Whether you're navigating a major life change, reevaluating long-term relationships, or feeling the weight of aging and transition, you're not alone. Therapy can help you reflect, reconnect, and move forward with purpose—individually or as a couple.

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Therapy for Adults in Midlife and Beyond

Midlife and later life come with unique challenges and meaningful opportunities for growth. Whether you're navigating a major transition, facing shifts in health or identity, or longing for deeper connection in your relationships, therapy can offer clarity, healing, and direction.

At Clarity Counseling Seattle, part of our work is with individuals and couples in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond who are seeking meaningful support during this phase of life. Several of our older and more experienced therapists specialize in helping adults move through these transitions with warmth, skill, and compassion. All services are available both in person in Seattle and through secure online therapy across Washington.

Common issues people face in midlife and later adulthood

Three older adult women smiling outdoors — midlife therapy and connection in Seattle Whether you're exploring these topics individually or with a partner, you might be facing:

Sexual changes related to aging, menopause, or desire discrepancy
Midlife crisis or identity shifts as roles change
Stress related to retirement, relocation, or the empty nest syndrome
Caring for aging parents or managing caregiver burnout
Grief, partner loss, or anticipatory concerns about aging and death
Loneliness or social isolation, even in long-standing relationships
Shifts in physical health, energy, or daily functioning
Ongoing conflict or distance in multigenerational families
Rebalancing long-term partnerships after decades together
Reevaluating boundaries and roles with adult children

This stage of life often brings both loss and liberation. Therapy offers a place to reflect, re-center, and move forward with purpose.

Questions about connection and belonging show up often in midlife. Clarity Counseling Seattle’s founder and lead therapist, Justin Pere, recently contributed to an AARP article titled “Are Online Friendships Really Friendships?” (Read the AARP article here), where he shared how digital interactions can feel supportive while sometimes making it harder to talk about what’s really going on. These themes come up frequently in therapy as adults explore what kinds of relationships feel nourishing at this stage of life.

Justin also recently contributed to a Seattle Times investigation into why suicide rates among older adults in Washington remain high, sharing insight on the emotional, relational, and systemic factors that often go overlooked in later life. His comments highlighted how loneliness, health changes, loss, and shifts in identity can deeply impact mental well-being in this stage of life. (Read the article | PDF)

He also wrote a first-person Seattle Times Mental Health Perspectives guest column about men’s emotional development and the quiet cost of never being taught a language for what you feel. While the essay focuses on men, the theme is broader and familiar in midlife: it’s never too late to learn new skills for connection, to soften long-standing patterns, or to feel more seen in the relationships that matter most. (View the Mental Health Perspectives series | Read the column (PDF))

Benefits of therapy for midlife and beyond

While facing midlife and later life transitions can bring unique challenges, therapy offers a powerful path to renewed well-being and fulfillment. Our work with adults in this phase of life is designed to help you not just cope, but thrive.

Here are some of the ways therapy can support you:

Gain Clarity and Direction: Therapy provides a dedicated space to reflect on your values, identify what truly matters to you, and set a course for a more fulfilling future.
Strengthen Relationships: Learn effective communication skills, resolve long-standing conflicts, and foster deeper intimacy with your partner, family, and friends. This includes improving midlife relationship problems and fostering couples connection.
Build Resilience and Coping Skills: Develop healthy strategies to manage stress, anxiety, and depression, equipping you to navigate life's challenges with greater ease and confidence.
Process Grief and Loss: Receive compassionate support to move through the complexities of grief, partner loss, or anticipatory concerns about aging. Learn to honor memories while rebuilding your life with peace.
Rediscover Purpose and Identity: Explore who you are outside of traditional roles, reignite passions, and embrace new possibilities for personal growth and a renewed sense of purpose after 50.
Improve Overall Well-being: Experience greater peace, contentment, and a renewed sense of self, leading to a more vibrant and satisfying life as you age.

Individual therapy for adults age 45 and beyond

We support individuals navigating life transitions, emotional challenges, or identity shifts in midlife and beyond. Whether you're processing grief, rethinking your path, or adjusting to changes in health or family dynamics, we’re here to help you feel grounded and empowered.

Individual midlife therapy can support you in:

Clarifying values and rediscovering your purpose
Working through anxiety in midlife, depression in older adults, or emotional overwhelm
Healing relationship patterns or attachment wounds
Adjusting to aging, retirement, or health changes
Building confidence around sexuality, dating, or starting over in midlife

It's never too late to gain insight, learn new tools, or make changes that bring you more peace and satisfaction.

Our practice has been featured in national conversations about midlife well-being, connection, and emotional health. You can explore articles and interviews related to these themes on our Media & Press page.

Couples therapy in midlife and later years

Many couples reach out in midlife or beyond when long-standing patterns feel harder to shift, or when life transitions bring new tension or disconnection. Whether you're reconnecting after raising kids, navigating health challenges, or wondering what comes next together, couples therapy can help you move forward as a team.

We work with couples facing:

Emotional or sexual disconnection
Resentment built up over years or decades
Intimacy concerns or mismatched needs as bodies and desires change
Retirement adjustments and changing daily rhythms
Conflicts around caregiving, finances, or shifting roles

Our therapists use evidence-based approaches like the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems for Couples (IFIO), and the Developmental Model to help couples rediscover connection, build empathy, and communicate more effectively.

Therapy for this stage of life — in person or online

Whether you're in Seattle or anywhere in Washington State, we offer in-person and online therapy for adults in midlife and beyond. You don’t need to be in crisis to reach out; many clients come to us simply wanting to feel more grounded, more connected, and more themselves.

How do I know if midlife therapy is right for me?

