Group coaching program, online course, online community.
Love Endures
Helping partners of widowers transform from shadow to shine.
You are in a wonderful relationship with your partner who fiercely loved his late wife… and sometimes it feels really hard.
When you met your current partner, his huge heart attracted you, and you wanted to offer support for how much it had broken through loss. You admired his depth and commitment to his late wife and eventually the two of you became a couple, trying to reimagine love. You felt inspired and ready for this.
However, over time, you’ve become a little rough on the edges. Irritable, maybe even feeling compared. The fights were infrequent at first but now you both feel like you are walking on eggshells. You don’t want to be the jerk in the marriage, I mean, he’s the one who lost his wife. But, you feel stuck.
You want this relationship to be as strong as possible and so you've been reading articles from other partners of widowers, talking with those who might understand, and are even considering couples counseling.
You feel alone and even though your friends are supportive, they just don’t get it. Sometimes you feel guilty for being compared to his wife, like you’re in a shadow. You know he loves you but he also loved her so much. You suspect it’s possible to come out of this stronger but it feels a bit daunting.
You wish you could escape the crushing feeling of isolation and actually meet people who know how you feel so that you could have a healthy fulfilling relationship that honors both you and your partner.
What if there was a way forward from feeling like a second choice spouse to feeling authentic and connected in your relationship and…
You had permission to feel what you feel in all of its complexity without there being any blame.
You were able to stop feeling stuck and start moving forward with the challenging aspects of your relationship.
You weren’t driven by avoidance but could move toward acceptance to feel more free.
You no longer felt compared to his previous spouse but felt completely secure in your identity and grateful for her’s.
You were connected to a group of women who also “got it” who could encourage and support you.
You were able to gracefully embrace tension to find transformation.
You no longer felt deficient but internally embraced your own conviction that you are enough.
I created Love Endures so that you could find the support, validation and growth you’ve been craving and feel connected to others who understand what you’re going through. I want you to benefit from this evidence-based program so that you can show up to reimagine love at its best!
Meet the Guide
Hi, I’m Dr. Burson and I’ve walked in your shoes.
I want to help you transform your relationship with yourself so that you can shine in your relationship with a widower.
A glimpse of my story…
Fifteen years ago I fell in love with my husband not long after he had lost his wife to a 2 year battle with cancer. Although it was a beautiful story of finding each other in that grief, it wasn’t without struggle. I had much to learn about myself and knowing how to feel adequate and loveable in this relationship.
Our relationship almost didn’t make it and I feel like a lot of that was in my inability to have a healthy relationship with myself. It was like a slow-motion breaking point to finally start opening up to becoming less judgmental toward myself and less critical.
In this change of how I saw myself, it actually changed how I saw my husband’s late wife. She was no longer viewed as a competitor but felt like a dear friend. My loving husband and I now have a great family; I am proud of our relationship. I know I am enough, and this is part of my story. I am not hiding. I am living authentically and am seen.
I feel passionate about helping others in this unique situation because I remember how hard it was to connect with women who also “got it”. It was through struggle that I finally got to a good place with myself. I don’t want it to be so hard for you. Through my program, Love Endures, I want to help others grow and transform their relationship with themselves so that their relationship with their partner can thrive.
Together, we can do the hard but meaningful work of coming out of that shadow and into the shine!
I want YOU to be a part of my next Love Endures group!
What Other’s Are Saying! Get Inspired, This Could Be You!
When you join Love Endures, you’ll get:
The Love Endures Group Coaching Experience: Meet with an intimate group of no more than 6 women who meet virtually weekly for 10 weeks creating a space and place for belonging, validation and growth. These are hour-long sessions with Dr. Burson facilitating.
The Shadow to Shine Course: My 4 module course filled with evidence-based therapy applications to help you have a better relationship with yourself is delivered weekly, one lesson at a time throughout the program. You will have long term access to these 7 videos so you can go back and reference the valuable content over and over.
Online Community: Participants will be able to connect in a private FaceBook community to find the friendship, support and encouragement you’ve been longing for and further dive into insightful conversations.
The Love Endures Shine Kit: All participants, as a bonus gift upon signing up, receive a notebook to journal in, a pen and a handcrafted “shine” candle (made by Dr. Burson!) to be reminded of insights from the program.
Post-Course Happy Hour: For two months post-program you will have a monthly 60 min group call with Dr. Burson to ask about specific things that arise following the course or simply to reconnect with other women for support.
Access to replays: Course replays are available the following day to allow for re-watching or catching up in case someone has to miss a group.
As a Bonus, if you and a friend join, you’ll both receive:
Individual consultation: Free individual consultation call to gain deeper insight into what are pain points in your life (60 min).
Love Endures Necklace: This is a specially designed necklace for this course by a local jeweler to help remind you of the beautiful connection to this group.
“Dr. Burson changed my life and I am forever grateful.”
—Lindsey F
You might be wondering if you can relate to other women if certain parts of your story are not the same (e.g. if children are involved, if in-laws are creating issues, etc).
This is an important question! Something I’ve found in my work is that the more specific something is, the more universal it is. You may find that the specifics of your situation are very unique, and that’s ok! I feel confident that the larger universality of our journey will tie us together.
I am reminded of the late great Maya Angelou reminding us that “we are more alike my friends than we are unalike”. You have been isolated long enough but now can find support and validation and growth in working with other women in a serious relationship with a widower, regardless of the situation.
