Clinical implications of adult developmental theory

Multidisciplinary studies of adulthood have revolutionized thinking about developmental processes during the second half of life. These ideas are just beginning to be integrated with clinical theory and practice. The elaboration of the interface between the rapidly expanding developmental theory of normal adulthood and clinical intervention with older patients is a psychiatric frontier. Illustrating with clinical examples, the authors offer a rationale for using new diagnostic tools, suggest a revision of the theory of transference to include sources beyond childhood, and describe unique transference paradigms in older patients as well as equally phase-specific countertransference responses in their therapists.