“[A] unique offering spanning both the clinical and counseling psychology literatures. This text goes beyond the perhaps overused concept of ‘successful aging’ to offer a very human perspective on aging positively . . . illustrating how older persons can lead meaningful lives and find a sense of purpose if they have lost their way.”

—Nancy Pachana, Ph.D., School of Psychology, University of Queensland



“Here is a scholarly but readable exposition of how mental health professionals can be of positive assistance to clients in their advancing years . . . . Hill has integrated psychological procedures (assessment and therapy) with specific problems faced by an aging population (physical decline, disability, caregiving, grief, and dying).”

—John D. Krumboltz, Ph.D., Professor of Education and Psychology, Stanford University



“From a scientific perspective, Positive Aging outlines how individuals can (re)model their attitudes, beliefs, and personal environments in order to age successfully. Hill takes a new and stimulating approach by stressing the human potential to adapt to the changes in physical and mental reserve that inevitably come with age, and which have been amply documented in the gerontological literature of the past decades.”

—Martin van Boxtel, Associate Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, University of Maastricht, Netherlands



In this groundbreaking book, Robert Hill, Chair of the Departmeent of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah and a leading researcher in geriatric care, offers us a new framework from which to understand the process of growing old. Ushering in an era of new understanding of what it means to grow older, Positive Aging is an invaluable resource for clinicians working with this growing population. Hill not only explores the social and psychological trends of aging in the 21st century, but also offers an illuminating examination of how advances in the science of gerontology influence the phenomenology of growing old. He delves into the many lifestyle choices individuals can make to improve their happiness as they grow older. Traditional theories of adult development and how positive aging plays into them are examined; useful strategies are provided for coping with common old-age issues—including cognitive deficits, depression, anxiety, and psychological barriers to happiness; and important late-life concerns such as the role positive aging plays in physical disability, caregiving, grief, bereavement, death, and spirituality and meaning-based counseling are covered. Along the way, poignant case studies contextualize the arguments and keep the discussion rooted in tangible, human terms.