Case Study: Steve

“I stepped into a circle of creativity and courage that Emily designed. Courage to look at the difficult subjects and creativity to address them afresh. I found this daunting at first, and Emily saw this and brought caring into our circle. She heartened my problem-solving self and equipped me with practical tools. The outcomes are exceptional, and I have gained a trusted advisor and coach.”


Steve and his wife are in good health and have built a successful consulting company.  He has two adult daughters from his first marriage, two adult sons with his second wife, grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews. There are some familial challenges, health challenges, and multi-generational challenges that Steve wanted to review before he redid his estate plan.

It was very important to Steve that his head and heart were aligned with his revisions. After their initial conversation, Emily created a document for him that contained a recap of the information he had shared, the questions he pondered and the gaps between what existed and what he was feeling. Emily’s guidance included the timeline approach as well. She detailed what had to be accomplished in the short term, should something happen to him sooner rather than later. Next, they looked at the different scenarios that they had discussed to see which ones resonated with his mindful and emotional self. Emily also included suggested conversation points he could have with his wife and each of his four children to gain further clarity.


“If I have to walk through a pitch-black room and I stumble into a chair, it makes me angry and anxious about other unseen obstacles.  But if you tell me beforehand that there’s a chair in the room, when I stumble into it I don’t feel angry or anxious.  I actually feel reassured:  I’m in the right room, I found the chair and I can move ahead.”


Steve had these conversations with each member of his immediate family and reported back that they were some of the most meaningful, loving, and informative conversations he has ever had with them.

The next step was to take the new information and integrate it with his own resonance. After that process, Emily gave Steve an outline of questions for his professional team to ensure that his financial picture and the state’s legal requirements were in sync with his wishes.  Steve’s new estate plan is now fully aligned with all aspects of his life, his head, and his heart.