Psychotherapy with Older Adults
Psychological, Biological, and Diversity Considerations
- Important developmental stages and theories
- Navigate retirement, grandparenting, and other transitions
- Create continuing bonds in the face of grief
- How to help older clients identify and utilize strengths
- Medical problems and end-of-life issues
- Common health disparities for those with marginalized identities
- Impact of ageism, ableism, internalized stigma, and stereotype threat
- Counteract myths regarding sexuality
Assessment Strategies with Older Adults
What to Look for and How to Look
- Symptom profiles for depression and anxiety
- Cognitive assessment tools and brain health
- Differentiate delirium, dementia, and depression
- Life changes that lead to adjustment disorder
- Generational/cultural attitudes impacting trauma symptom disclosure
- Substance abuse and medication misuse
- Management of suicidality and aid-in-dying
- Co-existing health conditions
- Identification of medical/health distress
- Risk factors - isolation, financial stress, and more
- Intersectional and multicultural lens for case conceptualization
- Case study
Evidence-Based Treatment for Depression, Anxiety, Adjustment Disorders, and Trauma
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Core DBT skills for life changes, losses, and health challenges
- Interpersonal effectiveness to reduce isolation
- Improve challenging relationship dynamics
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Explore common existential themes
- Cognitive defusion and valued action to cope with medical problems
- Values identification and commitment
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Activity scheduling and behavioral interventions
- Common cognitive distortions related to pain, aging, loss
- Effective exposure-based trauma therapy
- Group CBT to reduce isolation, and stigma
Interpersonal Therapy
- Grief, role disputes and transitions, and interpersonal deficits
- Effective communication skills for aging clients
- Teach perspective-taking
Life Review and Reminiscence Therapy
- Structured approach to identify meaning
- Positive themes of resiliency and mastery
- Interventions to reduce bitterness
- Group therapy to form bonds
Additional Clinical Considerations
- Recognize elder abuse, financial exploitation, and self-neglect
- Special considerations for LGBTQIA+
- Involvement of family members in treatment
- Examine therapist biases and countertransference
- How to remain in the role of therapist when case management is also needed
- Coordinate care with co-providers
- Psychopharmacology: important considerations regarding cognitive side effects
- How to work with cognitive decline, pain, and physical needs
- Essential motivational interviewing and health psychology interventions
- Behavioral interventions to help with dementia
- Tips to make your practice older adult friendly
- Navigate systems of care, Medicare, telehealth
- Limitations of the research and potential risks


