developmental tasks of middle age Archives - Aging, caregiving and the journey through the second half of life

Sixty is the new sixty…

September 4, 2019

One of the new mantras of aging in the twenty-first century is the refrain “sixty is the new forty.” Maybe. Good health and an impressive array of lifestyle options certainly make many of today’s sixty year olds look different compared…

Lost the path that does not stray…

May 15, 2018

“When I had journeyed half our life’s way, I found myself within a shadowed forest , for I had lost the path that does not stray.” Dante…

Connecting with the Developmental Tasks of Middle Age

June 8, 2014

Building rapport with middle age clients requires a balance between collaboration and advisory. The goal is to resonate with the tasks. The temptation is to over emphasize advisory by focusing on traditional milestones as an on ramp for planning conversations.…

The Developmental Agenda of Middle Age

May 29, 2014

The primary developmental theme of the middle years is an emerging crisis. Rather than a sudden occurrence, it is an incipient shift in complexity and tone. As such, the middle years usher in a higher state of volatility as a…