Coaching for Women in Midlife

“Working with Jessica helped me to change the way I think about myself. Now I can move through the world more confidently, authentically, calmly, with a quiet confidence. And if something difficult arises, I have more of a tool kit to respond.”

~N.G., Bethesda, MD

As women, our lives are complex, sometimes hard, and often beautiful, which is why I believe we can’t separate the practical from the emotional or the physical. Unlike other coaches who focus on single issues, I address the interconnected challenges of midlife – because your body, relationships, and career don’t exist in isolation. Using my various sources of experience, knowledge, and training, I am able to embolden your whole self, rather than focusing on one facet of your life.

As a midlife coach I support women who are struggling with any, or all, of the following:

• Evolving Bodies: struggles with perimenopausal/menopausal symptoms, weight gain/body composition changes, health status changes, need/desire to make changes to diet, etc.
• Parenting Challenges: adjusting to an empty nest, navigating relationships with tweens/teens, managing exhaustion and parenting younger children, etc.
• Relationship Shifts: adjusting to a new stage of life together, different visions for the future, intimacy issues, partnerships ending, starting to date, etc.
• Sandwich Generation Struggles: changing relationship with aging parents, care-taking stressors, balancing needs from kids and parents, etc.
• Career Changes: craving a change, determining vision for next phase in professional life, frustrations with age discrimination, figuring out how to slow down/transition, etc.
• Identity Shifts: as a mother, wife/partner, professional, daughter, friend, community member, etc.

What’s It Like Working with Me?

I am like your grounded, supportive, sometimes bossy, best friend. I listen deeply, empathize fully, and help you to cut through the paralysis that can so often come when we are either overwhelmed with life or just bombarded by all of the advice and information that comes at us from every direction. I’ll help you to prioritize, clarify, and come up with practical solutions to life’s challenges. Sometimes the work is in finding the answers for yourself and sometimes you need a little nudge – I’m by your side through all of it.

Case Studies

Here are just a few of my client’s success stories:

Nina came to me overwhelmed by all of her various care-taking roles and frustrated by how it limited her career development. Through our work together she was able to establish boundaries with multiple family members, which then created the time and energy she needed to be able to focus on her job more fully, which resulted in a promotion and other exciting new opportunities.

Annette came to me when she was experiencing decision paralysis about a major life change. In just three sessions we were able to establish her plan of action and determine a timeline, while also integrating more self-care into her life so that she wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed moving forward.

Sarah came to me in a general state of overwhelm. Concerned about the stability of her marriage, her capacity to support an ailing parent, her job performance, and her own well-being, she wanted to find a way to reestablish balance. In just three sessions we established new self-care habits, determined a plan of care of her mom, and generated concrete steps she could take to improve her relationship with her husband.

Testimonials

Here’s what some of my clients have said about what it’s like to work with me:

“I want everyone to have a Jessica! That feeling I get after a session, I’m naming it after you. I want to bottle that feeling up.”

~L.G., Washington, DC

“Life seems lighter after I talk with Jessica, more manageable, there’s a path or plan forward, actionable steps.”

~P.L., Silver Spring, MD

Don’t let another year pass feeling stuck and overwhelmed!

Ways You Can Work with Me

In doing this work I have found that some women want to focus in on specific issues or challenges in a concentrated, private manner, while others crave the support found in a community of women who are going through the same things. In order to serve as many women as possible, I offer both individual and group coaching services.

I know how busy you are, so all coaching takes place online in order to make it easier to fit this important work into your already jam-packed life.

One-on-One Coaching

As an individual client you get my undivided attention on the issues that have brought you to me. In a judgment-free space, we move at your pace and dig deep to find actions and solutions that will help you to feel more in control and prepared to face the stressors in your life.

The first step in your one-on-one coaching journey with me is a FREE 30-minute online discovery session where you’ll share the challenges you’re currently facing and we’ll dig into what it is you really want to change. At the end of that session, we’ll discuss next steps and the various ways I can support you in your midlife journey. You’ll also come away with 1-2 ideas to try in the next week, so that you leave with a real sense of purpose and hope.

Rates

Our first session will be 90-minutes long, so that we can take our time and make sure we touch upon all of the different aspects of life that are most often pain points for women in midlife. After that, each session is 50-minutes.

Cost of First 90-Minute Session: $225

Cost of Subsequent 50-minute Sessions: $150 each*

*I also offer the opportunity to purchase multi-session packages for a 10% discount. Payment plans for packages also available for easy budgeting.

