Many people struggle with the prospect of getting older, with grief and saddness, and ensuring they live life to the fullest, but Gail Boulanger believes she can help.
The author has been assisting people in her own counseling, consulting and psychotherapy practice for close to 30 years and has recently published a new book Adventures Over Sixty. Boulanger has also re-published her first book Life Goes On: Losing, letting go and living again.
Boulanger said she started writing her first book after doing research to give more information to her clients. She has helped people through all types of loss, she said, including break-ups, job loss, miscarriage and death, and has also assisted family members in helping loved ones deal with grief.
“Really healthy grieving has a beginning, middle and an end,” she said. “But the end point doesn’t mean you forget, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily all over and it doesn’t mean you can’t get treated, but the intensity changes.”
Boulanger’s new book Adventures Over Sixty also deals with some grief, but it focuses on embracing life and living vibrantly, Boulanger said.
It encourages people to develop their inner resources to create a buffer for when tragedy may strike and helps people become comfortable with silence and solitude as they age.
Both books are grounded in stories, Boulanger said. Life Goes On is based on personal and professional experiences and Adventures Over Sixty includes true stories from Boulanger’s life, and stories from family, friends and neighbours.
In the new book she covers things that matter most when you reach 60, she said, including meditating, physical exercise, creative outlets and living wholeheartedly.
Although the title Adventures Over Sixty may seem to target people in that age range, it can also help younger generations deal with issues their parents are having, Boulanger said, as well as their own anxieties about aging. She hopes the book gets families talking about getting older and everything that comes with it, she said.
“I would like to bring the generations together to have these conversations, because you know, we’re all in this together.”
To learn more about Boulanger, read excerpts from the books, or to purchase a book, visit www.gailboulanger.com. Books are also available from many local bookstores and from www.amazon.ca.