Should I Stay or Should I Go?

A Life-planning Opportunity For Mid and Senior Career Professional (Women)

Overview

This seminar invites mid and senior career women to assess their current life/career status, explore options and alternatives, envision new pathways, and prepare a plan to move forward on their journey.  

Through visualization exercises, the use of self-assessments, and professionally assisted evaluation of options, participants  will be in a better position to make decisions about the question–Should I Stay or Should I Go?

 This small group experience is offered via Zoom for a total of 15 hours over six months and is limited to 16 participants. The seminar begins January 30, 2026.

Program Outline:

Session topics may change based on participant request or the flow of the program as outlined. All sessions have the following structure.

  1. Check-In, Reflections on prior sessions
  2. Content
  3. Application of Content 
  4. Processing/Reflection/ Transition to Next Session

Objectives:

  • Identify current dilemmas and barriers to intentional change
  • Visualize your life dreams and possible pathways and options
  • Clarify your personal and professional assets—values, emotional intelligence, skill sets, and past decision-making experiences
  • Examine conditions and factors in the here-and now decision-making process
  • Use mindfulness and stress management strategies to think more freely
  • Prepare a plan with action steps to move forward

Cost:

  • $1200, which includes an onboarding session, assessments, a post-seminar consultation, and reading materials.

Dates:

  • Seminar begins January 30, 2026.

Registration Requirments:

  • Application statement including…

1) your motivation to participate; your Should I Stay or Should I Go dilemma

2) your hopes/desired outcomes

3) your current position

4) your resume

  • Once your application is reviewed, you will have a discussion with one of the program coaches. A formal letter of acceptance will be sent to you.

Register Now:

Meet the Coaches:

Dr. Patricia Arredondo is president of the Arredondo Advisory Group (AAG) leading a team of highly experienced consultants informed by their higher education leadership roles and responsibilities and their commitment to the principles of inclusion and belonging. Dr. Arredondo holds a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.

Dr. Renée Middleton is a Senior Consultant with the Arredondo Advisory Group (AAG). In this capacity, she provides organizational consulting and executive coaching to organization leaders, primarily in higher education. Dr. Middleton is Dean Emeritus of The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University in Athens. She received her doctoral degree from Auburn University with a focus on Rehabilitation Administration and Rehabilitation Counselor Education.

Onboarding Session:

          • Personal introductions and “why I am here
          • Rationale and objectives for Should I Stay or Should I Go seminar
          • Head, Heart and Hand Model
          • Overview of the sessions and calendar, and preview of self-assessments
          • Participants’ closing reflections

Session One:

          • Check-In
          • Should I Stay or Should I Go Dilemma
          • Primary challenges with the dilemma
          • Head, Heart and Hand model
          • Womanist Model/Intersectionality
          • Apply these models to your dilemma
          • Closing reflections

Session Two:

          • Check-In; reflection on recent use of Head, Heart, and Hand and Womanist models
          • Values exercise review
          • Messages, thoughts, and emotions that interfere with my decision-making
          • Lessons learned from prior difficult decisions I made
          • Apply these ideas to understanding your dilemma
          • Closing reflections

Session Three:

          • Check-In; reflection on recent use of seminar experiences
          • Decision-making model (s)
          • Review your emotional intelligence (EI) self-assessment
          • Apply these findings about your EI to understanding your dilemma
          • Closing reflections

Session Four:

          • Check-In; reflection on recent use of seminar experiences
          • Planning for Change
            • Review your indecision through the Head, Heart, and Hand Model
            • Visualize new opportunities
          • Positive reframing of conflict and stress related to potential changes
            • Anticipate change (s) through a cost-benefit analysis
            • Describe the expected outcomes from change
          • Closing reflections

Session Five:

          • Check-In; reflection on recent use of seminar experiences
          • Your intersecting identities and persona moving forward
          • Status of your decision-making process
            • What do you leave behind if you “go”?
            • What will be different if you stay?
          • Elevator Speech elements to describe your decision
          • Closing reflections

Session 6:

          • Check-In, reflections on prior sessions
          • Your action plan with priorities and projected outcomes for staying or going
          • Your new thinking, sense of being, and feelings
          • Present your Elevator Speech describing your decision
          • Resources to draw upon
          • Closing reflections—lessons learned