I wrote Lipstick and Soul to address the multiple challenges women face today, having many roles to juggle all while finding time for themselves. The book written from a personal perspective is based upon caring for a chronically ill husband and my professional experience as a marriage and family therapist in private practice.

Pain provides the possibility.

At a certain point, after spending years focused on caring for my husband whose health became more and more fragile, I began to ask myself, “Where do I, the woman, fit into the picture of all of this caretaking business?” The question was painful to face, let alone to answer.  Would I stay or go?  Ultimately, I found leaving was not an option. I loved my husband.  To be emotionally free, I had to find a way to be true to myself while integrating the loss of the marriage I had always dreamed of. Otherwise, I knew resentment would grow.

The concept of woman-self-care became my North Star. Thus, I stepped foot into uncharted territory. I brought with me the skills I had in my professional toolbox. I leaned on faith and talked with girlfriends. It was not easy. The path, which swung back and forth between the role of caretaker and being my woman-self, as painful as it was, turned out to be enriching. It became a journey filled with gifts that were beyond my imagination. The tips and lessons I learned along the way are those I want to share with you.

The journey in the book.

Lipstick and Soul is a multi-layered journey. It is an invitation to walk your path when you get to the crossroad of not knowing “what to do” or “how to be.” I think of the book as a map to help you take the next step when you feel lost, without answers. It is the place where the Lipstick and Soul journey begins.