Practical strategies for navigating common family challenges and strengthening communication, understanding, and connections across generations.

📅 October 8 | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

📍 Botanica Wichita

   🎟 Free and open to the public

The Untold Chaos Behind Closed Doors: Secrets to Smoother Family Dynamics

Families can be complicated. As we age, changing needs, caregiving, independence, finances, and future plans can bring old family dynamics to the surface—and sometimes create new conflicts. The good news? You don’t have to wait for a crisis to start having the conversations that matter. This program explores how to navigate family challenges with greater clarity, communicate your wishes, and protect the relationships that matter most.

About our Program:

Your Wishes, Their Opinions, and What Happens Next

What happens when the people who love you don’t agree about what’s best for you? Our panel of experts will tackle the untold chaos that can happen behind closed doors when families face difficult decisions about care, independence, health concerns, finances, and the future.

We’ll talk about what to do when adult children disagree—with each other or with you; how changing needs can affect family roles and relationships; how dementia can change communication and caregiving; and what legal issues can arise when family members aren’t on the same page. We’ll also explore the conversations you should have before there’s a crisis, how to communicate your wishes clearly, and when it’s time to bring in professional help.

Come ready for an honest conversation about the messy realities of family, and some practical ways to make things smoother.

Panelists:

Ashley Keller, LSCSW, Integrity Care Group

Before entering clinical social work, Ashley spent more than 20 years in services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including leadership and program management in residential and day services. Throughout that work, she partnered extensively with individuals, families, caregivers, and interdisciplinary teams to navigate competing needs, changing levels of support, and difficult decisions. Her professional experience also includes leadership development, team building, and helping teams strengthen communication and navigate challenging interpersonal dynamics.

Across her career, Ashley’s work has centered on helping people understand one another when needs, perspectives, and emotions collide. She is particularly interested in how empathy, curiosity, and clear communication can make difficult conversations more productive while preserving important relationships.

Ashley earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas and is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker in Kansas. She is trained in EMDR and incorporates a trauma-informed perspective into her clinical work.

Regan Lipphardt, Alzheimer’s Association Central & Western Kansas Chapter

Regan Lipphardt serves as Program Manager for the Alzheimer’s Association Central & Western Kansas Chapter. Based in Wichita, she coordinates community outreach, builds partnerships, and supports volunteer engagement across Kansas to help connect families with Alzheimer’s and dementia resources, education, and support.

A graduate of Wichita State University, Regan joined the Alzheimer’s Association full-time after completing a public policy internship during her final semester. As an intern, she traveled to Topeka and Washington, D.C., to support advocacy efforts and advance the Association’s legislative priorities at both the state and federal level.”

Trent Wetta, Hinkle Law

Trent Wetta joined Hinkle Law Firm in 2022 as an Of Counsel attorney. Now a Member, Trent’s practice primarily focuses on probate litigation, Administration, and Estate Planning.

Before joining Hinkle Law Firm, Trent ran his own private practice, where he gained extensive experience, particularly in juvenile defense, estate planning, probate matters, and guardianship. He worked at Kansas Legal Services before that, where he was a member of the Kansas Juvenile Justice Workgroup, which worked to enact Senate Bill 367.

Trent was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Wichita State University. In 2011, he received his J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law. When he’s not practicing, Trent spends time with his wife and their two children.

Moderator: 

Jill D. Miller, Program Director, Empowered Senior Seminar Series, entrepreneur, educator, author, storyteller, and community builder. https://www.finishingschoolformodernwomen.com/

Jill Miller is a longtime Wichita entrepreneur, educator, speaker, and community connector who has spent nearly three decades helping people and organizations learn, grow, and make things happen.

As the Program Director for Empowered Senior Seminar, Jill brings her signature mix of curiosity, humor, practical insight, and a knack for asking the questions people are thinking but may not ask themselves. She has a particular talent for turning complicated topics into conversations that are informative, relevant, and occasionally a lot more fun than expected.

Jill is also the founder of the Finishing School for Modern Women and the Badass Women of Wichita Alliance, an adjunct instructor in Entrepreneurship in the Arts at Wichita State University, and the founder of Creative Solutions. Across all of her work, one idea keeps showing up: you’re never too old to learn something new, try something different, or make an impact.

RSVP:  316-312-3079

Please note: This event may be photographed and recorded for promotional and broadcast purposes. By attending, participants consent to the use of their image or likeness in media coverage and future promotional materials.