Until now, there has been an historic bias against psychotherapy as a treatment for older people due in large part to Freud's belief that older people are too rigid to benefit from psychotherapy. There are many different approaches to therapy. Often psychotherapy with older people is problem oriented, focusing on helping people deal with immediate issues such as the loss of a loved one, a change in residence, or retirement. Others approaches can focus on making behavior changes such as learning to adopt new views on life or restructuring daily activities. Family therapy is also helpful in assisting older people and their children work out unrealistic expectations, guilt, and unresolved issues that parents and children may have with each other.
Depression is an illness that can be successfully conquered, especially in older people.
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