Gray divorce refers to couples 50 and older ending their marriages. Researchers Brown et al. found that the divorce rate for this age group doubled between 1990 and 2010. Today, nearly 40% of all divorces occur in this population.
Every day in my clinical practice, my therapy dog Friede and I witness patients struggling with the myriad losses that so often accompany later-life divorce. Sadness, loneliness, and lack of connection with others contribute to physical and mental health issues like appetite and sleep disturbance, social isolation, depression, and anxiety. As their therapist, I am always looking for skills, tools, and interventions to offer them to help ease their pain and develop the life they seek.
Kathleen, 60, divorced nine years ago and has struggled with lingering sadness, loneliness, and mild depression. She began therapy several months ago. She and my therapy dog, Friede, snuggled on the love seat in my office. She softly stroked Friede’s head, looked at me, smiled, and began.