A zillion thanks to Elizabeth Venart (director & founder of The Resiliency Center in Ambler - and my laughter yoga leader!!) for recommending KIM VARGAS, when I came looking for someone with whom an older friend could talk. What I was looking for was someone who would focus on the promises of growing older, the treasures to be found in saging, the joys waiting to be discovered. Kim is a wonderful match for a delightful older woman who just needs someone to talk to, rather than to work out "issues."
Kim is perfect, at least for this particular senior. Her bio describes Kim's open, engaged style helps promote a warm and nonjudgmental environment" ~ so true. As I write this, am smiling, seeing in my mind's eye the happy greeting she always gives on our arrival, her lit-up face, the gentle sense of friendship that fills the room as I high tail it out for the duration of their talk session. She is a wonder! No matter how my grannie client might feel at the start of a visit with Kim, she always walks out with a lighter step, all smiles and... well - seeming more resilient.
Frankly, it continually shocks me how most people seem unaware of the MEGA value to seniors - especially those who are seriously older - of having someone "safe" to talk with, someone with whom they can share the things once confided to long-gone good friends & beloved family.
Of course, it's a huge advantage that Kim has an info sheet on one of her primary areas of expertise - helping new moms address the challenges & joys of parenthood. That one info sheet helped my grannie client lower her guard & warm to Kim! Kim seems to bring to their talks the same openness she brings to her new moms, available to discuss whatever comes up.
Writing about Kim - okay, praising her to the skies - is spurring me to consider the WHY behind my longtime advocacy for seniors to have a wise confidant. Seems like 99.99% of us youngers are more or less oblivious to the immense inner challenges faced by olders, especially if they've lost a partner or never married. Throughout their lives, there's been more experienced others to help them adjust & learn to ace a new stage - parents, teachers, employers all helped introduce them to & master whatever new environment they faced. In old age, they often feel rudderless. Having the willing ear of a trained counselor provides someone who can help them navigate the new waters on which they find themselves. This can be true for those living in their own longtime homes, in longtime communities, with friends & family close by, but even more so for the many moved into "senior lifestyle" communities.
Anxiety, depression, loss of a sense of self, family relationships, missing a spouse, transitioning to new & often scary states – Kim deftly navigates each of these. Best of all, she is someone with whom my grannie client feels at ease, her counseling area a space where my older friend feels welcome & safe.
Even if Kim charged twice, three times, the modest rate she bills for the bi-weekly hour, the return on investment would be beyond worth it, providing priceless benefits for both my grannie client & her family.
Wishing all my senior friends had a Kim in their life. She rocks!!
from Kim's professional bio - Kim Vargas is a Clinical Social Worker licensed in the State of Pennsylvania. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies from Brown University and graduated from Catholic University with a Masters in Social Work. She has been a psychotherapist for over 12 years working with clients to address a variety of issues, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, parenting and relationships. She is trained in both Cognitive-Behavioral and Psychodynamic Therapies, and utilizes techniques from both to promote growth, empowerment, and a greater level of happiness in her clients. (small wonder i think the world of kim - we share the same basic goals to engage-energize-empower! ~ deev ~)
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