Staying Married with Jen Vertanen

Although happy and successful on the outside, at 45, Jen Vertanen felt lonely, sad and bitter. The only thing she hadn’t tried was leaving her husband!In this raw and honest episode, we talk about: Loneliness Childhood traumaDifficult parental relationshipsGaslighting Finding different perspectives on old storiesRole modelsWhat do we mean when we talk about “doing the work”?The need for human connection The challenges of lifelong relationshipsWanting to be alone and without emotional responsibilityEmotional BurnoutHow Jen and her husband came back from the brinkBeing role modelsOur hope for our daughters’ generationWe discuss how we can project our own discontent onto someone we love so strongly that they almost become and effigy for everything wrong in our lives. Ultimately, Jen realised she needed to write new stories that served her better, to stop trying to run from herself or confront herself and work on healing.Find out more about Jen and her coaching practice here: https://jenvertanen.com/About this Podcast. Like all transitions, midlife can be messy and sad and glorious all at once, leaving many midlife women feeling rather alone and somewhat invisible. But what does this transition we are experiencing lead to? I'm Jo Blackwell, a photographer, author and coach for women who want more from their lives post 50 and I'm here to remind you that if we manage our health and embrace it, growing older can lead to one of the greatest periods of growth and transformation of our lives. My aim is to help women step into a starring role in their own lives - whatever that means to you. The Midlife Movement was created to change minds about midlife and growing older, one story at a time. Because we only become invisible when when we stop seeing ourselves. email [email protected] to take part in the podcast or suggest guests. See The Midlife & Beyond section of my website for more information and resources to help you navigate change with less stress and more joy! www.joblackwell.co.uk Get full access to Midlife & Beyond with Jo Blackwell at joblackwellmidlifeandbeyond.substack.com/subscribe