Perennial Pathways

05/07/2026

I’m honored to be a keynote speaker at the APDA Iowa Chapter’s Annual Parkinson’s Conference on June 5th. My talk focuses on something many people don’t realize: while Parkinson’s is often thought of as a motor disorder, non‑motor symptoms are frequently the earliest and most impactful part of the disease.

Symptoms like depression, anxiety, apathy, hallucinations, impulse‑control disorders, sleep changes, and cognitive decline often shape daily life far more than tremor or stiffness. The good news is that these symptoms are treatable, and early recognition and intervention can dramatically improve quality of life for individuals with PD and their care partners.

I’m grateful to APDA Iowa for the opportunity to share this work and support families across the state.

2026 Annual APDA Iowa Parkinson's Conference Speaker Highlight!

✨Dr. Kathleen Matthews is a licensed geropsychologist passionate about supporting older adults and their care partners. For 15 years, she served at the Department of Veterans Affairs, earning national recognition for her expertise in dementia behavioral care, care partner support, and program innovation.

Today, through her private practice, Perennial Pathways, Dr. Matthews offers cognitive evaluations, psychotherapy, dementia behavioral consultation, and care partner support—helping clients find clarity, dignity, and hope at every step of the dementia journey.

Outside of work, she’s a certified yoga instructor who enjoys cooking, reading, hiking, and spending time with family, friends, and her two golden retriever puppies.

Get ready for an incredible day of learning and connection at this year’s conference! Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from Kathleen and other amazing speakers. 👉 Register today to secure your spot: https://bit.ly/ia2026conference

05/07/2026

When I opened Perennial Pathways last November, I knew our mission would grow through collaboration. That vision led to the creation of the Dementia Bridges Collaborative, focused on strengthening dementia‑informed care and education across Iowa through partnerships with professionals, organizations, and communities.

The first bridge we built was with the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Iowa Chapter. While not everyone with Parkinson’s disease develops dementia, PD is a progressive neurological condition that places significant demands on care partners — and supporting those caregivers is central to our work.

I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be facilitating APDA’s new pilot program for caregivers of loved ones with PD, PRESS ON.

If you or someone you know is caring for a loved one who has been living with Parkinson’s disease for five or more years, we invite you to learn more about PRESS ON, launching June 8, 2026.

Living with Parkinson’s for 5+ years? You don’t have to navigate it alone.

PRESS ON™ is a FREE 8-week education and support program designed for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners.

This small-group program offers a supportive space for meaningful conversation, practical strategies, and shared experiences—so you can better navigate the road ahead with confidence.

💬 What you’ll explore:
• The road here
• Healthcare in Parkinson’s disease
• Safety, environment & exercise
• Mood, cognition & behavior
• Coping and relationships
• Planning for the “what-ifs”
• Caring for others—and yourself
• Maintaining hope on the path forward

Spots are limited—learn more and sign up today at: https://bit.ly/pressoniowa

02/17/2026

Lately I’ve been thinking about what people truly need in their day‑to‑day lives to feel grounded, connected, and well.

We often hear phrases like “pleasant events” or “joyful moments” in dementia care, and those absolutely matter. But I think the picture is bigger than that.

As adults, most of us move through life hoping for three things:

Purpose. Meaning. Joy.

Not every task gives us all three.

Doing my laundry has purpose, but it doesn’t usually bring me meaning or joy.
Sitting with a loved one during a hard medical appointment may not feel joyful at all — but it can be deeply meaningful.
Treating myself to an ice cream cone on a sunny afternoon might bring pure joy, even if it doesn’t carry much purpose or meaning.
And every once in a while, something gives us all three at once.

For people living with dementia, these needs don’t disappear — but their ability to initiate or access purpose, meaning, and joy shifts over time. And even well‑intended efforts to involve them — like social outings they once enjoyed — can become overwhelming or inaccessible unless the approach is shaped to match their abilities in that moment.

That’s where care partners come in.

Care partners become the bridge — adapting communication, approach, and environment so their loved one can still experience purpose, meaning, and joy each day. Not in grand gestures, but in small, attuned moments:

A purposeful task that feels achievable

A meaningful connection that honors identity

A joyful moment that softens the day

And here’s the part we often forget:

Care partners need these things too.
Purpose. Meaning. Joy.
Not just for the person they love — but for themselves.

When we shift our mindset from “keeping someone busy” to “supporting purpose, meaning, and joy,” the entire caregiving experience changes. It becomes more compassionate, more connected, and more sustainable.

Small moments. Big impact.
For both of you.

02/11/2026

🌿 Practice 2: Compassionate Commitment 🌿

It’s been a little while since I shared the first Perennial Pathway, and I appreciate your patience during the pause. The work continues, and I’m grateful to be back with the next step in the series.

After we build Clear Understanding of what dementia is doing in the brain and why certain challenges arise, the next step is shaping the intention we bring to each interaction.

Compassionate Commitment is the inner orientation that helps reduce unnecessary distress—for your loved one and for yourself. It’s the heart‑level promise that steadies you before any words are spoken or actions are taken.

Swipe through the carousel below to explore the three intentions that prepare the ground for wiser communication and deeper connection.

01/30/2026

I’m excited to join Emily Ankor of Brain Bridge Therapy, PLLC as a panelist for the upcoming Senior Living Education Series hosted by Andy Algreen.

We’ll be talking about “How to Know When It’s Time to Make a Move”—an honest, practical conversation about recognizing changes, planning ahead, and supporting older adults and their families through major transitions.

