Ep. 34 | How to Have the Conversation You're Avoiding With Your Parent | Yvonne Caputo

If you've been avoiding a hard conversation with an aging parent, this episode gives you a real place to start, and a real story of what it looks like when it works. Yvonne Caputo didn't grow up close to her father. It wasn't until she sat on her retirement community's ethics team and watched a family struggle because a resident's advance directive couldn't be honored, that she thought to ask her own dad if he had one. That single question opened a door. Over the years that followed, her father began sharing his World War II stories for the first time, including nightmares he'd carried silently for sixty years. As a psychotherapist, Yvonne was able to explain to him why those nightmares happened, and she describes hearing her father's shoulders drop with relief, decades after the war ended. That relationship deepened into the hardest conversation of all: walking her father through the Five Wishes document, and honoring his wish to leave his home feet first, surrounded by family, at peace. In this conversation, Yvonne and K. talk about what it actually takes to open up someone who has shut down, why open-ended questions change everything, and how the small conversations along the way make the big one possible. Yvonne Caputo has been a teacher, a corporate trainer and consultant, the head of human resources at a retirement community, and a psychotherapist. She holds master's degrees in education and clinical psychology. She is the author of Flying with Dad and Dying with Dad. Learn more about the Five Wishes document: https://fivewishes.org Connect with Yvonne: LinkedIn:   / yvonne-caputo-1449137   Facebook:   / xcskiyvonne   Email: [email protected] _____ About The Harmony Principle Podcast The Harmony Principle Podcast is a live weekly show hosted by K. Miller, health coach and founder of Kimemeki — Where Moms Heal and Grow. Each episode explores how high-achieving women and mothers can stop chasing balance and start living in harmony with who they actually are. Subscribe and join us live every Friday at 9 AM EST  *************************************** MEDICAL & PROFESSIONAL DISCLAIMER **************************************** The information provided in this video, including all text, graphics, images, and other materials, is for educational and informational purposes only. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The views and opinions expressed by guests on The Harmony Principle Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of K. Miller or the Kimemeki brand. While we explore topics related health, and personal development, K. Miller is a health and life coach, not a licensed medical or mental health professional. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or physical health goals. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard in this conversation. Reliance on any information provided in this episode is solely at your own risk.