I’m a Professional Counselor in Conway, Arkansas helping the “sandwich” generation of adult children navigate the challenges of aging parents so that they foster resilience and enhance quality of life for both generations. Y’all want to know how long it has taken me to get to that statement? SEVEN MONTHS. But it all started back in 2016. Then in 2019. Again in 2023. And solidified in 2024. I've had seven months to hone in to my niche in counseling and what a blessing it has been.
I remember my first exposure to later life counseling for adults. I was in graduate school doing research regarding geriatric issues. My eyes were opened to the unique, GOD BREATHED, opportunities to help end-of-life clients and families. Imagine living a life after retirement and finally having the time to reflect on the “good and faithful servant” thoughts. Maybe relationships that didn’t turn out like you wanted, but through counseling those what-ifs can been restored. Every moment counts until we close our eyes the last time. I love working with older adults and their families through the process of end-of-life. Families want to stay together after they lose such an important figure in their family tree, but many times it doesn’t work out that way.
But over the last four years I have walked alongside my own parents through three of their aging parents and all three looked differently. I have been with my parents with the grief of realizing that their mom and dad they grew up with didn’t look, act, or talk the same (sometimes for the better). We’ve been exposed to the difficulty of navigating such a broken system for the aging population. We’ve learned the importance of a trust, will, and living will brings to grieving peacefully and when what we thought it looked like, actually didn’t. We’ve been able to have raw conversations about what my own parents want their latter years to look like and the closeness that has come from that. We’ve walked through funeral arrangements, family dynamics, and praying Heaven over our loved ones.
There’s a lot to unpack in aging parents, the adult children, and the adult children’s children. I think we all want to be known for something and I’m very thankful that through mine and my family’s pain I have found an opportunity to focus my efforts on this population through further education, training, and marketing. Counseling through aging parent issues can help bring honor and dignity to the process. I’m excited to help clients through the process.
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