Marriage
It shouldn’t be this hard. Why doesn’t he get it? What does she want from me? What happened to the person I fell in love with? We don’t have anything in common except the kids.
Do any of these sound familiar?
Most of us get married expecting our love to get us through. We assume that the rough spots will somehow work themselves out. The fact of the matter is that marriage is hard work. Many of us did not enter marriage equipped with the skills we needed to build a mutually respectful, loving, supportive, lifelong relationship. Skills including communication, conflict resolution and boundary-setting.
We Can Help
Living With Intention helps couples identify and understand the issues unique to their relationship that stand between them and a more fulfilling marriage.
Learn to improve communication, build intimacy and deal with conflict in ways that will allow you to enjoy the intentionally satisfying marriage you desire.
Parent/Child
No experience in life can be more humbling than parenting. For many of us it is our first encounter with unconditional love. Unfortunately, we are often surprised to discover that loving our children unconditionally is simply not enough. Our hopes and dreams are sometimes replaced with frustration and disappointment that leads to feelings of incompetence and inadequacy.
We Can Help
We help parents with children of any age identify and articulate their concerns in order to develop or restore a loving, healthy relationship with their children. We have both the experience and expertise to walk along side you on your journey to a healthy family.
Sandwich Generation
A better term might well be the “super-stretched” generation. More and more people today are finding themselves pulled in more directions than ever before. Responsible for raising children while maintaining a marriage and pursuing a career, our society’s lengthened life expectancy leaves many individuals with the additional challenge of caring for aging parents with their own set of emotional, physical, mental and financial needs. Often individuals are left feeling that they aren’t doing anything well, or meeting anyone’s needs in the way that they would like. Time for self-care and renewal? No way!
We Can Help
We will work with you to help you set priorities, identify and enforce boundaries, and learn to communicate effectively with the important people in your life. Our personalized, intentional approach will empower you to feel neither “sandwiched” or “stretched”.
Empty Nest
Parenthood is perhaps the only job in which the goal is to work yourself out of a job! What happens if you are successful? Columnist and novelist Anna Quindlen described her empty nest experience this way:
“Tell me at your peril that the flight of my kids into successful adulthood is highly liberating, that I will not believe how many hours are in a day, that my husband and I can see the world, that I can throw myself into my job. My world is in this house, and I already had a great job into which I’d thrown myself for two decades. No, not the writing job – the motherhood job. I was good at it, if I do say so myself, and because I was, I’ve now been demoted to part-time work. Soon I will attain emeriti status. This stinks.”
We Can Help
Not sure what to do now that your chicks have flown the coop? Concerned about how you and your spouse will handle it when there are only two places set at the dinner table? Wondering who you are now that no one is calling out, “Mom where’s my …” twenty times a day?
We understand your dilemma and have the skills to help you transition through this difficult time. There really is life after mountains of laundry and endless soccer games. We’ll help you find it!
Divorce
While far from uncommon in our world, divorce and its fallout frequently catch us by surprise. We are surprised to be single again, surprised by family or friends’ reactions, surprised by lifestyle changes or surprised by the way in which it changes our relationship with our children. Surprised by its effect on our self-esteem, surprised by our sometimes unpredictable moods or surprised by the new skills we may be forced to learn.
We Can Help
Whether the divorce was your choice or was chosen for you, divorce forever changes your life – financially, relationally, emotionally and spiritually. For some, the support of family and friends is enough to successfully navigate this life-altering transition. But for many, the care and support of a trained professional, knowledgeable in the area of divorce recovery can make all the difference. If you are struggling with any aspect of your divorce, we can help.
Chronic Illness
Limitation. Accommodation. Compromise. Disappointment. Fear. Anger. Frustration. Modification. Anticipation. Hope. Acceptance. If you are someone who lives with a chronic illness, these words have special significance for you. Some or all of them may be a part of your world every moment of every day.
We Can Help
We understand that sometimes you need someone to listen. Or a place to vent. Or a place to collaborate and problem-solve. Without guilt, without judgment, but with acceptance and understanding. If these words are a part of your daily vocabulary, we can help.
Grief/Loss
The death of a spouse, a child, a sibling or parent can be devastating. While much has been researched and written about the process of grieving, the fact is, no two people grieve in exactly the same way. We are unique individuals, experiencing our losses in our own unique way.
We Can Help
We help individuals cope with the myriad emotions experienced at the time of a significant loss. Rather than seeking “closure”, we view the process as one of acceptance and adaptation. We have the experience and strength to walk with you on that journey.
Living With Intention
Do you ever get to the end of your day wondering what you accomplished? Do you ever feel that you don’t have time for the people and things that really matter?
Individuals who live with intention end each day with the satisfaction of knowing that their life has meaning and purpose. They know that their interactions with others are authentic and genuine.
Living with intention means knowing what is important to you and that your daily life reflects those priorities. Take control of your relationships, your life and your future.
At Living With Intention you will find a safe, confidential place where you can work toward self-changed, increased self-awareness, and greater control of your life.
Women’s Concerns
Women’s lives have never been more complex than they are today. We typically understand ourselves in terms of our relationships and the roles we play in those relationships. Daughter, mother, sister, wife, lover, boss, employee and friend are just a sampling of the roles we may be expected to play on any given day.
We Can Help
If you feel overwhelmed by the complexity and sheer volume of the relationships you are in, intentional living can provide the answers you are looking for. Find purpose, balance and contentment in your life though Living With Intention.
Self Esteem
Self-Esteem can be defined as a person’s overall self-appraisal of their own worth. It involves both beliefs, such as “I am competent” vs. “I am incompetent,” as well as emotions, such as “pride” vs. “shame.” Poor self-esteem can have devastating consequences such as stress, loneliness, anxiety and depression. It can damage friendships and relationships, as well as work and academic performance.
We Can Help
Living With Intention empowers individuals to identify the source(s) of their low self-esteem and provides the tools and support needed to overcome obstacles that are holding them back. The solution to low self-esteem is truly through living an intentional life.
Career Change
A new phenomenon in our culture, most individuals can expect to change careers at least twice in their lifetime. Changes in technology, down-sizing, the increasing globalization of our economy, broader access to education and a lengthening life-expectancy are all contributing factors. But where do I start? What do I do first? How do I determine what career is right for me? How do I minimize the emotional impact of a career change on myself and my family?
We Can Help
An intentional approach to career change empowers you to make personal and professional choices that bring meaning and purpose to your life and the lives of those you love.
Work-Life Balance
More Americans now “live to work” than “work to live,” according to a recent national survey. Healthy living requires a balance of achievement — not just work but also tasks of daily living — and enjoyment — attention given to yourself, family, and friends. Recent challenges in the economy and changes in technology have made the problem even worse.
The recession has led many to say, “I’m not very happy, but I should be because I have a job.” Additionally, the economic downturn has left fewer people doing more work — resulting in less time for family activities and for personal restoration, recuperation, and leisure. Breakthroughs in technology now mean that you are never really “out-of-touch,” but instead “on” all the time. Cultural changes have lead to “TO DO list overload,” and mindless thoughts popping in and out of our heads. Crowded thoughts about what to cook for dinner, emails that need to be answered, grass that needs to be cut — all rob us of the present moment. These types of imbalances, over time, can lead to depression, anxiety, an increased risk of unhealthy choices, all of which can lead to unhealthy habits.
At Living With Intention, LLC, we can help you reach for and maintain a manageable, healthy balance. You can learn to make decisions mindfully and intentionally, not simply out of habit or reflex. You can regain, or perhaps find for the very first time, an appropriate work-life balance. We can help.
