Raynia Carr MSW, RSW
You might find yourself here as one of the over 8 million Canadians who are 65 years of age or older.
You may be healthy and happy, like many older adults who are living longer.
Or perhaps you are facing a new health challenge after recently receiving a diagnosis.
You may be someone who feels uncertain as you go through other life changes: retirement, shifting relationships, or a change in living situation.
You may be someone who is grieving the loss of a spouse or other family member or friend. Or you may be grieving a different kind of loss.
You might be here as one of the millions of Canadians providing unpaid care to a loved one. While caregiving can be a fulfilling role for many, it can also be a major life stressor, leading to fatigue, burnout, and other health issues. You may feel guilt from feeling like you aren't doing enough as you try to balance supporting a spouse or an aging parent, while trying to manage the other areas of your life. Or you might be experiencing a wide range of other feelings and thoughts as you try to sort through the often complex layers that arise from this experience.
Or perhaps you are someone thinking about where you stand at this point in life. You might be reflecting on the fact that more years are behind you than in front, and with this awareness comes the opportunity to think about your life, your legacy, and to embrace a mindful approach to what lies ahead.
We live in a "fix-it" culture. Even more so when it comes to aging.
Connected exists to offer psychosocial counselling and support to older adults, grounded in the understanding that late life is an important and natural part of the life cycle. Counselling focuses on how we show ourselves care, gain new perspectives, and develop skills and strategies to enhance our quality of life. It may mean becoming acquainted with our inherent strengths and discovering our capacity to manage stresses and strains. Counselling also provides an opportunity for conscious aging by helping older adults discover that late life can be an opportunity for reflection, discovery, and meaning—regardless of what that may look like for each individual.
Raynia is a registered social worker who discovered her passion for health and aging thirty years ago during her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in social work. From there, she practiced in acute care hospitals, helping older patients and their families navigate illness, transitions, loss, and grief. She also spent several years in corporate social work, providing nationwide consultation to working Canadians on their individual eldercare experiences.
Her extensive direct experience in the field lays the groundwork for her practice. She is empathic, strengths-based, knowledgeable, and deeply committed to helping older adults and those who care for them.