69: Using Your Intensity to Make Better Marriages with Olivia Baylor

How can we use our intensity to give back? Once we have embraced our beautiful and unique intensity as the gift it is, we often find ourselves in a position of wanting to make positive changes in the world. My guest today is no exception. Olivia Baylor is a multi-disciplined therapist and counselor based out of Maryland, and she truly enjoys counseling couples before they get married. Due to her own cross-cultural background, Olivia is drawn to couples that don’t quite “fit the mold.” She discovered right away that she could use her intensity to better serve these couples by creating resources they could actually use!

Olivia’s most recent book is a pre-marital workbook designed for people of diverse backgrounds called Before “I Do”. Whether the couple comes from different ethnic, cultural, or religious backgrounds, or they are an LGBTQ+ or polyamorous couple, Olivia’s workbook will have something for them. The workbook is just a small part of Olivia’s heart to give back to her community. She wants to celebrate the diversity of love and humanity that she sees all around her. The only way to do that is by listening to her clients and creating tools that focus on what they need.

In her personal life, Olivia relies heavily on her community and her family to keep her grounded. She has so many ideas about how to change the world, but she needs to pace herself or otherwise face burnout. Olivia has a lot to teach us today about harnessing our intensity for the good of others, and how counseling and therapy can be a healthy place for nontraditional couples to grow together. We have a lot to learn from Olivia, so let’s get started!

More in this episode:

• Olivia loves to travel and bring diverse experiences to her children.
• Why Olivia loves to work with couples in the LGBTQ+ community.
• Olivia’s cross-cultural upbringing has made her aware of cultural differences around her.
• Giving back to her community is the most important driving force for Olivia’s career.
• We need a community to help us check in with ourselves and slow down.
• Olivia embraces her intensity by giving herself a day to not take on any extra tasks.
• Why Olivia is the kind of person who writes the book, rather than reading them!
• Olivia is leading the charge for more client-based literature.
• The inspiration for Before “I Do” was her own therapy practice using worksheets.
• The unique relationship available for polyamorous couples.
• We need face to face communication!
• Olivia pushes her couples to think outside the box as far as cultural norms are concerned.

Resources:

Before “I Do”

Life Revisions Counseling LLC

Liferevisions.com

410-870-5615 

Be on the lookout for Olivia’s Podcast!