Midlife and later life may bring both loss and liberation, but you don’t have to cope with these seismic shifts on your own. A good therapist can help you adjust in healthy ways.

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Illustration by Maya Chastain

Aging changes you. It changes the way your body looks and the way it functions. It can change your role at work and in your family. It can even radically change your self-esteem.

Having therapy at this time of your life can be hugely beneficial. A good therapist can help you work through a specific hardship, manage stress, and find fulfillment.

If you’re reluctant, take a look at the data: A 2024 reportTrusted Source by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that from 2019 to 2023, the percentage of adults who had received mental health treatment in the past 12 months increased from 19.2% to 23.9%.

As more and more people recognize the important connections between physical health and mental well-being, the stigma around therapy may be dwindling. But there’s still work to do. A 2023 report notes the significance of the stigma around therapy, an “impediment in psychiatric care deterring the timely provision of this care and hindering optimal health outcomes.”

Therapy can be powerful and transformative at any age, and this article discusses the many benefits of the practice in midlife and later life.

Hormones fluctuate across life stages. When estrogen, testosterone, and other hormones wane, it affects everything from your sleep habitsTrusted Source to your muscle toneTrusted Source to your sex lifeTrusted Source. In addition to changing hormone levels, injuries and illness can sometimes keep you from participating in some of the activities you love.

And these are just a few of the significant physical changes.

Relationships can also undergo transitions in midlife and later life. You may become a caregiver for a spouse or older parents. In a 2022 study, Pew Research found that a majority of adults in their 50s (59%) and 60s or older (83%) are sandwiched between an aging parent and an adult child needing financial assistance.

Among adults over 50 years old, divorce rates are high. In fact, the divorce rate “doubled between 1990 and 2010 before leveling off more recently,” according to a 2023 article. Fewer women than men re-partnerTrusted Source after a “gray divorce” (a divorce between spouses older than 50), which may mean adjusting to life on your own after many years as part of a couple.

Therapist Jill Meehan, LCSW, helps individuals and families navigate transitions like these. She said that meaningful change is possible at any age.

“Resistance to change is not about age,” Meehan points out. “It’s about desire. Yes, change is difficult, but anybody can adapt if they really want to and are committed to the process.”

In a period of change, Meehan said, working with a therapist can help you:

  • tune in to what you want and need
  • clarify your options
  • learn to trust your own judgment, even in unfamiliar territory

In midlife and later life, major transitions, such as retirement, can destabilize your sense of who you are.

Research from 2021Trusted Source has found, for example, that elite athletes often feel depressed and confused after retiring from competitive sports.

When you are no longer doing something — or being something — that was once the focus of your life, a vacuum can open up. Feelings of disorientation are not uncommon.

“Some people lose the feeling of being relevant,” Meehan notes.

Even when the loss of identity is part of a natural process, such as menopause, living in the “in-between” phase can be uncomfortable. Therapy can give you a sense of direction as you redefine yourself. It can create a safe space for the trial, error, and reflection process of forming a new identity.

“What I see, working with women, is that the focus of their lives has often been on taking care of others,” she said. “When that shifts, people can start asking, ‘What do I want for the rest of my life?’ A therapist can give you permission to reevaluate your life and get clear about your options.”

Loss can happen at any stage of life. But the longer you live, the greater the odds that you will face a significant loss of some type. Children grow up and move out of the house. Friends and family members pass away. Important and meaningful phases of your life draw to a natural close.

“As horrible as grief is, it’s unavoidable,” Meehan said. “A good therapist can be present as a support, to help you process sorrow and regret — to validate those normal feelings and support you.”

The desire to process regret is a natural one. In later life, many people review their life experiences, wanting to recall and talk about times that stood out among the everyday events. Some therapeutic approaches focus intentionally on helping people look back in productive ways.

Life review, or reminiscence therapy, creates space for you to share important memories — whether they are of big events or moments that mattered.

A 2024 integrative reviewTrusted Source of life review therapy in older adults found that this type of therapy, which lends structure to the natural process of looking back, improves the quality of the life you’re living now.

Whether therapy takes place in a one-on-one or group setting, in-person or online, its success is based on human connection and bonding.

Research from 2024Trusted Source suggests that a strong alliance between a therapist and a client makes therapy more effective. And this, in turn, can help you build stronger connections with the people in your life.

Developing sources of connection is important. A therapist can help you create a connection plan with concrete ways to stay in touch with loved ones and avoid isolation.

According to a research review from 2020Trusted Source, researchers have long said isolation isn’t just about loneliness. It can also lead to health issues, raising your risk of developing dementia, heart problems, and mental health conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced those findings.

“Therapy can keep you engaged,” Meehan explains. “Your therapist can be an unbiased source of validation, support, and compassion.”

Experts at the American Psychological Association recommend that you look for a therapist with special training if you’re living in a unique setting (such as an assisted living facility), you’re coping with a chronic illness, or you’re experiencing death or dying issues.

Your results are likely to be better if you find a therapist that feels like a good “fit.” Here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Think about your age preferences in a therapist: At least one study from 2019Trusted Source found that women preferred an older therapist when they wanted to process universal life issues but opted for a therapist nearer their own age when experiencing an issue related to “living in today’s world.” Either way, it’s important to pay attention to your own preferences, since they may affect your ability to trust and bond with your therapist.
  • Look for a therapist trained in problem-solving therapy (PST) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): PST and CBT are effective in treating depression among older adults — especially those who are coping with chronic health conditions.
  • Keep the practicalities in mind: Finding a therapist covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or your insurance provider will probably mean lower costs for you.
  • Consider online therapy: Some people worry online therapy will feel less personal than an in-person session. Others may be put off by the hassles of technology. Though it may take some time to adjust to the idea of forming a virtual connection, research has found that older adults are open to video-to-home treatment.

If you’re in midlife to later life, there are strong, evidence-based reasons to consider therapy. A culturally sensitive, well-trained therapist can help you adapt to a changing body, divorce, an empty nest, retirement, painful loss, or any other life transitions you’re facing.