Media: The Centre for Midlife Renewal in the News!
Excerpt from April 2, 2010 article:
Life coach to the rescue
Stressed by juggling work and home, men are joining women in the quest for balance to give meaning to what's left of life
By Susan Pigg
It seems fitting that you have to walk through the sanctuary of Eastminster United Church to get to Jeff Richardson's office. After all, people have been coming to this Danforth Ave. landmark for decades praying for help in their darkest days.
But the founder of Toronto's Midlife Renewal Centre isn't a minister. He's a life coach to baby boomers looking to chart a new path - or at least veer onto a somewhat saner route - for the second half of their lives.
Credit gender equality if you will, but about half those he coaches are men. And a growing number are overwhelmed by the same issues that have been plaguing women for decades.
They're stressed juggling work and home, struggling with feelings of inadequacy and suffering through the heartache of watching kids leave home.
Many are tired of being the breadwinner and want second (or third) careers that give what's left of their life meaning - even if it's at half the pay.
"I continue to be blown away by the men who come to me - how open they are," says Richardson, 52. "Women talk in terms of needing to find balance. Men will say, 'I should have more energy and more enthusiasm.'
"They know something's not right, but they don't see it as a balance issue right away." ...
Excerpt from February 9, 2010 article:
I've lost my consumer libido. Can I get a pill?
By Sarah Hampson
...
In midlife, consumer habits often change. Not everybody’s do, of course. I know plenty of midlife (and beyond) people keep spending and accumulating possessions as they always did. Arguably, if they have the means because of a successful career and other sources of income, they’re almost making up for lost time by buying all the things they once lusted after but couldn’t afford.
But many find themselves with an altered, minimalist consumer desire, and while worrying about retirement is the most obvious cause, that’s not the only reason. ...
“It’s about authenticity in midlife,” explains Jeff Richardson, director of The Centre for Midlife Renewal in Toronto. He sees the attitude in many of his clients and also in himself. He’s 52. “We pare away things that don’t matter so much. And with that authenticity, we have courage to say ‘I don’t care what others think.’ ”