Group Coaching

For those who are eager to tackle the struggles they are facing in midlife, but would like to do so in a community of supportive women who are tackling similar challenges, I offer a group program called Mastering Midlife. This group, which is part course, part support group, looks at many of the issues that women find especially difficult at this stage of life including:

• The menopause transition
• Changing bodies
• Shifting relationships
• Burnout
• (Re)discovering our purpose
• Concern for what the future might look like
• And more!

Learn more about the Mastering Midlife group here.

Which Coaching Option is Right For Me?

Desired Feature	One-on-One Coaching	Group Coaching
A better understanding of the menopause transition	X	X
A deep dive into common midlife stressors	X	X
A clear vision for the next stage of my life		X
A laser focus on the issues I’m struggling with	X
A concrete plan of action to tackle my challenges	X
Total confidentiality	X
Hearing from other women facing similar challenges		X

Your future self will thank you for taking action today!

Frequently Asked Questions

For many of us, focusing time, attention, and money on our own health and well-being can feel uncomfortable and selfish. Here are my answers to some of the common concerns I hear:

1) How do I make time for this when I am already so overwhelmed?

As a woman in midlife myself I totally understand how precious our time is. But just think about much time you waste feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted. By working with me you’ll have the opportunity to reclaim that time and use it with a sense of purpose. That sounds like a pretty good use of time, if you ask me. Plus, all of my sessions are offered online so you have no commute time to deal with!

2) I can’t afford it.

It is true, $150/session is an investment. But it is an investment in yourself and a future that is full of health, well-being, balance, and possibility. To make the service more affordable, I do offer a 10% discount if you choose opt for a 3, 6, or 12-session package. In addition, my group program is much more affordable and I do offer a sliding scale option in certain situations.

3) Do you take insurance?

Unfortunately, insurance companies still do not cover coaching services, but I do offer discounted plans (see above).

4) What’s the difference between coaching and therapy?

While we do often tackle emotional issues in coaching sessions, coaching is not designed to dig deep into your psyche, but rather is an action-oriented approach to tackling the issues at hand. As your coach I provide an emotionally safe space in which you can explore your struggles while also coming away with a concrete plan of action so that you feel in clear and in control.

5) Can you do a group just for me and my friends?

Absolutely! Just email me and we can work out a plan!

My Credentials as a Midlife and Menopause Coach

In order to be able to support women in all of the different aspects of their lives, I have completed a variety of training programs.

• I received my Masters in Social Work (2005) from The University of Michigan School of Social work where I focused my training on providing therapeutic services to women and families
• I am a certified health coach (2013), receiving my training from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition
• I am a certified menopause coach (2024), receiving my training from the GGS Academy
• I completed a CEU course in coaching through the midlife transition (2024)

My philosophy and approach

Let’s face it: life is a scramble. The to-do lists, obligations, information, and expectations coming at us from all sides can feel pretty overwhelming. As women, we are socialized to be caretakers. We are raised to put others’ needs before our own. In some ways, this is a true gift. It makes us emotionally attuned, compassionate, flexible, super efficient, and really effective jugglers of all of the things.

But it also means that we tend to put ourselves on the back burner – did you know, for instance, we women are much more likely to shell out cash to pay for a service, course, or experience for our kids, our partners, even our friends, than we are for ourselves?? And that’s after we have been overwhelmed with messages about the importance of self-care!! 

Furthermore, as we navigate adulthood, we are overwhelmed by information and pressured to do everything the “right” way – from parenting to career to eating to exercise to relationships. Not only does it impose intense pressure, but making sense of all of the different approaches and philosophies can, in and of itself, be a full-time job. So it’s no surprise that we often throw up our hands and just try to limp along as best as we can. 

But the truth is that we have a choice. We can navigate the craziness with the resentment, frustration, and fear that naturally arises, or we can use those emotions to step into our strength and do it our own way. 

You are likely asking yourself: But how do I do that? How do I balance the expectations that bombard me from every side (work, family, community) with my own needs? How do I make space to “put on that oxygen mask?” How do I find the ability to prioritize some of my own needs, while also making space for the pulls on me that come from so many directions? 

I believe that once we acknowledge these tensions and pressures, we can reframe these questions and ask: What if we could do it differently? What if there was a judgment-free approach to finding balance, choosing priorities, and making sense of the challenges that we face from raising humans to determining our career goals to navigating midlife so that we could move forward with purpose and confidence? 

I would be honored to be your midlife coach as you embark upon this journey.