Wendy Lustbader is the author of several books and essays that have earned her a national reputation in the field of aging. She is also a popular speaker at conferences throughout the United States and Canada, using storytelling to animate complex subjects. Additionally, she is a skilled psychotherapist, having worked almost twenty years with people from all walks of life at a community clinic in downtown Seattle. Equally passionate as a writer, teacher, and therapist, Wendy brings a social worker’s lived experience to her writing, teaching, and service to people across the lifespan. Currently, she teaches advanced practice classes in the Master’s degree curriculum for both day students and those in the Extended Degree Program.  

Wendy’s publications include two videos. The first, A Prescription for Caregivers, shows caregivers and those who assist them how to make life better for the giver and receiver of care. In her other video, Kind Hands, front-line workers learn how to respond to grief and vulnerability. Wendy’s first book was co-authored with Nancy Hooyman, Taking Care of Aging Family Members. This is a practical guide to caregiving, with a detailed index to help readers find exactly what they need. Her second book, Counting on Kindness, helps readers to comprehend the complex and often unspeakable feelings which arise when we become dependent on others for help. Her third book is What’s Worth Knowing, a collection of pithy insights gathered from older people. Her newest book, Life Gets Better, explores how life improves as we get older, on every level except the physical.