FRANCINE TODER, Ph.D.

I'm a psychologist, emeritus university faculty member, writer, lecturer, and author of four books and more than 50 magazine articles. After more than four decades devoted to my profession I took up the cello, continue to write and feel passionately about The Vintage Years—which begins around age sixty, when new choices and life-styles make possible new personal exploration, learning and expression.

My work on The Vintage Years book suggests that the fine arts (writing, playing a musical instrument, a visual art form like painting) may be the best way to stimulate the brain and enhance well-being past sixty, according to recent neuroscience research. That's what my third book was about.

 

My most recent book, Inward Traveler: 51 Ways to Explore the World Mindfully, 2018, is a paperback, convenient to carry as you travel, and is available in bookstores and online (see details in another section of this website). I am also a contributor to the following magazines: Psychology Today, Thrive Global, Next Avenue and Huffington Post.  See my posts in the Publications section of this website.

​

In 2023 I I began offering workshops in Guided Autobiography, a way to write, share stories from your life, and get positive feedback. Life is story, expressed in writing on various themes with useful prompts for each. Every session takes place in a small group setting. This new service benefits from my skill as a psychologist, therapist, and non-fiction writer. It's not therapy but is definitely therapeutic.