Aging is not just a physical process, it is also an emotional process, but we don’t have a language for it. Therapy can help you find that language.
When we see information about aging, the writing is usually about how we can stay. Younger longer through diet and exercise. And yes, how we take care of our bodies is very important, but that message is too simple. How our bodies change depends upon genetics, environment, circumstances, and luck, and every person’s story is individual and unique. But that’s not all we need to talk about.
Circumstances change around us.
What about the life changes that occur, the people we lose, the capacities and opportunities? What about surprises, regrets, the mental and emotional experience of getting older? Aging is normal, no one escapes it, but it can cause an identity crisis with a lot of emotions, including fear, sadness and shame. Who are we now? Our society marginalizes and devalues older people, and that makes us tend to devalue ourselves, which is a corrosive force. In therapy I can help you to navigate the specific changes in your life, and to name, normalize, and deal with your emotions.
Some things are lost, but some things are gained.
As an older person myself, I have found that there are unexpected advantages that we can enjoy if our minds are open to them. I can help to you to better tolerate your struggles and shift your focus from your accustomed striving for outside gains, to finding who you are inside, and what is of value in your life right now.
joycehouser.mft@gmail.com