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S P I R I T O F W O M E N W I N T E R 2 016 w w w. s p i r i t o f w o m e n . c o m
H E A L T H Y L I F E S T Y L E
W
hen raising children has been your raison d'etre
for multiple decades, it can be hard to know what
to do with yourself when the kids move out and
move on. But the sometimes bittersweet shift to a
child-free household can offer a great opportunity
to find your groove all over again.
"What's so important for people to ask themselves when faced
with an empty nest is, 'What turns me on?'" says San Francisco-
based Rachel Fleischman, a licensed social worker and Registered
Expressive Arts Therapist.
After identifying so closely with your children, "it can be a really
hard turning point to look into your own eyes and ask, 'Who am
I?'" says Fleischman, who is also the founder of Bliss Psychotherapy.
"You have to learn to re-identify with yourself and get selfish in a
really healthy way."
empty e m
the
Making the most of your new freedom
p y
nest
By
Stephanie
Thompson