My focus, as always, is helping older adults and their care partners make decisions that align with their goals, values, and wishes—whether that means aging in place with the right supports or determining when a move may better meet their needs.

Together, we’ll walk through the factors to consider, how to assess readiness, and ways to make transitions as smooth and dignified as possible.

I’m grateful for the chance to share a geropsychologist’s perspective, learn from my colleague’s expertise as a speech‑language pathologist, and connect with the Monroe community. I hope to see you there.

📍 The Gathering Place, Monroe, IA
📆 Thursday, February 5th
⏰ 10 AM

Can’t make it in person? The session will also be available later on YouTube.

Honored to be a panelist alongside Dr. Kathleen Mathews for the Senior Living Education Series hosted by Andy Algreen🏡

We’ll be discussing “How to Know When It’s Time to Make a Move”—a thoughtful, honest conversation about recognizing changes, planning ahead, and supporting older adults and their families through big transitions.

Grateful to share an SLP perspective and collaborate with experts who care deeply about aging well. Hope to see you there!

📍The Gathering Place, Monroe IA
📆 Thursday February 5th
⏰ 10 AM

Can’t attend in person? No problem, this session will be available to watch later on YouTube.

01/26/2026

🌿 Perennial Pathways’ website is officially LIVE — and my heart is full.

The road to launch wasn’t as smooth as I hoped, but we made it. Now there’s a clear, easy way for more Iowans to learn about our services and reach out for support.

If you or someone you know is navigating cognitive changes, diagnosed dementia, or the weight of caregiver stress and burnout, I would be grateful if you shared our information.

Perennial Pathways exists to offer compassionate, evidence‑based psychological care so families can find clarity, dignity, and hope at every step of the dementia journey.

✨ CLICK THE LINK TO FIND YOUR PATHWAY:

Perennials remind us that resilience is not the absence of hardship, but the promise of renewal. Year after year, they rise again offering beauty, hope, and the assurance that growth is always possible.

01/26/2026

🌿 Perennial Pathways’ website is officially LIVE — and my heart is full.

The road to launch wasn’t as smooth as I hoped, but we made it. Now there’s a clear, easy way for more Iowans to learn about our services and reach out for support.

If you or someone you know is navigating cognitive changes, diagnosed dementia, or the weight of caregiver stress and burnout, I would be grateful if you shared our information.

Perennial Pathways exists to offer compassionate, evidence‑based psychological care so families can find clarity, dignity, and hope at every step of the dementia journey.

✨ CLICK THE LINK TO FIND YOUR PATHWAY:

Perennials remind us that resilience is not the absence of hardship, but the promise of renewal. Year after year, they rise again offering beauty, hope, and the assurance that growth is always possible.

01/21/2026

🌿Introducing the First Perennial Pathway: Clear Understanding🌿

Over the past two posts, I shared the Four Dementia Truths—the foundation for understanding what dementia is, what it changes, and why so much of the suffering around dementia is preventable. But understanding alone doesn’t reduce undue burden. Real change happens when caregivers have practical, compassionate tools they can use every day.

With this foundation in place, we can begin exploring the Eight Perennial Practices—the practical, compassionate tools that help reduce undue burden and strengthen connection. Today, we begin with the first practice: Clear Understanding.

01/15/2026

As I continue sharing the new framework I’ve been developing for dementia care, I’m excited to introduce the Four Dementia Truths from Perennial Pathways—core insights that shape how we support individuals living with dementia and those who care for them. Please share with anyone who may benefit from these truths and from finding a path forward that offers clarity, dignity, and hope at every step of the dementia journey. Stay tuned for future posts about the 8-Fold Perennial Pathway!

01/13/2026

Over the past year, I’ve been developing a new framework to guide the education and clinical care at Perennial Pathways. It grew from two places:

1. the lived realities of the families I serve, and

2. my background in Buddhism, which has long offered a
compassionate way of understanding suffering and the
possibility of relief.

The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path have always resonated with me—not as religious doctrine, but as a clear, grounded way of naming what hurts and identifying what can help.

Dementia care needs that same clarity.

So, I adapted this structure into a dementia informed model designed to reduce unnecessary suffering and strengthen connection for both individuals living with dementia and their caregivers.

Over the next several weeks, I’ll be sharing this framework in a series of posts:

🌱 The Four Dementia Truths
A compassionate way of understanding the pain, the preventable suffering, the possibility of relief, and the path forward.

🌱 The Eight Practices of the Perennial Pathway
Practical, science-backed approaches that help caregivers and individuals move through the dementia journey with greater clarity, dignity, and hope.

My hope is that this series offers grounding, validation, and useful guidance—whether you’re a caregiver, a professional, or someone who simply wants to better understand dementia.

What feels most “true” to you about the dementia journey—whether from personal experience or professional work? What truths are you still trying to understand, and where do you find yourself seeking more clarity?

If you’d like to follow along with this series, feel free to connect, follow, or share this post with someone who might benefit. More to come soon.

01/08/2026

A year ago, I never imagined leaving federal service to open my own private mental health practice. The dream was there, but the business know‑how wasn’t — until I found the Iowa Center for Economic Success. Their classes, coaching, and support made Perennial Pathways possible, and I’m deeply grateful.

I’m honored to join their upcoming Made in Iowa: New Year, New You panel to share how Perennial Pathways is working to drive wellness, culture, and community in Iowa. If you’re a current or aspiring entrepreneur, check out their resources — and join us on January 27th!

See event details: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1

New Year, New You! Join the Iowa Center for a conversation to explore the small business journey of entrepreneurs who are dedicated to helping you start your new year on the right foot.