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Case ReportFull Access

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with the Older Adult: Challenges Facing the Patient and the Therapist

Published Online:30 Apr 2018https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1997.51.3.431

Abstract

Psychotherapy that employs a developmental psychodynamic perspective may help older patients navigate conflicts and challenges that frequently accompany the aging process. The case of A., an 81-year-old widow, is used to illustrate several themes that often emerge in work with older patients. The significance of changes in family structure and roles, object loss, and narcissistic injury is discussed.