Wise Women Aging Positively: Lessons in self-compassion for the second half of life. Wednesdays, October 2 – November 20, 2013 7:00 to 9:00 pm -Washburn Commons 10 Philips Place, Cambridge

Are you a woman of a “certain age” – 50-65 years old – wondering what this stage of life is all about?

         Has life changed since crossing the threshold of 50?

                  How do you feel about aging? 

Would a little kindness help?

Later midlife, what some call a “second adulthood”, is a time to reassess. Often in midlife, many of our familiar roles change – kids leave home, kids return home, parents need caretaking, jobs end or begin anew, careers shift, or retirement is on the horizon.  Our bodies change along with our energy levels. Sometimes what has felt meaningful, desirable, or fulfilling no longer does.  We lose people we love and perhaps along the way, some of our dreams. 

Yet amidst such challenges, midlife can be a time of great adventure and creativity. Midlife offers the opportunity to reawaken to ourselves and reinvent who we are. We can tap the wisdom of our years to create lives that are joyous and meaningful.

This 8-week group will explore our beliefs on aging and the use of self-compassion and mindfulness practices to decrease stress, promote well-being and reconnect to what’s most meaningful to you.  This group is for women ages 50-65, is free of charge and limited to 14 participants.

This group is being held to support the research being done by the group leader for her doctoral dissertation. For this study, I will ask participants to complete 3 surveys before the start of the first session and upon completion of the last session. I also request that participants come for one group follow-up meeting two weeks after the last workshop session to offer their feedback on the experience (December 4th).   I am happy to answer any questions about this project and I will provide more information to you when you contact me about joining the group.

To sign-up or find out more information, please contact Jill Ritchie at 617-349-8442 or at jritchie@lesley.edu

Jill Ritchie, MA, LMHC is Associate Director of Field Training /Assistant Professor for the Counseling & Psychology Division at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA.  She has over 30 years of mental health experience as a clinician, supervisor and educator in community mental health and higher education settings.  Jill is currently pursuing a PhD in Mind-Body Medicine at Saybrook University in San Francisco, CA.