Many adults reach out when they're feeling stuck, overwhelmed by changes, or unsure how to navigate shifting roles, relationships, health, or identity. Therapy offers a grounded, supportive space to explore these questions and move forward with confidence.

Ready to explore counseling for midlife?

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Sex in Later Life

How Therapy for Adults in Midlife and Beyond at Clarity Counseling Seattle Supports Your Growth and Well-Being

Midlife and later adulthood can be a time of profound reflection, transition, and possibility — but it can also bring challenges that are unlike those of earlier years. Our Seattle therapists specialize in supporting adults in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond as they navigate life changes, rediscover purpose, and strengthen relationships. Whether you’re facing a major transition, exploring new chapters, or simply wanting to feel more grounded, we’re here to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Guidance for Life’s Big Transitions

From retirement planning and career shifts to changes in health, relationships, and family roles, midlife can bring an array of transitions. We help you process these changes, find meaning in the adjustments, and create a sense of stability in uncertain times.

Support for Emotional and Relational Well-Being

We address the emotional realities that can surface in midlife, such as loneliness, shifting identities, or changes in intimacy. Whether you’re seeking individual therapy or working on relationship concerns, we’ll help you reconnect with yourself and with the people who matter most.

Therapy Informed by Experience

Our therapists bring both professional expertise and a deep understanding of the midlife experience. This allows us to approach therapy with sensitivity to the complexities of this stage of life — from balancing caregiving responsibilities to exploring new goals and passions.

Flexible and Accessible Options for Your Lifestyle

We offer both in-person sessions in our Seattle office and secure online therapy, so you can choose the format that best fits your needs. This flexibility ensures you can prioritize your mental and emotional well-being without adding unnecessary stress to your schedule.

Meet Our Therapists :

Maggie Fisher-Shipley, MA, LMFT therapist in Seattle, WA

Maggie Fisher-Shipley MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

(she/her pronouns)

Please note: Therapy sessions with Maggie are held in-person in Seattle or via telehealth Monday through Thursday.

Many of the individuals, couples, and polycules ...

Corey-Thompson, MA, LMHC therapist in Seattle, WA

Corey Thompson MA, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor

(he/him pronouns)

Please note: Therapy sessions with Corey are held exclusively through telehealth for clients anywhere in Washington State.

Many of the individuals, couples, and polycules I ...

Lisa Stewart, LICSW therapist in Seattle, WA

Lisa Stewart MSW, MJ, LICSW, SUDPT
Licensed Clinical Social Worker

(she/her pronouns)

Please note: Therapy sessions with Lisa are available in-person in Seattle on Saturdays, or via telehealth Monday through Friday for clients anywhere in ...

Meet More of our Staff

Featured Blog Posts - Therapy for Adults in Midlife and Beyond — Seattle & Online

January 6, 2026

Digital Overload in Midlife and Its Impact on Relationships

Many couples reach midlife feeling like they barely have time to talk anymore. It’s not necessarily because they’ve grown apart (it’s often because the noise around them has gotten louder). Between work messages, social feeds, and constant notifications, it’s harder than ever to feel fully present.

Technology has made life more ...

November 19, 2025

Are Online Friendships Enough in Midlife? Insights from My AARP Interview

Many adults in midlife and beyond are navigating relationship changes, shifting priorities, and new ways of staying connected. For so many people, the internet has become a major part of how we maintain friendships. Recently I was interviewed in an AARP article titled “Are Online Friendships Really Friendships?”, where I ...

July 11, 2025

Coming Out Later in Life: Embracing Your Truth and Reclaiming Your Sexuality

For many men, the journey toward understanding and embracing their sexuality doesn’t happen early, or easily. Some men come out to themselves and others only later in life, often after decades spent in heterosexual marriages, raising children, and fulfilling cultural or familial expectations. This process is rarely linear, and it’s ...

Frequently Asked Questions

Is therapy still helpful later in life, even if I’ve never gone before?

Absolutely! Therapy can be helpful at any age. In fact, many people begin therapy for the first time in midlife or later, especially during periods of transition or reflection. Whether you're facing retirement, caregiving stress, shifting relationship dynamics, or grief, therapy offers a supportive space to process your experiences and move forward with clarity. You don’t need a history of therapy to benefit from it now.

What kinds of issues do midlife and older adults usually bring to therapy?

Clients in midlife and beyond often come to therapy to explore changes in identity, purpose, or relationships. Common concerns include emotional distance in long-term partnerships, caregiving burnout, loneliness, desire changes, unresolved grief, or navigating a new stage of life (like retirement or an empty nest). Some seek support for long-standing patterns that have become harder to ignore, while others simply want space to reflect and grow with intention.

Can couples therapy help if we've been together for decades?

Absolutely, yes. Many couples seek therapy later in life when unresolved patterns, retirement transitions, or intimacy shifts begin to strain the relationship. It’s never too late to improve communication, rebuild closeness, or find new ways of connecting. Therapy can help you better understand each other’s emotional needs, repair long-standing resentments, and navigate this stage of life with greater empathy and teamwork.

What’s the difference between a relationship coach and a couples therapist?

Relationship coaches can offer general support and strategies for improving communication or reaching goals in a relationship, but they aren’t licensed mental health professionals. A couples therapist is clinically trained and licensed to address deeper emotional, relational, and psychological issues, including trauma, attachment patterns, and long-standing conflict.

Therapists also adhere to strict ethical and confidentiality standards and often integrate research-based approaches like the Gottman Method. If you're dealing with repeated arguments, emotional disconnection, or intimacy struggles, working with a licensed couples therapist is likely the most effective choice.