This is a hidden secret in San Francisco! The Life Strategy Studio opened early this year in the becoming hip Mission Bay neighborhood. It provides professional coaching for women in midlife and offers options for women to meet in a group setting. Barbara Mark, Ph.D., the owner, offers "get-down" honesty in an up-scale environment. It is like meeting with a half dozen of your best friends to talk about all things midlife - work/life balance, relationships, sex, career, spirituality.
As an executive fighting off the pressures of the corporate world, I appreciate the opportunity to let my hair down and talk about what things are vying for attention in my life. It is enough of a challenge to be dealing with the politics of the office and balancing that with the demands of the rest of my life - but add "midlife-crisis" to the mix and it isn't a pretty picture. Here I have learned to identify my real priorities and take better care of myself. I find time now to be creative, to be spiritual and to enjoy my family and myself.
We meditate, we stretch, we talk, we set goals and we're kept accountable for the decisions we've made. Unlike therapy, it is grounded in the here and now with practical, everyday strategies for making my life more fulfilling.
The actual physical space is amazing. It isn't what I expected when I arrived at the building. The neighborhood is a pretty "industrial" environment. But once inside, I thought - I've found a home away from home. There is an area that is like a cozy, living room, another area with a conference table where we do writing, make "vision boards" or other hands-on activities. Then there is an open space for sitting and meditating or doing a little bit of simple yoga. There's also a treadmill for working off some of that stress! I can enjoy my favorite tea and the background music as I sink into a comfort that has really come to be an important part of my life. read more