Sexuality in Mid-Life

I wrote Sexuality in Mid-Life to assist clinicians in considering love, sex, intimacy, and dysfunction as they occur in this epoch of the life cy­ cle. The chapters reflect my belief that understanding the processes of living is vital for both the therapist and the patient. Despite my preoc­ cupation with creating a cohesive book, I often thought of these 11 chapters as essays because in this prose form it is traditional for the author to be palpably present in the text. I tried not to hide behind the passive constructions oftypical psychiatric books. I wanted to create a book that did not restrict itself to scientific findings, clinical experi­ ences, or ideological traditions. I wanted to discuss relevant issues that were generally avoided by professionals. In approaching the topics of love, extramarital affairs, and menopause, for instance, I hoped to em­ phasize the developmental potentials inherent in both mid-life's smooth sailing and its underappreciated adversities. Sexuality in Mid-Life is my third solo-authored book. During the writing ofthe first two, I thought I was painting a picture of the life cy­ cle of sexuality. When a young woman said something complimentary to me about Sex Is Not Simple and quickly added that I had left out any consideration of the sexuality of pregnancy, I was stunned by my over­ sight.