Counseling Strategies to Overcome Psychological Distress in Older Clients – Susan Holmen

In order to find peace, joy, and meaning a person must gain acceptance of what has happened in the past and what is happening now, both good and bad, and find a way to integrate all of these things into the fabric of experience and personality. Transcending current changes, as well as unresolved traumas, disappointments and regrets is a vital process of growth that is of particular importance for your older adult clients. These “life stage” issues are seen in counseling settings more often as the population is aging.

This seminar provides ideas on how to use the skills you already have to teach or reinforce effective ways to cope with the “new normal” to older clients. It will also show you how to be a “witness” to the story and a “guide” that can assist the person to explore her/his life and experiences. It will introduce a viable, dynamic process for exploring depression, anxiety, relapse or onset of addictions, complex grief, obsessive-compulsive disorder, distorted thinking, and other mental disorders.

Combining traditional and alternative therapies, the seminar better prepares you to serve older adult clients who are still cognitively able to utilize therapy, are seeking help for subjective distress, and have a desire to learn how to feel better.

1. Assess the challenges specific to older clients and understand how they influence their lives
2. Describe EBP models of counseling used with the population
3. Discuss how to be a witness and guide for older clients
4. Identify strategies for teaching transcendence concepts and skills to older clients
5. Evaluate alternative therapies for promoting transcendence in older clients
6. Explore theoretical frameworks to inform clinical treatment interventions

CHALLENGES FACED BY AGING CLIENTS

• Life events associated with aging
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Relapse or onset of addictions
• Complex grief
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Disordered thinking
• Unresolved traumas, regrets, mistakes
• Case examples
• Group discussion

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE MODELS

• History and background of life stage developmental theory
• Supportive therapy
• Client-Centered therapy
• Interpersonal therapy
• Cognitive-Behavioral therapy
• Relaxation and stress reduction
• Holistic modalities
• Experiential therapies

INTEGRATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR TRANSCENDING EXPERIENCES

• Explaining “integrating” and “transcending”
• Use of self as “witness” and “guide”
  • Allowing older adult clients to tell their story
  • Witnessing the story and validating the life experience
  • Guiding clients to stay focused, understand meaning, move toward acceptance and set and meet achievable goals
• Client-centered philosophy
• Appropriate self-disclosure
• Advanced interpersonal skills
  • Empathic communication
  • Reflection
  • Focusing
  • Reframing and summarizing
  • Normalizing and validating
• Case studies and demonstration

GROUP ACTIVITY: ROLE PLAY AND PRACTICE BEING A WITNESS

TEACHING CONCEPTS AND SKILLS

• “The New Normal”
• Identifying and accessing resources
• Communication with loved ones
• Challenging self-defeating thoughts and learning positive self-talk (REBT)
• Self-care

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES

• Guided imagery
• Psychodrama
• Inner child work
• Journaling
• Music
• Art

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