Aging with Wisdom
Embrace Aging,
Tap into Your Inherent Wisdom
and Cultivate Peace, Purpose & Loving Connection
What is Your Legacy?
Given that you’ve landed here, we imagine that you know a lot about the downsides of aging—trouble sleeping, arthritic knees and trouble accessing words.
And, then there are even bigger things, such as losing loved ones, significant health issues, dwelling on past resentments and hurt, and loss of identity as you leave your work and/or your children move away and focus on their own lives.
Along with all that comes the really big questions…
Who am I now?
What should I be doing at this time of life?
Are there things that I have left undone or unsaid?
What do I want to pass on to the next generation?
What more can I learn?
Have You Found Your Purpose?
Now that you’ve had the great good fortune of living over many decades, you’ve learned that things can change at any moment and how little control we have over anything. At this age and stage, we have gotten through enough hard times to recognize that some of our greatest growth and wisdom has come through the most difficult experiences.
These later years no doubt bring more questions and challenging experiences, yet there is so much depth and richness to be discovered and enjoyed as we move into this season of our lives.
You may have done a considerable amount of exploration through relationships, therapy, meditation, journey work or a spiritual connection, and want to keep going deeper.
You may also want to continue to use your time wisely—perhaps to be more compassionate toward yourself and others, finally come to terms with your past and fully welcome the present moment. Or you may be drawn to contemplate the meaning of life and reflect on existential questions, with a desire to better understand and connect with who you are right now and, perhaps, your spiritual self.
You might be considering your personal purpose and legacy, relationship repairs you want to make, and trauma that still needs to be resolved. Maybe you want to explore mortality, who you are beyond this physical body, and what comes next in a spiritual context. You might feel called to delve into any lingering feelings of shame, guilt, resentment and other unprocessed emotions.
Or, perhaps you’re not entirely sure what it is that you want and need now, yet you feel curious and want to go deeper into what it means to be alive at this time and feel supported as you mindfully engage in a review of your life.
If you’re a woman…
you might also be contemplating your worth and where and how you now fit into a society that puts so much emphasis on youth and specific attributes assigned to physical beauty in our culture.
If you have a terminal illness or have had a near-death experience…
you may feel a pull to explore who you are now, in this human form, and to make peace with your life, not waiting until those last weeks or days. You might also feel a strong desire to get clear on what truly matters to you so that you can live as your most vibrant and connected self while still here.
It’s normal if you feel scared, humbled or alone in these concerns and feelings right now. Navigating uncharted territory can feel challenging, but with curiosity and compassionate therapeutic support, this exploration can be highly rewarding and result in clarity, fulfillment and even joy.
You are Not Alone
All that we can truly count on in this life is impermanence—things will change and, at some point, each of us will leave this human body. While aging and death are an important part of the life cycle, we rarely talk about them in Western culture, and many of us struggle with finding a safe and supportive place to engage in these contemplations.
Yet, what is more common than aging, illness and death? We all encounter it—both around and within ourselves.
In this later life stage, if you’re feeling that there’s still big work to be done or something to ‘fix,’ you might think that what you’re experiencing is a personal shortfall or a psychological problem particular to your own self.
It is not a personal failure to be engaging in this exploration. Rather, welcoming in deeper healing and inquiry is life affirming and courageous, and you are certainly not alone.
Lucky enough to have lived this long, we’re granted this ‘twilight’ opportunity not as available to younger generations. We have more opportunity to repair relationships, clean up and clear out lingering anxieties or stuckness, ponder the bigger life questions, and discover the exquisite beauty and goodness inherent in each of us. Rather than something to be endured—free of the many to-dos and distractions that filled our earlier years—in our elder years, we are gifted this special window of time to go deeper into what it means to live this human life.
We now have the space and time to cultivate deeper healing and meaning. And, as we delve into that which is calling for attention, it’s possible to experience profound insights and gracefully foster feelings of purpose, peace and joy.
Explore Aging, Be with Your Grief
& Befriend the Inherent Goodness in You
We’re Stephanie
and Lee Ann.
