Marriage At Midlife

"[This book] provides a perceptive, research based, and pragmatic approach to working with couples seeking reconnection after years of childrearing....Marriage at Midlife should take center stage on every counselor's bookshelf." --Kathleen M. Galvin, PhD Professor, Communication Studies, Northwestern University The middle period of married life-what the authors call the "centerstage"-is often the "make or break" point in a lifelong relationship. Marriage at Midlife provides counselors, mental health professionals, and marriage educators with the tools they need to assist couples who are experiencing the challenges of the post-childrearing years. The authors take a resilience-based approach to help couples preserve and improve long, satisfying relationships. This book is enriched with the authors' experience with couples who have been married between 20 and 50 years. Each chapter contains an opening narrative about a real-life couple, a section identifying sources of distress, a section outlining the analytical tools needed for each challenge, and questions and exercises for clients. Throughout the book are bulleted lists with quick advice for couples on a range of topics, such as suggested shared activities or tips for managing stress. Learn how to help couples: Reinvent and deepen their marriage through improved communication Forgive past transgressions and choose new, meaningful, shared activities Adapt to midlife challenges, such as job loss, relocation, and returning to school Handle the stress of illness and caregiving Redefine relationships with "boomerang kids," adult children, and grandchildren With this book, counselors will obtain both the skills and the insight needed to help couples reimagine their relationships at this pivotal stage in their lives.

Midlife is one of the most trying times in a marriage. Pressures come from within -- as anxiety, boredom, and restlessness tempt us to seek fulfillment in affairs or radical lifestyle changes. And pressure comes from outside, too, as growing children, aging parents, health concerns, and financial strains make it harder than ever to focus on each other. In this guide, couples who want to stay the course will find compelling, commonsense advice on how to: -- Get what they really want from each other -- Make their relationship a priority -- Recognize the risks of midlife marriage -- Rekindle -- and even improve -- their sexual relationship -- Triumph over the tough challenges that drive other couples to divorce -- Learn to really like each other again

Midlife is a season of challenge and change—professionally, relationally, physically, and spiritually. On our better days, we experience a sense of growing clarity and satisfaction about who we are. We might even be coming to terms with our limitations and vulnerabilities, letting go of some dreams and creating new ones. But many days, we are overwhelmed and exhausted by the intense transitions of this season, leaving us feeling off-balance and insecure. And these challenges reverberate through our marriages, making us wonder how we're going to survive. Though many assume that "midlife" is synonymous with "crisis," Dorothy Littell Greco reminds us that it doesn't have to be that way. The demands of midlife actually force us to adjust and adapt, providing new opportunities for discovery and growth within our marriages. With vulnerability and insight, Marriage in the Middle will inspire and encourage you to invest in your relationship with your spouse, enabling you both to thrive as you face the challenges and changes of this era together.

“Anyone grappling with the bewilderment of midlife…will be at once provoked and comforted by this enormously wise book” (Dani Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage), from a psychologist who has worked for decades with people struggling to preserve and enhance their marriages and long-term relationships. People today are trying to make their marriages work over longer lives than ever before. But staying married isn’t always easy. In the brilliant, transformative, and optimistic The Rough Patch, clinical psychologist Daphne de Marneffe explores the extraordinary pushes and pulls of midlife marriage, where our need to develop as individuals can crash headlong into the demands of our relationships. “A book of good intentions and helpful advice and a worthy manual for spouses” (Kirkus Reviews), The Rough Patch addresses common problems: money, alcohol and drugs, the stresses of parenthood, sex, extramarital affairs, lovesickness, health, aging, children leaving home, and dealing with elderly parents. Then, de Marneffe offers seasoned wisdom on these difficulties, explaining the psychological, emotional, and relational capacities we must cultivate to overcome them as individuals and as couples. Blending research, interviews, and clinical experience, de Marneffe dives deep into the workings of love and the structures of relationships. Intimate and always illuminating, The Rough Patch is an essential, compassionate resource for people trying to understand “where they are” on the continuum of marriage, giving them a chance to share in other people’s stories and struggles. “De Marneffe writes with poetry, wit, and compassion about the necessity of struggle in the quest for true love. Anyone in any relationship at any stage of life could stand to learn from the wisdom in these pages” (Andrew Solomon, National Book Award-winning author of Far from the Tree).

In this ground-breaking book, Dr Nolen investigates the causes of the male mid-life crisis - and proposes the theory that it is not merely a psychological disorder, but a change caused by drastic alterations in brain chemistry.

While wide awake in the middle of the night (welcome to menopause!), Amy Ferris began chronicling every one of her funny, sad, hysterical, down and dirty, and raw to the bones stories. Along with fantasizing about marrying George Clooney, Ferris is faced with a plethora of other insomnia-induced thoughts and activities. From googling old boyfriends to researching obscure and fatal diseases on the web; from scouting five-star spa destinations to having angry, bitter, e-mail exchanges with her brother. She worries endlessly about her husband, relies heavily on Ambien, and tries to arrange care via the Internet for her mother (who has both severe dementia and a massive love-bubble crush on Jesus Christ)—all while refraining from lighting up just one more cigarette. Marrying George Clooney explores a range of emotions experienced through this life-altering period. In this candid look at "the change," Ferris offers a humorous spin on a not-so-funny topic.

A step-by-step approach to making your marriage loving again.

THE DEFINITIVE RESOURCE ON MIDLIFE DEVELOPMENT Edited by Margie Lachman, a leader in the field, Handbook of Midlife Development provides an up-to-date portrayal of human development during the middle years of the life span. Featuring contributions from well-established, highly regarded experts, this exhaustive reference fills the gap for a compilation of research on this increasingly important topic. Divided into four comprehensive sections, the book addresses the theoretical, biomedical, psychological, and social aspects of midlife development. Each chapter includes coverage of unifying themes such as gender differences, ethnic and cultural diversity, historical changes, and socioeconomic differences from a life-span developmental perspective. Readers will discover what can be learned from individuals' subjective conceptions of midlife; explore various "cultural" fictions of middle age; examine the resources individuals have at their disposal to negotiate midlife; consider mechanisms for balancing work and family; and other topics as presented in the latest research from the social, behavioral, and medical sciences. Handbook of Midlife Development is an indispensable resource for professionals and practitioners who work with adults and for researchers and students who study adult development and related topics. Some of the midlife topics discussed: * Cultural perspectives * Physical changes * Stress, coping, and health * Intellectual functioning * Memory * Personality and the self * Adaptation and resilience * Emotional development * Families and intergenerational relationships * Social relationships * The role of work * Planning for retirement