Contributed by Barry Jacobs
A Script for Male Dementia Caregivers
Helping a Husband Be More Than a 'Pillar of Strength'Many spousal dementia caregivers struggle emotionally watching their life partners slowly decline. But I also knew that male caregivers, especially spouses... Read more
What Basketball Taught Me About Therapy
Learning to Stay in the Game with Challenging ClientsBasketball has taught me many lessons. I learned about trust, relationships, and teamwork. I learned the power to regulate feelings. It would shape my... Read more
A Squeeze of the Hand
What Does a Son Owe His Mother?After a lifetime of conflict, a son faces the question of what he owes his mother. Read more
Intimate Enemies
A Stepson Reconsiders a Long-Held ResentmentA stepson reconsiders a long-held resentment. Read more
The Rewards of Caregiving
Escaping Negative CyclesHow to help beleaguered caretakers of elderly parents find meaning and purpose in a challenging task. Read more
Helping Therapy Clients Cope with the Reality of Death
Clinical Wisdom to Combat Fear, Anxiety, and Grief at the End of LifeFor 17 years, managing responses to death has become part of my work, whether originally my intention or not. I’ve aspired to helping families hang tough... Read more
Doing What's Best for Mom and Dad
Helping Contentious Siblings Find Common CauseA parent's failing health can stir up a hornet's nest of trouble among adult siblings. Read more
Honoring the Mission
Don’t Be too Quick to Ease the Caregiver’s BurdenQ: My clients who take care of aging parents complain about being exhausted, depressed, and resentful, but resist my suggestions for making their lives easier... Read more
Receiving with Grace
Teaching reluctant seniors to accept helpQ: Many of my older clients and their family caregivers resist accepting help from others. How can I get them to receive the care they need? A: For those... Read more
Reliable Witness
What it Takes to be With Your Clients to the EndFew of us instinctively know what to do and say when families are confronting the death of a loved one. But we can start by being with them in the struggle. Read more
War Stories
Helping Old Soldiers Find the Will to LiveHelping old soldiers find the will to fight Read more
Families facing a disabling illness often take refuge in a collective folie. Read more
Barry Jacobs
Barry J. Jacobs, Psy.D. is a Philly area-based clinical psychologist, healthcare consultant, and coauthor (with his wife, Julia L. Mayer, Psy.D.) of AARP Meditations for Caregivers (Da Capo, 2016) and AARP Love and Meaning After 50 (Hachette, 2020). He writes a monthly self-help column for family caregivers on AARP.org.