My Story

The idea for the AGING SMART/AWARENESS WORKSHOP happened as I was trying to understand why my siblings, caregivers, medical providers, and I struggled so much to help our parents meet their needs for life satisfaction as they aged.

Eager to understand the underlying causes of what my parents, sisters, my brother and I were experiencing, was my main motivation to research what needs we have especially as we age. As I am aging myself, it was particularly important for me to be able to become aware of these inner needs. That way, I could be aware and able to avoid falling into the chaos and powerlessness I experienced with my parents as they aged.

I embarked on a journey to research needs; specifically need satisfaction as we age. I learned through research in social, clinical, and positive psychology on aging, cultural perceptions on aging and neuroscience, that, as we age, a set of needs emerge that seek satisfaction and thus personal fulfillment. These needs are internal, of the individual, of the self, independent of our cultural norms. Needs such as self-esteem, self-determination, self-compassion, and self-actualization emerge over time and require a different set of skills to fulfill them.

From my work of over 20 years in the area of prevention, community facilitation and research in the field of aging, I have developed The Aging Smart/Awareness Workshop, which combines scientific research from Positive Psychology (learned optimism, resilience, compassion, reframing) Social and Cognitive Psychology (motivation, needs satisfaction) and neuro-physiology (brain neuroplasticity and habit formation). I have taken Social and Cultural perceptions on aging (ageism) and created an educational experience in which participants, 55 years and older, are able to identify, understand and meet their internal needs so they can fully experience life satisfaction and overall well-being as they age.

I wish I could have shared this knowledge with my parents, who have since passed. I am sure they would have been able to experience more life satisfaction while they were still alive. However, I hope others will benefit from what I have learned about need satisfaction.

My research shows fulfillment of these needs is related to the experience of life satisfaction. Taking this course is the first step to your well-being and learning about your aging needs.

A bit on my credentials: I am a Positive Psychology Practitioner. I hold a BA in Psychology and two Masters in Communication Arts. For the past thirty years I have worked in Organizational Training and Development, Family Support & Prevention Services and Community Facilitation both for the State of Florida and Non for Profits. I am fluent in Spanish. I am also a professional Architectural Photographer a Conceptual Artist and a published author.

It is my wish we can all become smart-agers and enjoy life satisfaction and overall well-being for as long as we live. I feel this is my parents’ legacy too!