Why do marriages that have lasted for decades sometimes begin to unravel later in life?
When Growth Arrives Late offers a developmental explanation for the growing phenomenon of gray divorce. Drawing on clinical psychology and the Five-Stage framework of emotional development, Roland Y. Kim, Ph.D., explores how a marriage can remain stable for many years—until retirement, an empty nest, changing roles, or unexpected personal growth alters the balance that once held the relationship together.
Rather than viewing late-life divorce simply as the disappearance of love or the failure of commitment, this book asks a deeper question: What happens when one spouse begins to change, but the marriage was built around who both partners used to be?
A marriage can remain stable for decades partly because the developmental organization of each spouse fits the other. When one spouse begins to develop beyond the psychological arrangement on which the marriage was built, growth itself can destabilize the relationship.
Accessible to couples, individuals, therapists, and anyone trying to understand a long relationship that suddenly feels different, When Growth Arrives Late offers a new way to understand why some marriages become unstable precisely when life was expected to become easier.