Blackpool counsellor turns family heartbreak into new book with proceeds going to a local counselling charity
"This book isn't about pretending life is easy.”
A Blackpool counsellor and educator is looking to publish a deeply personal new book he says is inspired by a lifetime of resilience, love and loss- with proceeds going to a local counselling charity.
Alan Gaynor, Founder and CEO of Blackpool wellbeing group Mind in Motion C.I.C, has written a reflective self-help book combining lived experience with Positive Psychology and Japanese philosophy.
Called ‘A Life Rebuilt: Lessons in Love, Resilience, Meaning and Growth’, his new book explores how people can rebuild their lives following adversity, offering practical reflections on resilience, purpose, gratitude and hope.
Alan, who is also a doctoral researcher, was inspired to write the story by his own experiences with dementia.
Alan's mother lived with Alzheimer's disease before her passing and today, two of his sisters live with dementia, while his late brother Jimmy also suffered from the disease.
These experiences profoundly shaped both his personal life and his work as a counsellor, he told the Gazette.
Alan said: "Watching dementia affect the people you love changes you forever.
"This book isn't about pretending life is easy. It's about recognising that even in our most difficult moments we can still find meaning, continue to grow and choose how we respond."
Alongside running Mind in Motion C.I.C., Alan volunteers as a counsellor with Counselling in the Community, Blackpool, a charity providing accessible counselling services across the Fylde Coast.
For that reason, Alan has decided that the net proceeds from the sale of the book, after publication and production costs, will be donated to Counselling in the Community, helping the charity continue supporting people experiencing emotional and psychological distress.
Alan hopes the book will encourage conversations around resilience, mental wellbeing and the impact dementia has on entire families.
Currently undertaking doctoral research exploring the relationship between Positive Psychology and Japanese philosophy, he believes the lessons found in both disciplines can help people discover purpose, hope and personal growth, even during life's greatest challenges.
The book is scheduled for publication following approval of the final proof copy.