January '24 in the SMP
Happy New Year!
And holy crap, it’s 2024! I don’t know about you, but a lesson I’ve learned well in recent years is that things could and likely will look wildly different 12 months from now. Personally, I’m thanking my lucky stars for my problem set and buckling up for what I’m certain will be yet another wild year out there!
I’m also a keep-moving-forward kinda girl, so you can expect things to iterate here at the SMP. In the following sections, I’ll talk about some exciting happenings as well as offerings that I’m considering. (Some of which I’ll invite you to help me decide whether they make sense to add to the ways the SMP might support you toward the Life you’d like to be living.)
In the SMP Online Community
We’re launching the year together with a revisit to the 3-module Foundations Course (formerly known as helpful concepts along the way, now only available within our Mighty Network community.) During our monthly meeting yesterday, we dug into the content of Module One: The Obstacle is the Way and had some rich discussion about the benefits of reorienting toward the circumstance that likely brought you here so you can use it as rich ground for self-discovery and growth. And why stop there? Making this Stoic tenet one of your Guiding Principles might just transform your whole Life.
I was so impressed and moved by the input of the amazing moms that were present that I want to do it again for those who weren’t able to attend Sunday’s meeting. We’re looking to have another live meeting on January 25, where moms will be invited to share how consciously applying these ideas is affecting the quality of their actual experience.
Also coming up this month, I’ll be conducting my first podcast interview with a live audience. Dr. Maggie Goldsmith has agreed to return to the conversations along the way podcast, and members of the online community are invited to attend that interview and generate questions for the Q&A based on Maggie’s and my conversation. We’re scheduled to record those episodes on Saturday, January 27th. I’m really looking forward to talking with Maggie about the concept of surrender, what that means and what it doesn’t.
If you’re interested in joining these conversations, you can learn more about community membership here:
https://the-stoicmom-project.mn.co/ (Be sure to scroll down below the header image to find more information and the application to join.)
New(ish) Audio Content?
I’ve been considering converting my archive of written articles into audio content. This would accomplish a few things:
It would help newer subscribers access some of those older articles they may have not discovered yet.
I could update each of article with new insights and information that have come my way since the original article was written.
It would offer subscribers who don’t have time to sit and read everything a way to consume the content on-the-go, whether that be during the commute to work or while completing chores around the house.
These would be released as a series of podcast episodes and be added to the reflections along the way content. If this sounds like something you’d be into, it would be ever-so-encouraging if you’d leave me a comment on this post saying so!
New Group Coaching Program?
I know the cost of 1:1 coaching can be prohibitive for some. I’ve done my best to offer free (the majority of content here at the Substack) and low-cost (paid subscriptions and the online community) support for moms experiencing the destabilizing circumstance of parenting a child who has claimed a trans-identity.
I don’t think there’s really any better support than 1:1 coaching, where you can dig deep into the very unique and sensitive obstacles in your path toward inner peace and enduring vitality. But of course, this is a more high-end investment that may not be realistic for your budget.
I’ve been considering offering group coaching for moms of adult trans-identified kiddos with a specific focus on evolving that relationship through conscious communication. With the new year, I thought I’d gauge interest to see if this is something that would offer value to those who’ve been following the SMP for some time but are wanting something a little more high touch than the online community, but not so intense as 1:1 coaching.
I’ve run small women’s groups in the past (in a very different context) and there are distinct benefits to participating in this type of coaching program. With a narrower focus and a small, intimate group of moms, you may quickly develop new communication skills that have the power to transform your relationships. During each live meeting, a certain number of moms will be invited into the “spotlight” and receive coaching that all in attendance might benefit from. Participants know ahead of time whose turn it is to spotlight and will be instructed how to prepare for this laser coaching session.
I’ll be honest and say I’m on the fence about this offer. It will be a considerable time investment for me, requiring the development of content and other structured elements to ensure it’s as robust and transformative as possible. It also won’t work unless the participants show up fully, really ready to implement the recommended changes to the way you communicate—and trust me, this is no easy feat. For this reason, I need to screen carefully and ensure those who express interest are a good fit for the program.
To this end, I’ve created this screening form you can use to gauge and communicate to me your interest in such a program. Whether or not I launch this will depend on level of interest (the first group will cap at 6 and be the pilot group):
http://bit.ly/SMPGroupCoachingInterest
Please note that this group is intended for moms of adult trans-identified kids who’ve experienced the intense feelings (fear/desperation, anger/rage, hopelessness/impotence, deep sadness/grief) that are normal in the early months (and sometimes years) of discovering your child’s identity and are now ready to use this obstacle as the way to develop communication skills that will help you and your child individuate and have a healthy adult-to-adult relationship. (This might be appropriate for parents with children as young as 16, depending on your beliefs around your responsibility as a parent. Feel free to complete the form as a way to discover whether you’d benefit from participation.)
“the way” that I discovered on the other side of “the obstacle”
When I reflect on the path I’ve traveled since discovering my daughter’s trans identity in 2018, it’s pretty wild: the twists and turns, the precipitous drops and exhilarating highs, the complete reorientation to Life, the resources that retroactively supported what I seemed to need to learn the hard way—and where’s it’s all led me.
Where I find myself now is as an avid believer in Jungian philosophy. His map of the psyche, his ideas on human development over the lifespan, his typology model for personality; these all offer what feels like an irresistible invitation to become whole and healthy, to embrace meaning and purpose. I see it as spirituality for those who recognize “the God-shaped hole” in our culture, but for whom organized religion doesn’t resonate. And yet, even those with a strong faith system often find value in his ideas to support continued growth, discovering more Life and increased vitality.
What I’m getting at here and what I’m excited to share with you is that I have decided to deepen my understanding of Jung’s ideas and how to apply them by enrolling in a Jungian life coach certification program. I’m almost two months into an intensive year-long study and practicum, and I’m excited about being able to incorporate this knowledge into my coaching practice and offer this Jungian approach to my clients!
It was an intimidating investment of time, energy, and money that I grappled with intensely before deciding to take the leap—frankly, it felt like a call I couldn’t refuse.
If you’re feeling trapped, rigid, stifled, confused, lonely, hopeless, stagnant… it might be that you’re pushing away an important invitation. What’s calling you and what will you claim for yourself in 2024?
Congrats on deciding to do the Jungian life coach certification program. This is an exciting development for you and for the impact you can have in the world.