Aging Concerns

Many people experience anxiety and depression about growing older, changing, and dying. Common aging concerns include changes in mobility and athleticism, increases in bodily aches and pains, menopause, and anxiety over wrinkles, skin sagging, and changing body composition. Other aging dilemmas include longing for the past, feeling hopeless about the future, regrets, struggling with "what ifs", worries about not reaching one's potential, and FOMO (fear of missing out).

For the past 18 years, my education, experience and focus of practice is working with concerns related to aging and planning for the last phase of your life. Particular to aging is loss of independence, physical abilities, cognitive impairment, coping with pain, chronic health conditions, feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by so many life changing, urgent decisions, dealing with the challenges of caregiving and facing the fears, uncertainty and stress from any life transition and the unknown.

I was a scholar of The Gerontology Resources and the Aging Community in Education (GRACE) Program at UT - Austin, and specialized in treating older adults (65+). I am still a part of the GRACE Program network where I am in contact with professionals who specialize in treating/studying/advocating for older adults.

I have experience supporting elders in feeling seen, heard and respected as they encounter life changes related to aging. Through compassionate and collaborative dialogue, we can explore your concerns and challenges related to aging, honor your experiences as an elder and, if of interest to you, practice coping skills to bring stress relief, humor, and greater opportunities for connection with others.

I greatly enjoy working with older adults. Life comes with no instructions and we are often not prepare for the changes that life brings. I would be glad to accompany you in this process.

I have had 7 years' experience working with Senior Adults of all kinds, with cognitive, emotional, physical, substance, and other challenges. Through reflection and compassion, I can provide help to those living with such challenges and those who care for them.

I have had several years experience counseling homebound older adults. These experiences have given me a strong understanding of the incredible challenges that can accompany aging. I have a strong passion for supporting those struggling with loss of independence as a result of aging and health issues.

Getting older does not have to mean losing your sense of self or direction in life. You may be unsure of what lies ahead or are finding that you no longer enjoy the things you once did and are feeling lonely, down, or frustrated as a result. Whatever challenges you may be up against, I believe that this can be one of the richest stages of life: one where you can find meaning in each day and be present with the people and the things you love.

Most of our systems, such as healthcare, housing, or transportation, aren't well built to support aging. I provide person-centered therapy for you to work through the concerns that bring you to therapy. I have worked with people to address struggles related to caregiver stress, feeling isolated, experiencing age-based discrimination, feeling lost in retirement, emotionally navigating health concerns, and finding yourself in new social or emotional roles.

I created and facilitated a support and therapy group Ageism and the Creative Professional to help those who are experiencing ageism, burnout and loss of identity. I also trained at a organization that helps people with Alzheimer, dementia and their caregivers. I co-facilitated a group for adult children who are caregivers there, as well as worked with clients experiencing Alzheimer's and dementia.

Many people experience anxiety and depression about growing older, changing, and dying. Common aging concerns include changes in mobility and athleticism, increases in bodily aches and pains, menopause, and anxiety over wrinkles, skin sagging, and changing body composition. Other aging dilemmas include longing for the past, fear of the future, regrets, worries about not reaching one's potential, and FOMO (fear of missing out).

The most prevalent concerns of adults 65 years and older are the major changes that occur as we age. This includes changes in job status and finances, changes in physical and mental conditions, grief/loss, and social isolation. The goals of the therapeutic intervention is to work wholistically with all discplines involved in the individual's life, educate on aging issues and identify how to positively cope with stressful life situations.

As a graduate student, I was a scholar of The Gerontology Resources and the Aging Community in Education (GRACE) Program. I am still in this GRACE Program network of professionals who specialize in treating older adults (65+). Additionally, I have worked extensively with individuals who are caregivers for older adults.

The most prevalent concerns of adults 65 years and older are the major changes that occur as we age. This includes changes in job status and finances, changes in physical and mental conditions, grief/loss, and social isolation. The goals of the therapeutic intervention is to work wholistically with all discplines involved in the individual's life, educate on aging issues and identify how to positively cope with stressful life situations.

As one moves into older adulthood perspectives and abilities change. I have experience working with people managing multiple medical issues, grief, concerns over loss of function, and medical recovery. It has been a true honor to work with a variety of older adults at VA Medical Hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation and now through outpatient private practice. Commonly people meet with me to work through concerns related to aging, past trauma, and current medical limitations.

Even though we are all experiencing life's changes and we are not what we "used to be", we can still find beautiful moments to cherish and look forward to. We just may need to examine how we are looking at our situation a little differently. I use a variety of techniques including radical acceptance with the understanding that while we are not able to change the facts, we can control what we think about them.

As one moves into older adulthood perspectives and abilities change. I have experience working with people managing multiple medical issues, grief, concerns over loss of function, and medical recovery. It has been a true honor to work with a variety of older adults at VA Medical Hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation and now through outpatient private practice.

Experience supporting elders in feeling seen, heard and respected as they encounter life changes related to aging.

The most prevalent concerns of adults 65 years and older are the major changes that occur as we age. This includes changes in job status and finances, changes in physical and mental conditions, grief/loss, and social isolation. The goals of the therapeutic intervention is to work wholistically with all discplines involved in the individual's life, educate on aging issues and identify how to positively cope with stressful life situations.