As master psychotherapists with 30 plus years experience supporting clients in resolving trauma, deep healing, and personal and spiritual growth, as well as seasoned Buddhist practitioners, we deeply believe in the inherent goodness in all of us.
We see your good heart, kind intentions and how precious you are, even if you’re not able to access those feelings yourself right now.
Dealing with aging and ageism, unexplored or unresolved feelings, lingering traumas, post-retirement discontent, a terminal illness, loss of mobility, grief, end-of-life issues and all of the other thoughts and conditions that come up as we age can create all sorts of feelings. You might feel confused, frustrated, sad or angry. And you might also feel curious, inspired and motivated to delve deeper into what this life—your life—is all about.
What is Therapy Like at This Stage of Life?
In sessions we’ll explore these questions and more, depending on what you need and want. There may be lingering habits, such as people-pleasing, being overly hard on yourself, not asking for what you need and want or being overly concerned by what other people think, that you’ve made progress on, but want to go deeper into. Or there may be new issues directly connected to this age and stage of life that have you rethinking who you truly are.
As seasoned, mindful and highly intuitive therapists, we meet you right where you are, deeply present and attuned to you mentally, emotionally, somatically, relationally and spiritually. We approach the work we do with love and kindness, understanding that we all experience great suffering in our lives, as well as great happiness, rejoicing in the resilience in us all. The intent now is to investigate and be with what is coming up for you, whether that be exploring your purpose in this stage of life, mortality and spirituality, loss of mobility and other health issues, as well as the personal and spiritual growth that can be so deep, rich and comforting at this life stage.
We also provide grief counseling, understanding that grief comes in waves and takes many forms. A spouse, partner or dear friend may have passed on and you may be feeling lost without this person in your life. You might also be grieving loss of mobility, declining senses or not being able to engage in the activities that you love. You might be grieving your career post-retirement and/or another purpose that was once a big part of your identity. Or, if you or a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness and close to end-of-life, you may be experiencing fear, grief and a plethora of other emotions, searching for meaning, grace and peace.
A Focus on
What’s Important
Now
With decades of advanced training and significant life and professional experience, we bring many modalities and approaches into sessions, working with what feels and works best for you and your particular wants, needs and interests. We can utilize EMDR Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Mindfulness, and Attachment Repair, as well as delve into spiritual work, depending on what resonates with you.
We are present in the moment with you to help you develop a sense of ease, flow and grace as you get an embodied sense of where and who you are and what is most important to you right now. We are intuitive and flexible as you explore this complex terrain. Moment-to-moment and session-to-session, we’re able to be with you and respond to what is needed, providing practical guidance, compassionate support and genuine warmth.
As humans, we’re all in this together, and this form of counseling and support is intended to help you deepen your curiosity and skillfully work with kindness and compassion—for yourself and all. We can address forgiveness and the impact of our lives on others and theirs on ours, becoming more aware of all that we know and don’t know. All while integrating the profound wisdom offered in the serenity prayer—the acceptance of those things that we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Foster You Inner Wisdom
and Live With Increased Peace
& More Joy
This life truly is short and precious. Issues connected to the spiritual path and moving toward a deep acceptance of the realities of aging, illness, dying and death are big and can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s uncharted territory for you.
If you’re interested in going deeper, cultivating a profound sense of peace and feeling more connected, heart-focused, awake and abundantly alive, we’re here and happy to support you in this noble journey.
As longtime Budhists and psychotherapists, we find great satisfaction in supporting others, creating a special and sacred container for you to explore what you want and need to live as your wisest and most peaceful and joyous self.
For more information or if you have any questions about the benefits of therapeutic support as we age and/or our practice, we invite you to give either of us a call. We welcome engaging with you in a deep contemplation of this time of life and your search for meaning and purpose.
Free Phone Consultation
If you’re seeking Trauma Therapy or PTSD Treatment, we invite you to call us for a free 15-minute phone consultation.
Call Stephanie at 310-339-5812 or Lee Ann at 310-980-8988.