Changing Aging, Changing Family Therapy

Paul R. Peluso, PhD, is an associate professor of mental health counseling in the department of counselor education at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. He is a licensed mental health counselor and marriage and family therapist and is the author of several books and journal articles on infidelity, counselor training, and couples therapy. Richard E. Watts, PhD, is distinguished professor of counseling and director of the Center for Research and Doctoral Studies in Counselor Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. He has published several books and numerous journal articles. Mindy Parsons is a licensed mental health counselor with a successful private practice in Delray Beach, Florida. She is a doctoral candidate at Florida Atlantic University and resides in southern Palm Beach County with her husband and their two children.

"This beautifully constructed book identifies the key issues we must address in our work to help aging individuals and their families. Filled with compassion and insight, this wonderful volume examines aging from a family-systems perspective, discussing the shifting life challenges that the elderly encounter and the ways in which those challenges affect older men, women, and their loved ones. Changing Aging, Changing Family Therapy is one of those special books that practitioners will want to have at their fingertips to guide them as they help older clients and their families to manage and enjoy the latter stages of their lives."—Mark Kiselica, PhD, dean of education and professor of counselor education at the College of New Jersey"This book is what baby boomers have been waiting for. It is a timely assessment of the realities inherent in aging, and it is skillful in the way it equips therapists to work with clients both directly and indirectly affected by aging. Changing Aging, Changing Family Therapy is a must for practitioners, students, and professors."— Rita Chi-Ying Chung, PhD, author of Social Justice Counseling: The Next Steps Beyond Multiculturalism"What an outstanding group of authors! From finance to health and from work to intimacy (including same-sex couples), this book covers the many critical aspects of what happens as we age and how this affects our relationships. Changing Aging, Changing Family Therapy is more than a book for professionals in the fields of gerontology or marriage and family therapy. Anyone who is in a relationship and is aging will gain critically important knowledge from this book."—Mark Pope, EdD, professor of counseling and family therapy at the University of Missouri–Saint Louis and past president of the American Counseling Association"This book does an exceptional job presenting what no one has done: acclimatizing family therapy to the baby boomer population. The in-depth interviews with four of the family therapy masters are a rich addition to the book. This is a must read for family therapists our changing times."—Fred Bemak, EdD, professor and director of the Diversity Research and Action Center, George Mason University "In general, the book educates family therapists and other counseling professionals on the many different factors to be considered in dealing with aging family systems… The overall strength of the book is that it is a very useful guide for any clinician, counselor, or related professional assisting aging clients and/or their family members. Changing Aging, Changing Family Therapy: Practicing With 21st Century Realities is a very useful resource for professionals working with clients in response to the normative stressor of aging and associated family system changes over time."—Lisa Hollis-Sawyer, PhD, Activities, Adaptation & Aging, Volume 38, Issue 2, 2014

• Introduction. Peluso, Watts, Parsons, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Fruhauf, Lambert, Narrative Approaches to Working with Older Clients. Peluso, Watts, Parsons, Elderly Parents. Qualls, Caregiver Family Therapy for Families Dealing with Dementia. Peluso, Watts, Parsons, Physical Health. Moll, Leisure and Sexuality in Older Clients. Peluso, Watts, Parsons, Psychopathology in Older Couples. Stein, Working with "Older Old" Couples. Peluso, Watts, Parsons, Financial Issues, Work and Retirement. Blando, Transforming Your Practice to Work with Older Clients. Peluso, Watts, Parsons, Spirituality and Death. Interview with John Gottman. Interview with Gus Napier. Interview with Monica McGoldrick. Interview with Jon Carlson. Peluso, Watts, Parsons, Summary.