Psychotherapy With Older Men

Growing older can be a time of great joy and satisfaction for men as they look back on their accomplishments and gain more free time, but it can also be a challenging and distressing experience, especially for those men raised with the very traditional notions of what it means to be a "real man." This book will help practitioners working with older and aging men understand the eras in which these men were raised, how they view the world, the gender role conflicts they experience, and the physical, mental, and emotional challenges and problems they face during the later stages of their lives. The authors discuss theories of masculinity and aging and therapeutic considerations for working with this special population. Making use of many detailed case studies, they explore the psychological issues that are commonly faced by older men, such as depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and substance use and abuse, as well as effective screening and assessment techniques, and treatment approaches. They then conclude with a look at the future directions of psychotherapy with older men.

Tammi Vacha-Haase, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program in the Psychology Department at Colorado State University, USA, where she served as the Training Director of the program for 8 years. She is a licensed psychologist and currently serves as the consulting psychologists at several local long-term care and assisted living facilities. She has authored numerous articles, received several grants, and currently has an active research and training program in geropsychology. Dr. Vacha-Haase is a member of the Society for Counseling Psychology (Division 17), Psychologists in Long Term Care (PLTC), and the Geropsychology Training Committee.

Stephen R. Wester, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of counseling psychology in the APA-approved Counseling Psychology Doctoral program housed within the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA. A prolific author and presenter, Stephen was recently named Researcher of the Year (2006) by the American Psychological Association’s Division 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity). His research interests include men and emotions, male gender role conflict, counseling men from diverse backgrounds, and multicultural expressions of masculinity.

Heidi Fowell Christianson, MS, is currently a doctoral student in counseling psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA, while concurrently pursuing a certification in applied gerontology through UWM’s School of Social Work. A winner of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Helen Bader Endowed Scholarship, for her work in geropsychology, three years running (2004, 2005, and 2006), Heidi’s research and professional interests include aging and health psychology, specifically psychotherapy with older adults, psychosocial interventions for people with chronic illness, and physical consequences of stress on the medically ill.