1st Edition

Therapy with Men after Sixty A Challenging Life Phase

By Barry Mccarthy, Emily McCarthy Copyright 2015
    192 Pages
    by Routledge

    192 Pages
    by Routledge

    Therapy with Men after Sixty is a breakthrough book for professionals that helps them open their clients’ minds to new ways of thinking, behaving, and feeling about the aging process. The authors adopt a realistic but optimistic tone as they carefully examine the psychological, relational, and sexual aspects of life after 60, while also dispelling common myths. Topics addressed include how to build and maintain Psychological Well Being, have quality relationships, build self-esteem, and deal with crisis and loss. Practical topics, such as financial issues, living situations, and relationships with adult children and grandchildren are addressed through guidelines, skill exercises, and case studies. Each chapter helps mental health professionals to account for individual, couple, cultural, and value differences, making this an unparalleled resource for helping men successfully meet the challenges of aging.

    1. Myths and Misconceptions 2. Positive, Realistic Expectations about the Aging Process 3. Psychological Well-Being and Aging 4. The Woman's Role in Promoting Male Well-Being 5. Maintaining Marital Vitality and Satisfaction 6. A New Model of Male and Couple Sexuality 7. Health and Aging 8. Coping with Illness and Medications 9. Designing Living Space 10. Financial Issues with Aging 11. Creating Quality Relationships with Adult Children 12. Grandparenting Challenges and Enjoyment 13. Special Issues for Men without Partners 14. Interests, Activities, Friendships 15. Confronting Poisons: Depression, Alcohol Abuse, Fearfulness, Loneliness, and Despair 16. Ending Well: Accepting Mortality 17. Successfully Meeting the Challenges of Aging

    Biography

    Barry McCarthy, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, professor of psychology, and a certified sex and marital therapist. He has published extensively on couples and sexuality and has run over 300 professional workshops nationally and internationally. He is also the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2009 Smart Marriages Impact Award.

    Emily McCarthy has been working with her husband, Barry, for years and together they have authored 11 books. She has a degree in speech communication, and her writing provides a balanced, humanistic perspective.

    "This text by Barry and Emily McCarthy focuses on helping men adjust to the challenges of aging. It is written for men; it is practical, optimistic, and realistic. Most men will find this text especially helpful." --Robert Taylor Segraves MD, PhD, Emeritus, Case Western Reserve University; Editor, Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy

    "Therapy with Men After Sixty provides an illuminating road map for psychological well-being as men age. It illustrates how optimism, balance, engagement, sexual activity, and integrity can be integrated as one becomes what younger people think of as old. The book reminds us that masculinity is not a fixed character style; it changes form from youthful competitive achievement to increased emotionally satisfying connections to family, friends, and the community. While the book is ostensibly directed to psychotherapists to assist their clients with this vital developmental matter, the wise layman can profitably eavesdrop on Barry and Emily McCarthy's practical suggestions and strategies." -- Stephen B. Levine, MD, Case Western Reserve University

     

    "The McCarthys have done it again: a book of exceptional balance that embraces men's capacities to age well while acknowledging our challenges and blind spots. Therapists can use this book to help men see aging as a process, not a performance or a product. I will recommend it to my male clients as a comprehensive guide to managing life's last trimester." -- William J. Doherty, PhD, Professor of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota; Author of Take Back Your Marriage: Sticking Together in a World That Pulls Us Apart

     

    "The McCarthys have done a terrific job of identifying a path to a more balanced and meaningful life for men and their partners of all ages, especially those of us over 60. Barry’s straightforward presentation of his ‘good enough sex’ model and his valuable related guidance for experiencing overall psychological well-being (PWB) are both accessible and extremely helpful. It is a must-read for any man looking for assistance with this often troubling transition from ‘real life’ to retirement." --Michael A. Perelman, PhD, Clinical Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry, Weill Medical College, Cornell University; Co-Director, Human Sexuality Program, The New York Presbyterian Hospital