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"Self-care was not something most of us were taught—it's something we have to learn..." {More}
Project Fact Sheet
The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal:
How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life
by Renée Peterson Trudeau
Balanced Living Press, 2008
Project History and Overview
In 2002, after the birth of her son, Trudeau was unable to find relative books or resources to personally support her journey and transition into motherhood. As a result, she began a life-coaching group for mothers and called it the Personal Renewal Group (PRG). Her experience leading these groups since 2003 was life changing and at the strong request of her Group members and coaching clients, Trudeau conceived and wrote The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. Trudeau has been leading PRGs for more than five years.
Following the model created by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, women throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe are now using The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal in monthly women’s circles, called Personal Renewal Groups (women can go to www.reneetrudeau.com to start or join a group).
Book Description
The Mother’s Guide to Self Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life is designed as a year-long guide with monthly themes, inspirational stories, soul searching exercises and original artwork and photography.
The focus of the book is largely to remind women that they are more than their “to do” lists and to encourage them to connect with and nurture their inner lives and emotional well-being. Trudeau advocates mother taking time to reconnect with “who they are” and make their self care a priority. She believes in approaching life balance from the “inside out.”
Renée Trudeau & Associates (RTA) is providing online Personal Renewal Group Facilitator Training through www.reneetrudeau.com. Additionally, Renee offers teleclasses and leads retreats to support the PRG Facilitators at The Crossings Retreat Center (Austin, TX).
It is estimated that as of summer 2008—one year after the program’s launch-- there are hundreds of Personal Renewal Groups meeting in the U.S./Canada, and more are forming each week.
The Response
The response to the Guide and the Groups has been phenomenal and many women have started “special interest” PRGs for: mothers who have children with special needs, step mothers, moms who are empty nesters and entrepreneur, artist and foodie moms. However, most PRGs are for moms of all types/backgrounds who simply want to nurture their “inner life,” experience greater life balance and connect with others around the powerful themes highlighted in the Guide.
Trudeau’s background
A nationally-recognized career, business and work/life balance coach and president of Career Strategists, www.careerstrategists.net, Trudeau’s 20 year track record and credibility as a highly successful coach/speaker has fueled a strong grassroots movement in support of the Guide. Trudeau was recently nominated for the prestigious Association for Women in Communications Headliner Award for her work and she is a frequent keynote speaker for Fortune 500 companies and national women’s organizations on the topics of Creating Work/Life Balance from the Inside-Out, The Transformative Power of Self-Care and The Courage to Follow Your Heart: Taking Risks in Life and Career.
Trudeau’s work has been featured in Working Mother, Family Circle, Plum, Mothering, Parenting, AARP and American Way magazine, among others.
She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and five year-old son.
Availability
The book was published under Balanced Living Press and is being distributed nationally through Independent Publishers Group (IPG). It is currently for sale through www.reneetrudeau.com, through www.amazon.com and in bookstores and select retail outlets throughout the U.S. Bulk discounts are available.
Endorsements
The book earned early praise and endorsements from several best-selling authors, including SARK (Wild, Succulent Woman), Richard Carlson (Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…) and Jon Gordon (Energy Addict), as well as numerous respected, nationally-known coaches, parenting experts, doctors, therapists and women’s health and wellness advocates from around the U.S. It has also received early positive reviews from The Library Journal, Mothering, MidWest Book Review and other regional and national literary review publications.