Time Horizons and the Evolving Therapeutic Space A Framework for Age-ResponsiveSpiritual Care

This essay explores the intersection of Laura Carstensen’s socioemotional selectivity theory with embodied theology and therapeutic practice. Drawing from empirical research on aging and time perception, this work proposes a framework for understanding how the therapeutic space must evolve to honor the embodied temporality of patients across the lifespan. The integration of psychological research with theological anthropology offers new insights for pastoral care, psychotherapy, and healthcare that recognizes time perception as both a clinical and spiritual reality (Carstensen, 2006).