Both developmental and psychoanalytic theorists have traditionally viewed older adults from the perspective of Erikson (1968, 1986), who posits that the final years of life are comprised of a struggle for integrity over despair. Kohut (1977, 1984), on the other hand, spoke more to the universal need of all individuals for empathic mirroring and relationships with admirable people. While Kohut did not address the challenges of aging directly, as did Erikson, Kohut's self psychology can serve as a logical model for understanding the emotional difficulties that commonly confront the aged. In particular, Kohut's description of selfobjects can adequately describe the interpersonal needs of many older individuals, if they are to develop Eriksonian integrity in its fullest sense. The case of an elderly professor, beset with numerous medical problems and the stress of a forced retirement, is described to illustrate these ideas.