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AREAS
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Emerging
Adulthood:
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Young
men and women in their twenties are faced with two
significant developmental tasks: they must
launch a career, and emotionally separate sufficiently
from their family of origin to establish adult relationships
with peers and begin the task of finding a life
partner. These are complex tasks with many
obstacles. Psychotherapy can be helpful in
assisting the person in developing plans, focusing
on vital issues, strengthening self-esteem, and
overcoming the effects of self-defeating behaviors
that impede successful achievement and effective
communication. |
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Middle
Adulthood
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Competing
demands from many sources make this period (~30-55)
particularly difficult. One is often confronted
by the consequences of decisions made in the past
(e.g. career, spouse) as well as the limits of one’s
talents, opportunities for achievement, and enjoyment
of work. Responsibilities for family and to one’s
life-partner are many. Psychotherapy typically involves
assisting the person in working through unresolved
conflicts from adolescence and emerging adulthood,
identifying new areas of self and relational development,
and strengthening a mature and flexible self-esteem.
Healthy self-care is essential to these tasks. |
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Late
Adulthood
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The challenge
of late adulthood is to maintain a sense of vitality
and openness to life while at the same time learning
to compensate for physical difficulties and the
losses of significant others that come with longevity.
The kinds of difficulties people face at this
time in life include disappointments in their
relationship to their children, grief over lost
loved ones, especially spouses, and difficulties
with coping with physical impairment and chronic
illness, and loss of independence (e.g. no longer
able to drive). |
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Early
and Middle Stage Alzheimer's
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Alzheimer's
disease and other forms of dementia profoundly affect
a family’s functioning and expectations for
the future. I work extensively with individuals
with early and middle stage dementia as well as
with their caregivers. Primary issues for those
with such illnesses include maintaining self esteem
and quality of life. For caregivers, therapeutic
goals may include developing effective communication
techniques, problem-solving skills, and self-care
strategies. |
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