Stuff and Nonsense in the Treatment of Older People: Essential Reading for the Over-45s

Abstract

AbstractThere is a lot of nonsense talked about how to adapt therapy for older people. This is because often authors fail to define the types of populations they are tailoring their therapy for. Such definitions are important with such a diverse patient group, some of whom were “in-service” during the first world war, while others were “doing drugs and dropping out” in the 1960s. To guide our thinking regarding specific adaptations, this paper presents a framework for clarifying therapeutic need. The second section of the paper illustrates ways in which working psychotherapeutically with older patients has helped inform mainstream CBT theory and practice, with particular reference to competence and schema work.