Aging
The universal and often bittersweet experience of old age comes with rewards and unique challenges. Our bodies change, our relationships and roles shift, and many of our clients grapple with a shifting sense of meaning and purpose as they learn to embrace these changes.
These articles explore the challenges of aging, including navigating illness, facing mortality, adjusting to retirement, and caregiving.
Learn from Irvin Yalom, Mary Pipher, David Treadway, and others who write candidly about the beauty and hardships of growing old.
Irvin Yalom on the Possibilities of Aging
The Rewards and Challenges of Being an Older Therapist
Illness & Mortality
These articles examine the psychological and relational aspects of life-altering illnesses, chronic conditions, and other experiences that force clients to address mortality.
Life Stages & Transitions
In these articles, we explore how leaders in the field support their clients as they navigate transitions across the lifespan, from leaving home or entering retirement to facing an empty nest.
Therapy with Older Adults
Find practical guidance on working with aging-related concerns such as cognitive changes, chronic illness, loss, retirement, social isolation, and end-of-life issues
A therapist who spent 40 years helping clients sit with loss and mortality discovers the challenges of facing his own mortality. Read more
When cancer recurs, there's no easy way to cope with the sense of loss that accompanies a growing awareness of mortality. Read more
A therapist reflects on her cancer journey and what her diagnosis meant for not only the rest of her life but also her mental health. Read more
Getting old is often a surprise, even when we’ve spent decades trying to get comfortable with the vicissitudes of aging. Read more
"Gohyang" is a Korean word that means "hometown" but translates to so much more. Read more
Many therapists don't realize that treating depression or anxiety generally isn't the same as treating these mood disorders in the perinatal period. Read more
Based on her article from our September/October issue, Dr. Regina Koepp talks about how to have "the talk" with your aging couple clients. Read more
Psychotherapist Nancy Kriseman and Psychotherapy Networker editor Alicia Muñoz discuss best practices for working with clients with dementia. Read more
With an estimated 6.2 million Americans in need of mental health support tailored to the challenges of dementia, why are so few therapists working with them? Read more
Getting old is hard. But sometimes, as the body becomes more vulnerable, the spirit becomes fiercer. Read more
Yale researcher Becca Levy discusses how our beliefs about aging affect our wellbeing, regardless of age. Read more
We sat down with prolific author Mary Pipher for a candid discussion of the interplay of darkness and light in every life. Read more
Author Karen Kleiman argues that postpartum distress is normal—and should be normalized more in our society. Read more
No one can prevent the horrors of cancer, but processing this particular experience of loss with a therapist who's been through it may stave off the trauma of... Read more
Helping older couples create a shared vision for their retirement years. Read more
Five things every therapist needs to know about working with older clients. Read more
PSYCHOTHERAPY NETWORKER: You’re 95 now and have been retired from practice for 20 years, so you have an unusually broad perspective on how therapists... Read more
PSYCHOTHERAPY NETWORKER: Do you think that your experience as a therapist has given you any special insight into the challenges of... Read more
A cancer diagnosis, while devastating, can be a powerful teacher. Through the fear and anxiety, we can discover how to reliably calm ourselves and ask for... Read more
Although you can’t change unpredictable and uncontrollable situations, you can change how you respond. You can regain a sense of control and emotional... Read more
Facilitating bereavement support groups for aging clients. Read more
A guide to dealing with the traumas and challenges that can redefine who we are and what we want to do in the world. Read more
Why our 20s are a developmental sweet spot, and what therapists should know about helping clients make the most of them. Read more
Over 48 million couples experience infertility every year, and over 20 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. Although hope and love propel most people... Read more
When a therapist moves offices after 30 years, a lot of emotional issues get stirred up. Read more
A number of states have passed legislation giving terminal patients the option of medical aid in dying. What therapists need to know about helping patients and... Read more
A shared sense of humor can help couples make heavy issues feel lighter. But what happens when there’s no one there to get the joke? Read more
Mary Pipher, author of the classic Reviving Ophelia and nine subsequent books, was this year’s recipient of the Networker’s Lifetime Achievement Award for... Read more
In our stressful, tech-obsessed, and data-based world, psychologist Joan Borysenko reminds us that the nonlinear, nonquantitative wisdom of the heart and... Read more
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