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 The Office of Nancy
Capers, MFT#41057Marriage and Family Therapist Psychotherapist La Jolla, California.
Contact: 858 232-9697
e-mail: info@nancycapers.com
Aside from
working with individuals, couples, and families, I have also worked as a corporate consultant with United Health
Care, Great West, Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch, Vodafone, and other companies both domestically and internationally.
SPECIALITIES
Anger Management
High Demand
Group Recovery Life Transitions Business coach
(certified trainer in PCM and PTM) Stepfamily Issues Anxiety Depression
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My professional life is committed to help you understand you
and make sense of the world around you. I work in collaboration with you. My belief is that change occurs in a
profound acceptance from one individual to another, within the context of clear therapeutic boundaries.
Specific training is mandated in this profession.
This includes practicum work, internships, personal therapy as well as continued education in the field. Rigorous exams are
mandated as well as years of supervision. I feel that the richness of one's personal experience is also extremely valuable
as a therapist, leading to wisdom, knowledge, and respect for others' choices. Aside from doing the academic, clinical,
state-mandated work towards CA licensure, I have also learned from my many clients over the years. It is an honor to
be in this field. You are the
expert on you. A joint venture is built between us to foster growth through time, care, respect, and compassion. You
learn to employ your own inner resources to become better equipped to cope with life's inevitablechanges.
CERTIFIED by: Stepfamily Association of America
Process Therapy Model Seminars for Clinicians Process Communication Model
See CLIP: KUSI's GOOD MORNING SAN DIEGO, video segment
of Ms. Capers on "Tips for Handling Holiday Stress." http://www.kusi.com/news/goodmorning/11818206.html
Book Review Published in The
Therapist September/October 2004
Reviewed by Nancy Locke Capers, M.A., MFT#41057
Widows and Divorcees in Later Life:
On Their Own Again
by Carol L. Jenkins, PhD, Editor
202 pp., ISBN: 0-7890-2192-7
Published by The Haworth Press, Inc., 2004
In her introduction, Carol Jenkins notes that both youth and physical
attractiveness which are greatly valued in our culture are lost to older women. On the other hand, this wonderful compilation
of research articles regarding the death of, or divorce from, a spouse, is packed with interesting and insightful data. It
is a text useful for academic purposes or for the reader who is interested in the repercussions of loss late in life. A wide
range of issues are addressed including economic security, loss of social status, patriarchal views, mental and physical health,
and the role of a support system. Along with research involving white women, this
text includes a cross-cultural perspective from Africa to Wales, Mexico to the South Pacific. Reading about how other cultures
treat widows and divorcees (or women who had "retired from marriage") is fascinating. It presents a great variety
of women's experiences, widening the bandwidth of knowledge, and therefore, the options for all women. Historically, minority groups and divorced women
have experienced double-digit poverty rates in retirement. A section of the book which addresses "Projected Retirement
Income of Divorced Women in the Baby Boom" cohort suggests policy options to address the retirement needs of divorced
women. This study points out that most baby boomers will enjoy higher incomes in retirement than did their parents, however,
some subgroups such as unmarried women and less educated individuals will fall behind. Policy-makers are called upon to consider community
based alternatives to family caregivers as the challenges of providing long-term care for disabled minority populations increases.
Factors other than lack of kin availability, such as inferior local long-term care infrastructure and non-culturally competent
service providers are elements at play in minority (in this case, Mexican) populations. One study from Kings College in London, studied
the marked decline in intergenerational co-residence that has led to apprehension that family support for the elderly is diminishing
in Great Britain. One
particularly interesting study by Jenkins examines how care arrangement choices are made for older widows, which included
family members and professional service providers. The major theme was maintaining the older woman's independence, noting
that often decisions are made without consulting the older person. Concerns about safety, the flexible meanings of continuing
independence, responsibility, and caregiving reciprocity are explored. Once again, the findings have implications for service
providers and policymakers, as well as individuals finding themselves in a position of helping to make decisions for a parent
or relative. One
particularly interesting piece examines bereavement patterns for widows, which show a high correlation between the first two
years of bereavement and a 40 percent higher risk of hospitalization than women not recently widowed. The opposing experience
is also mentioned regarding women who had been married to dominant spouses and may feel a newfound sense of autonomy when their husbands pass away. I was surprised to learn about (in the U.S.) the Older Americans Act which provides
states with additional funding to provide support and guidance for caregivers. Widows and Divorcees in Later Life ameliorated some of my own anxiety about the future. As a middle-aged
woman who will be facing these issues, I found this an absorbing and engaging text that was informative and stimulating. I
was struck by the varied opportunities that diverge from the typical concept of widows and divorcees being on their own again.
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