Stella Kerl-McClain
Licensed Psychologist
29 years of experience licensed in Oregon. Stella brings deep clinical wisdom and a steady, experienced hand to the mental health of older adults.
Read full bioLoneliness
The quiet gets loud. You don't have to sit with it alone.
Loneliness in later life is common, and it's not something to just push through. Talk to someone who understands. Covered by Medicare. By phone or video.
Lily is Total Life's AI wellness coach, here for everyday support and answers. She is not a medical provider and does not replace therapy.
Medicare-covered
You're not alone
What loneliness can feel like.
- You go days without a real conversation, not just small talk.
- You keep the TV or radio on just to hear a voice in the house.
- You've stopped reaching out because it feels like a one-way effort.
- Meals, holidays, and quiet evenings feel heavier than they used to.
- You tell people you're "fine" because it's easier than explaining.
- Friends have moved, passed away, or drifted, and the circle got smaller.
- You feel invisible, like no one would notice if a week went by.
- You miss being known, not just seen.
These are common experiences, not a diagnostic checklist. A licensed therapist can help you understand what you're feeling without rushing to label it.
Why this is different after 65
Why loneliness in later life is its own kind of hard.
Retirement removes a daily source of conversation overnight. Driving less, or not at all, shrinks the radius of daily life. Hearing loss makes group conversation exhausting, so people quietly stop showing up. And loss compounds: a spouse, a sibling, old friends, sometimes several in just a few years. Loneliness at this stage isn't a personality trait or a failure to try harder, it's often just what's left after the structures that used to create connection quietly disappear. Therapy can't rebuild a whole social circle, but it can be one steady, real connection while you rebuild the rest.
1 in 3
Older adults still experience loneliness or isolation
Source: University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging
40%
Of adults 45 and older report feeling lonely
Source: AARP
Often invisible
Loneliness is rarely brought up at a regular doctor's visit
Source: Total Life member intake data
All 50
States served
200+
Licensed providers
6+
Insurances accepted, plus Medicare
Meet Our Providers
Licensed therapists who specialize in older adults.
Julia Storch
Licensed Psychologist
Licensed in California and additional states, Julia brings a thoughtful and research-informed approach to supporting older adults with anxiety, depression, and life transitions.
Read full bio
Lisa Tobin
Licensed Psychologist
32 years of experience licensed in California and additional states. Lisa's career-long focus on older adults gives her a rare depth of understanding for this stage of life.
Read full bioHow therapy helps
How therapy supports you with loneliness.
A real, standing connection
One person, every week, who is actually there. Not a call that might not come. Not company that depends on someone else's schedule.
Understanding what's behind it
Sometimes loneliness is circumstantial. Sometimes it's tangled up with grief, anxiety, or depression. A therapist can help you see which, and what actually helps.
Practical steps back to connection
A therapist can help you find realistic ways back into contact with people, at whatever pace feels possible, without pressure to instantly be "social" again.
How It Works
Getting started is simple.
1
Join the Community
Reach out through our website or by phone. We verify your coverage and connect you with the right therapist.
2
Find Your Match
After a short conversation about your needs, we recommend an experienced counselor and schedule your first session.
3
Start Your Journey
On the scheduled date, your therapist reaches out by phone or video, and you begin working through what matters to you.
Why Total Life
Total Life vs. in-person therapy
| Total Life | In-person | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Matched with a therapist within 24 hours | Often weeks on a waitlist |
| Where you meet | From home, by phone or video | Drive to an office |
| Specialization | Therapists who focus on adults 65+ | General practice, varies |
| Medicare | Covered by Medicare; most members pay $0 | May be out of network |
| Scheduling | Flexible times that fit your week | Limited office hours |
| Comfort | Talk from your own home | An unfamiliar waiting room |
Why Our Clients Choose Total Life
Total Life has served over 10,000 adults and led over 100,000 sessions.
92% of members stay with their assigned therapist.
Dr. Tim Calvin has been a God Send. He is a kind, gentle and humorous man.
Read Reynold’s full storyShow less
Dear Total Life. Thank you for your wonderful service of therapy for the elderly. I had been searching for some time for therapy services for the elderly. I kept running into roadblocks until I ran across Total Life on the internet.
I had been an MSW/LCSW for 54 years and a BSW for 11 years before that. Yes, I will be 87 a few days from now. I just fully retired on March 31, 2026. I found myself drifting in the middle of Lake Michigan for some months until I found Total Life and realized there was a group of therapists reaching out to Medicare patients.
I was really fortunate I had not found someone before Total Life. I have been working on Erikson’s last stage of life and addressing the new life situations that “old age” has brought knocking. I find this a more pleasant experience compared to earlier therapy addressing the traumas and problems of growing up, plus the stress of relationships, children, addiction, financial, education and work.
A giant “THUMBS UP” for Total Life and Tim (Dr. Calvin).
Reynold Wolter
Total Life member · Working with Dr. Tim Calvin · MSW/LCSW (retired, 54 years) · Age 87
What Members Experience
Progress, session by session.
3
After three sessions
After three sessions a majority of clients have hope that their situation is improving.
6
After six sessions
After six sessions a majority of clients have reflected that actual change occurred.
Common questions
Questions older adults ask about loneliness.
Is it normal to feel this lonely after retiring?+
Yes. Retirement removes a daily source of structure and conversation that most people don’t realize how much they relied on until it’s gone. This is one of the most common reasons older adults reach out to Total Life.
I have family, so why do I still feel alone?+
Loneliness isn’t only about how many people are around you, it’s about how connected you feel. It’s possible to be surrounded by family and still feel unseen or unheard. Therapy can help name what’s actually missing.
Can therapy really help with loneliness, or do I just need more friends?+
Both can be true. Therapy won’t replace a social life, but it gives you one steady, real connection while you work on the rest, and can help you figure out what’s been getting in the way of reconnecting with people.
I’ve lost most of the people I used to talk to. Is it too late to build new connections?+
No. It’s harder, but not too late. A therapist can help you find realistic, low-pressure ways to rebuild connection at a pace that fits your life now.
Will Medicare cover therapy for loneliness specifically?+
Yes, if you’re a Medicare beneficiary. Medicare covers behavioral health sessions with a licensed clinician as a Part B benefit. You don’t need a diagnosis to start, loneliness itself is a valid reason to reach out.
I don’t drive anymore. Can I still do this?+
Yes. Total Life sessions happen by phone or video, from home. Not driving is one of the most common reasons older adults lose touch with people, and it’s exactly why we built therapy this way.
I feel embarrassed admitting I’m lonely. Is that normal?+
Yes, and you’re far from alone in feeling that way. Many members say the embarrassment was the hardest part to get past, and that saying it out loud to a therapist made it lighter almost immediately.
How is this different from just talking to a friend?+
A therapist is trained to help you understand patterns, not just listen. And a friend’s attention has limits, a therapist’s hour is entirely yours, every week, without needing to reciprocate.
Is loneliness linked to other health problems?+
Research links chronic loneliness to higher risks for depression, cognitive decline, and other health problems. That’s part of why addressing it matters, and why it’s treated as a legitimate part of your care, not just an emotional inconvenience.
Total Life is a Medicare provider. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or part of Medicare or any government agency.
Medicare coverage
Does Medicare cover this type of therapy?
Most Total Life patients pay $0. Read our complete guide to finding a therapist that accepts Medicare.
Take the first step. We'll do the rest.
Covered by Medicare. Most members are matched with a therapist within 24 hours.