Occasional Therapy for your Midlife Years: 12 Sessions to Combat Your Crisis is an attractive option because it provides privacy without judgments from family or friends.
A support system is invaluable but there are some things people don’t necessarily want to talk about with everyone.
There are clear and specific strategies and exercises in each session to deal with the natural but sometimes stressful aging process.
Defining Middle Age
There’s a checklist of emotional, physical and cognitive signs of middle age. It’s hard to pinpoint when changes will happen but eventually they usually happen to everyone.
Physical Changes
Dr. Ellyn Gamberg discourages people from trying to live up to the media’s unrealistic standards. Eating disorders don’t just affect young people because all ages can have a poor body image.
Cognitive Decline
This section offers sensible and easy ways to keep your mind sharp to combat memory loss. The bottom line is that you need to keep using your brain for it stay active.
Hormones, Menopause & Viagra Revolution
Hot flashes for women, decreased sex drives and the danger of viewing viagra as a cure for low libido are looked at.
Emotional & Psychological Issues
New types of emotional problems can develop with age. How can you handle these negative feelings and a possible lack of purpose or self esteem?
Midlife Crisis
A midlife crisis is not necessarily inevitable. Midlife doesn’t have to be full of chaos and it’s possible to get through it with grace and peace.
Marriage at Midlife
There are often new challenges in a midlife marriage such as changing roles and a decreased sex drive. Help is also offered for those dealing with an unfortunate midlife affair.
Divorced, Widowed, or Never Married
This session points out the many benefits to being alone although dating isn’t discouraged. Losing a spouse is a tremendous loss and the stages of grieving are useful whether going through a death or a divorce.
Midlife Adults and Their Kids
This session deals with the difficulties parents have with letting go of their children and allowing them to develop their own identities.
Aging Parents
Dr. Ellyn Gamberg shares ideas on how to help contribute to your parent’s quality of life. Help is offered for caregiver burnout as well as the eventual death of a parent and the deep loss it causes.
Midlife Men
There’s a chapter or session on health risks specific to men in midlife. A checklist is included to help gauge the risks.
Careers at Midlife
There are specific strategies for dealing with workplace stress and suggestions on how to make positive changes.
- Occasional Therapy: 12 Sessions to Combat Your Crisis, publisher Ellis & Young Publishing, 2008 effectively shows us how to look at midlife as an exciting time for gains as well as losses with fantastic opportunities for new beginnings. Visit Occasionaltherapy.com for more information.
Sandra Williams - Sandra's a book addict and writer from Ontario, Canada. Her interests include cooking, health and personal development, so many of her ...
