JANE WOLF FRANCES, M.S.W., J.D.

Author of the book: Parenting Our Parents: How to Transform this Remarkable Challenge into a Journey of Love.

Family love expert, coach, advocate and author, Jane Wolf Frances, M.S.W., J.D., is a licensed psychotherapist, attorney and the founder of ParentingOurParents™ (POP) and its unique POP Family Coaching Program that helps families with aging seniors successfully navigate the many confusing and complex practical, emotional, financial, legal and other challenges. Jane offers qualified professionals the opportunity to become Certified as POP Family Coaches as well as offering POP Family Coaching to families. She has spent five decades honing her skills as a problem-solver, applying her special brand of “listening” to the concerns presented by her clients.

Background: Graduating with honors from Wellesley College, Jane received her Juris Doctor law degree from Boston University. Later in life, she attended UCLA to receive her master’s degree in social work, becoming a licensed Psychotherapist. Jane expanded her year of coaching skills by working with Dr. Martin Seligman and the country’s leading team of “Happiness Scientist” Coaches. Jane’s years of education reflect more than focused determination and scholarly discipline. They also afforded Jane a fascinating career with the Peace Corps and VISTA Volunteer programs; in anti-poverty law; as a Law Professor working with Dream Team attorney Gerald F. Uelmen; a “dealmaker” at 20th Century Fox and a part of some of the most fascinating cases of our day. Jane has also won awards volunteering her time at AIDS Project Los Angeles, running caregiver support groups and working to change unfair tax laws.

Therapy: Jane now practices psychotherapy telemedically and from her offices in southern California. For decades she’s counseled individuals and families to successfully resolve their biggest problems – losses, relationship, career, stage of life. She offers her patients not only her years as a mental health professional and family coach but also the experience of teaching and practicing law.


Jane’s Experience with “Parenting Our Parents”

Parenting Our Parents: Jane’s realizations came one Christmas when she traveled back for a family visit and discovered that her aging parents, then in their late 80s, had been concealing from her that they were in seriously ill health and that their home was a shambles. Jane recognized that she’d come upon a life-defining moment, that this could be her chance to “give back” to the parents who’d given her life, an education and so much more. Choosing to reverse her former place as the child in the family, Jane found herself embracing a new role as their POParent. Soon thereafter, Jane founded POP when she discovered that her personal family problem was actually a problem for literally millions of Americans, and then she saw there was nowhere people could turn to learn how to successfully face and “fix” this widespread crisis. Little did she know then that for her, doing “POP,” as she soon called it, would last for ten years, require her to tap into all of her educational and life resources, provide her the biggest challenge of her life – and turn into her life mission. But all of that happened.

Connect with Jane on LinkedIn


Book, Website, Blog, Community and Coaching: Jane courageously reveals her family’s story in her memoir/self-help book, “Parenting Our Parents: Transforming the Challenge into a Journey of Love.” She began with helping her own parents live their lives out with dignity and as much independence as their situations warranted. Then she reached out to so many others with a website, a blog, a POP community, a coaching program and by speaking to groups — so that other families could develop the practical and emotional skills they would also need. Perhaps most significant is the uplifting point of view that the “POP years” can actually become some of the best of our lives.

For more information on the book, CLICK HERE.


POP Family Coaching

It was also out of necessity that Jane became the first and Master POP Family Coach.  She pioneered a national program when she saw how many people were desperate for specialized, customized guidance as they traversed this unique time in family life.

Next Jane developed a Certification Program so that POParents, perhaps you even, might contemplate becoming trained as POP Family Coach.  By learning how to utilize this unique POP Family Coaching program, you can add to all you’ve already learned as a POParent!   You can contribute your own POP experience and wisdom to significantly aid other families who like yours want to traverse their POPcycles as a journey of love!

For more information about doing POP FAMILY COACHING with Jane, CLICK HERE.

For more information about becoming a POP Family Coach (PFC), CLICK HERE.

In addition to her private practice, Jane still conducts a limited number of POP family coaching sessions whenever she can. Jane likes to offer these primarily via the Internet on Skype, a virtually free communications technology. This live audio/video hookup allows her to bring together as many interested family members as possible, however near or far-flung, in ongoing discussions about utilizing POPlans, having particularly difficult conversations and whatever else they may need.


Launching the POP Community

Jane has joyously launched her mission of love, reaching out to create a global POP community via the Internet! As that vision materializes, Jane is succeeding by giving you and others in the POP community, the support and safety net she so missed when her folks were alive and in need of POParenting. She hopes you will see this website as the “go-to” place for all things POP and for everyone involved in a POPcycle, now or in the future.

You will find your own experience of caring for your aging loved ones is dramatically transformed when you think differently about POP and what it can give you and everyone in your family. ParentingOurParents may feel like a huge responsibility with lots and lots of things to figure out, do, talk about and resolve — and it is. But watch what happens when you, your siblings and your senior parents begin to heal the wounds that people in your family have carried around for decades.

When you choose to thoughtfully take on the challenges of this unique time and opportunity, you’ll get to have life “do-overs,” finding moments of sweetness when you feared sadness and repaying your folks for all they did when you were young – and ever since.

Listen to Jane sharing her story with the Spirit Matters Talk podcast HERE!

“In all my years of doing this work, I’ve never met anyone who’s said they regretted doing POP and neither will you. You will hear your parents’ gratitude and pride as they relax into their final days or years, knowing that you will be there compassionately caring.

It’s inevitable that your life will be enriched and your heart ‘expanded’ during your family’s POPcycle. I promise: just like I was changed for the better, after you’ve done POP, you too will never quite be the same again.” -Jane Wolf Frances, M.S.W., J.D.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

California
LCSW #18984
Good Therapy Credentials