Blooming in December: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy With Older Adults Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with Older Adults Psychoanalysis in a New Key Book Series

This book covers the essentials of psychotherapeutic work with older adults, discussing how contemporary psychodynamic thought can be applied clinically to engage the older patient in psychotherapeutic work of depth and meaning, work that not only relieves suffering but also promotes growth.

It describes the way the difficulties accompanying older age can affect psychological functioning and it examines the unique psychotherapeutic needs of this age group. Using clinical vignettes for illustrative purposes, it explores the psychotherapeutic challenges, tasks, techniques and accomplishments involved in the treatment of older adults. Topics discussed include the reemergence of earlier developmental challenges; the concurrent treatment of late life and revived early trauma; transference and countertransference; the functions of developing an enriched life narrative in restoring the self; existential issues; and mourning. Throughout, the focus is on what psychotherapy can do to help.

The demand for mental health services for older adults is growing alongside increasing life spans, but the psychodynamic literature has neglected this population. Blooming in December: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with Older Adults fills this gap, offering a clear guide to effective work with older adults for all psychotherapists and psychoanalysts.

1. Introduction 2. Developmental Tasks of Later Life and the Resurrection of "Ghosts" 3. Trauma and Trauma Redux 4. Transference, Countertransference and the Therapist’s Personal Equation 5. The Narration of Life Stories and the Self 6. Existential Anxieties 7. Endings

Amy Schaffer, PhD, is a faculty member and supervisor at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Study Center. A psychologist/psychoanalyst in private practice, she also has a background in psychological research and psychodrama in mental health settings. She has worked with older adults in her practice for 40 years.