects of their parents' care and how decisions would be made collaboratively.
​
HOW THE PROGRAM HELPS:
​
The Family Mediation program provided the Miller siblings with a structured and empathetic approach to addressing their proactive planning needs. The program focused on facilitating open dialogue, resolving potential disputes, and developing actionable plans to support their parents’ well-being.
Â
Key components of the program for the Miller family include:
Facilitated Discussions: The mediator facilitated structured discussions among David, Laura, and Rachel, as well as with Robert and Linda. This helped ensure that all parties had an opportunity to express their views, concerns, and preferences regarding legacy planning and care.
Clarifying Parents’ Wishes: The mediation process helped the siblings clarify and document their parents’ wishes related to estate planning, healthcare, and long-term care. This included creating a comprehensive plan that outlines their parents’ preferences and any necessary legal documents.
Establishing Caregiving Roles: The mediator assisted the siblings in defining their roles and responsibilities in terms of caregiving and decision-making. This involved creating a clear plan for how each sibling would contribute to their parents’ care and how decisions would be made collectively.
Developing Actionable Agreements: The mediation helped the family develop actionable agreements that address key areas such as financial management, healthcare decisions, and caregiving responsibilities. These agreements were designed to provide clarity and reduce the likelihood of conflicts in the future.
Enhancing Family Communication: The program also focused on improving overall family communication and dynamics. This included providing tools for effective dialogue, conflict resolution, and collaborative decision-making.