There will still be so much meaningful connection with others which is what you need. Sure, many variables in our individual lives will be different but the common themes associated with going from hiding in a shadow to shining in your authenticity will unite the group. You will probably be touched to see how much this theme of going from shadow to shine applies much more broadly to other parts of your life where you might feel like you are hiding - from discrimination, not feeling good enough, social esteem, professional development, etc.
The group size is small enough that it will be normal to feel close with the other women such that after the 10 weeks you will likely want to continue connecting with each other, regardless of our own unique journeys.
Meet the Shadow to Shine Program: The Modules at a Glance.
Module 1:
“Prepare the Soil”
Get to know the group and identify the mindsets you feel stuck in and begin to practice more intention all while having permission to start from where we are.
Module 2:
“Plant the Seed”
Travel through the challenging hurdles of avoidance and comparison by gaining awareness of what is important to us so that we can accept ourselves through a secure identity.
Module 3:
“Provide Nurture”
Transition from tension and isolation through practicing the brave art of compassion and internal validation to arrive at life-giving connection with ourselves and each other.
Module 4:
“Procure Produce”
Transform the feelings of deficiency so that you know you are enough, unlock and practice your authenticity, integrate everything you’ve learned, share your stories and reflect with gratitude.
It’s time to feel confident in your desire to transform your relationship with yourself to feel radiant!
Give yourself the permission to feel your complex emotions with others who have walked in your shoes. You can become more secure in your identity and finally get unstuck in your internal dialogue of comparison.
When you gravitate towards growth intentionally you get to transform the tension into growth. By fostering authentic connection both with yourself and others you will cultivate a deep sense of belonging that you crave. This ability to believe you are enough so that you are no longer a slave to feeling deficient will liberate you.
We’d love to welcome you into the group and help you feel at home in your relationship with yourself and others. We want to provide a connection and support so that you can become the best version of yourself. When grief separates the heart into so many pieces, it can grow back stronger and it is important to me that you know and that YOU are worthy of growing in that love.
You already have the empathy and compassion needed to fortify this relationship with yourself. All you have been missing is the support, validation and content for growth to guide you in this process. In this program you will get the belonging with yourself and others to move forward. The heart grows on! Join us for the next group!
PURCHASE OPTIONS:
Pay in Full
10 week live (virtual) group program
4 Module Online Course
Access to coaching session replays
Access to video modules of growth content
The Love Endures Shine Kit
Post-Group Happy Hour Consultation Calls10 week live (virtual) group course
Access to replays of course sessions
Access to video modules of growth content
Post-Group Happy Hour Consultation Calls
One Time Payment of
$ 2,997 USD
You’ll save $200 if you pay by Nov ‘22!
Paced Payment Program:
10 week live (virtual) group program
4 Module Online Course
Access to coaching session replays
Access to video modules of growth content
The Love Endures Shine Kit
Post-Group Happy Hour Consultation Calls10 week live (virtual) group course
Access to replays of course sessions
Access to video modules of growth content
Post-Group Happy Hour Consultation Calls
Each $999 USD Payment is auto-charged to the card you choose on the 1st, 4th and 7th week after registration.
Most flexible option!
What Other’s Are Saying…
Frequently Asked Questions:
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Great question! No, this is not group therapy or considered therapy at all. It is group coaching. Although I am a physician, psychiatrist and therapist in one part of my life - I also really enjoy coaching as I can lean into my own story and impact groups in a creative, meaningful way. Therapy, in my other practice, is considered a medical intervention where there is diagnosis and treatment. Coaching is not a medical intervention and there is no diagnosing or treating conditions.
Think of therapy as going into the past, digging in the ground and making sense of things trying to move forward. Coaching is more like starting from a solid foundation and building a structure - coaching is more like architecture than archeology!
If you need/would benefit from therapy/medical treatment in addition to group coaching, that is not only encouraged but is something we would talk about before hand and likely would require if there are separate diagnosable conditions such as depression or anxiety that require treatment. Otherwise, this group may feel quite therapeutic given the healing balm of connection with others and the evidence-based curriculum, but it is effective because it’s group coaching, not because it’s therapy. Thanks for asking!
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Group sessions are held Thursdays from 10:30-11:30 AM Central Time for 10 weeks; The next group starts the first Thursday in February 2023 for 10 weeks. All video content is released the Sunday of each week.
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It is highly encouraged to make each group session but replays are available in our virtual course room the following day if something comes up.
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Yes. This group is not a great fit if you intend to be a wallflower. You certainly will not be pressured or forced to share anything, you can pass on anything that is uncomfortable. However, you will get the most out of this group by investing your participation in the process.
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Given the digital nature of the course, refunds are not available. However, I truly want you to get the most out of this group and feel great about your investment. I highly encourage communication right away if there are concerns and I will do what I can to reasonably address them.
Finally move forward in cultivating a better relationship with yourself by learning new tools, gaining connection and validation with others in a similar situation and having permission to be your amazing self.
I very much want you to be a part of this transformational group experience so that after 10 weeks you will look each other in the eyes and feel confident and connected as you embark on the journey of loving yourself and others with a whole new way to view yourself.
By joining this intimate group you can find the support and understanding you deserve. You will grow through changing your understanding of meaning, mindfulness and mindset as you launch forward into new terrain. I want you to grow in your compassion by practicing tools that will make it easier to be in a relationship with yourself and others. I want you to get that jolt of courage to lean into the tension to get the golden nugget of transformation.
Getting specific help for this situation is not easy! I have been there and have the professional training and personal experience to make it so much more doable.
Look no further, this is the close knit group for you, taught by a compassionate physician and psychiatrist who can empower you to transform your relationship with yourself!