Designed to fit your needs
Our work together can be time limited — focused on a transition plan or goal — or it can be ongoing. We will design it together to best meet your goals.
Some families use the family consultation as a one- time service to get them started. Others find that it’s best to meet a few times initially and then follow up as needed. As a general guide, it’s best to plan on 1-3 sessions over a few weeks for the initial consultation process and planning. Once your plan is in motion, we can discuss what follow up might be most useful to your situation. Sibling groups (or whoever is on your team!) are welcome to attend together. Services are available by Skype or phone consultation.
Caregiving for a spouse or life partner
Caring for an ill partner can be lonely and isolating. You may be experiencing loss of emotional support and intimacy, assumption of new responsibilities and changing emotions that may include grief, exhaustion, or anger. You need a safe place that is yours alone. Give yourself permission to get this support.
Family consultations to care for an aging family member
Balancing respect, safety and independence for parents or a partner while coping with the emotions of changing roles in the family can be overwhelming in the best of circumstances. Families don’t always agree on what care is needed. Together we will assess your family’s needs, prioritize challenges, and identify needed education and resources. If there is family conflict, I can guide discussions that are solution-focused and mediate planning that everyone can be on board with.
Assisting the Transitioning Senior
Navigating the aging process is different for each of us. Health issues can crop up quickly, changing our outlook on life, affecting our emotional well-being or putting our well laid retirement plans into question. If you are experiencing a life transition related to a change in physical, cognitive or emotional health, please consider allowing me to assist you.
Caring for an aging parent who didn’t care for you
Some of us find ourselves in the role of caring for someone who didn’t really care for us. If this is your situation, it is necessary to align yourself with ongoing professional support. Providing care for an aging parent or family member who hurt you or did not keep you safe places both the caregiver and the care receiver at risk. You must care for your emotional self while navigating the practical challenges that lie ahead. Together we can sort out how to ensure that your family member gets the care they need while providing a safe space for you as well. Don’t go it alone. Please call today to schedule a consultation.
ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Individuals with ALS usually have no cognitive changes. However some people will develop frontotemporal dementia. Cathleen has worked with individuals living with ALS for ten years, in palliative care, as a support group facilitator and as an interim member of the interdisciplinary team of the ALS Clinic in Indianapolis. She is happy to provide counseling for those with ALS and their caregivers. Because travel for persons with ALS is often difficult, we can discuss home visits on a case by case basis.