Group Counseling
Wise Aging
Harnessing Jewish Wisdom to Live with Joy, Resilience, and Spirit in Older Age
About the Program
The ground-breaking book, Wise Aging: Living with Joy, Resilience, & Spirit, written by Rabbi Rachel Cowan and Linda Thal, explores the central spiritual questions that come with aging using timeless Jewish wisdom: how to live a meaningful life in older age, what is my legacy, how can I deepen my relationships, and much more. Using this book as a guide, Dr. Berger leads groups through a series of weekly sessions to explore these important questions. The Wise Aging group counseling series is designed to help older adults embrace this stage of life with meaning, connection, and inner strength.
- Re-examining the paradigms of aging
- Cultivating spiritual qualities for wellbeing — gratitude, joy, and generosity
- Deepening relationships and inter-connectedness
- Learning tools to better withstand the hardships of aging
What the Groups Offer
Reflect inward
Harness your well-earned wisdom to cultivate personal growth and resilience.
Connect outward
Build meaningful connections with group members, fostering a sense of belonging and shared understanding.
Draw from Jewish teachings
Incorporate Jewish wisdom and traditions as tools for living with joy and spirit in this stage of life.
Mindfulness training
Learn simple, practical tools to savour good times and navigate difficult times.
Program Details
- Format
- 6-8-weekly sessions running 90 minutes each
- Group size
- 10–15 participants
- Cost
- Free with active OHIP card
- Who should join
- Individuals interested in personal exploration in order to embrace aging with purpose and meaning
What Participants Say
With the excellent facilitation, the group was a safe forum for open sharing of life issues and acceptance of each participant's personal discussion. The interaction of the group augmented the questions, topics and themes effectively.
Arielle's leadership was excellent. Your calm and supportive manner, your vast knowledge of Judaism, meditation and the aging experience provided a thoughtful and stimulating experience.
What was the most meaningful part of the Wise Aging group for you? - Fixed time to reflect upon profound life issues - Supportive group environment to share thoughts - Hearing commonalities
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
— Dr. Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
If you are interested in joining or hosting a group or would like more information, be in touch.