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my husband who has supported me in giving me space to be me and reach my aspirations. SG: Do you have any particular thoughts on counselling as it has developed VC: Perhaps what I am seeing since I first started is a less rigid aspect. When we first started training there seemed to be more demarcation in how one is ‘supposed’ to do it. Now I can see more flexibility in the stance a counsellor takes and it can be changed according to the needs of the client as well as from session to session. On the other hand, the aspect of counsellor/client relationship has increased in importance and is continuously being backed by research. The idea of supervision was not given so much importance either. SG: Any regrets VC: I have had a very satisfying life in all areas so not many. Through MACP contact with some top people in counselling has been enriching both personally and professionally. Of course the academic training that is being offered makes me wish it had come before. I feel I still have things to offer but lack the energy sometimes to follow through. The Value of Counselling with Elderly Individuals Populations are ageing worldwide (Myers, 1990). Lower birth rates together with a lengthening of the life span are two major contributing factors to the forecast of an ever-increasing greying population (Lanzieri, 2011). Given these predictions, the probability that counsellors will progressively encounter more elderly persons and their families as clients, is practically inevitable (Myers & Harber, 2004). Nonetheless, it appears that the counselling profession worldwide has been slow in responding to the needs of ageing individuals (Myers, 1984). Children, adolescents and adults, receive much attention in this line of work, however care and consideration is very rarely given to the ageing population and very often overlooked in this field (Orbach, 2003). Louisellle Grech - Vice-Secretary counsellors and therapists too have the tendency to perceive older clients as excessively rigid, and unwilling or unable to change. Of significant impediment is also the counsellor’s own dread and trepidation of their individual personal ageing process or of that of their loved ones (Yalom, 2008). Besides, the likelihood that many in the current cohort of elderly persons have been brought up with the belief that difficulties need to be resolved personally, does not make them receptive and amenable to seek support (Blando, 2011; Myers, 1990). These arguments, together with a lack of recognition and acknowledgement from academia, may very generally account for this lacuna within the realm of counselling (Maples, 2007; Myers, 1990). According to literature, the reasons for this exclusion, so to speak, may be various (Blando, 2011; Cohen, 1977; Gay, 1988: Maples, 2007; McDonald & Haney, 1988; Myers, 1990; Orbach, 2003). Freud himself, for instance, believed that therapy was not suitable for clients over the age of 50, since, in his opinion, they lacked mental elasticity, and consequently, were not considered as educable (Gay, 1988: Orbach, 1996). The notion that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks seems to have significantly influenced and reinforced negative perceptions and stereotypes - namely, that offering counselling or therapy to an elderly population is basically an unproductive endeavour, an absolute waste of time and energy (McDonald & Haney, 1988). Consistent with this idea, Cohen (1977) implied that MACP Newsletter - July 2013 Yet new scientific breakthroughs in the last decades have, in effect, have demonstrated and established the malleability, adaptability and resilience of even the very old brain, expounding its ability for plasticity and thereby generating opportunities for positive change even throughout adult life (Cohen, 2005; Guns, 2008; Hof & Mobbs, 2009; Tyler et al., 2010). Additionally, literature based on numerous studies, has confirmed that counselling and therapy with elderly clients is not only effective, but worthwhile and valuable (Blando, 2011; Cohen, 2005; Haight & Gibson, 2005; Hill & Brettle, 2005; Knight, 2004; Kunz & Gray Soltys, 2007; Maples, 2007; Myers, 1984; Myers, 1990; Myers & Harper, 2004; Myers, Poidevant & Dean, 1991). A psychoanalytic ap 4
proach for instance, with its focus on issues such as loss, childhood experiences and transference, has been reported to have categorical constructive outcomes in the work with older individuals (Blando, 2011). Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is also considered to be an effective and efficient approach with older adults (Blando, 2011). Its concentration on the present, the fact that it is highly structured, practical, goal-oriented, emphasizes skill enhancement and self-monitoring and is also psycho-educational, make CBT another favoured technique (Blando, 2011; Haight & Gibson, 2005; Myers, 1990). According to psychiatrist and geriatrician, Robert N. Butler (1975), Reminiscence Work is considered as a very generative and restorative approach when working with elderly clients. Although it can be organized individually, it is customarily conducted in groups and may operate effectively at different levels (Blando, 2011). It not only increases social interaction, but fosters a sense of accomplishment and self-worth; it encourages creativity, and amplifies feelings of belonging and togetherness, often also aiding in alleviating depression (Blando, 2011; Knight, 2004; Orbach, 2003; The Benevolent Society, 2005). Similar but not quite the same, is the procedure of Life Review, also introduced by Robert N. Butler. This approach has a more structured slant and is frequently carried out individually (Blando, 2011). Founded on Erikson’s principles of human psychosocial development, the challenge in the particular life stage is Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. Leroy Paige to strive towards integrity, to put life in perspective and to assimilate past psychological themes into a new level of psycho social understanding and meaning, hence the term Life Review (Woodward, 1997). Striving to make sense of the life lived, encourages and supports reorganization, reconciliation and resolution (Butler, 1975; Woodward, 1997). The emphasis here therefore is on analytic and cognitive functioning and understanding (Blando, 2011). Resolving feelings about past failures or guilt about mistakes, grieving changes and losses encountered throughout life, remembering and celebrating successes and the many positive things that have happened during the years, are amongst the issues that are contended with during a Life Review session MACP Newsletter - July 2013 (Blando, 2011; Kunz & Gray Soltys, 2007; Myers, 1990). Another analogous approach is that of Guided Autobiography, developed by James E. Birren, a gerontological theorist in the area of neuro-cognition and psychology. This approach encourages individuals to write their personal life story over a number of sessions and share it with others in the group (Birren & Cochran, 2001). This method not only facilitates a deeper and more profound understanding of the past but also supports the rich ness, intricacies and appreciation of how individual personal identity is fashioned by the “crosscurrents” in life (Birren & Cochran, 2001, p. 5). Contrary to what seems to have been a long-standing belief that counselling with older adults is futile, in effect is, or could be, a viable and promising prospect of service. As Blando (2011) so aptly claims, focusing on wellness, on strengths, on resilience and on the qualities that believe and allow people to grow and thrive, may not only result in the improvement of the overall functioning of the ageing individual, but may, in addition, be a positive and constructive development within the counselling profession itself. In view of the changing demographics and the remarkable increase in the projected global number of older persons (Lanzieri, 2011; Longman, 2010; Myers, 1990; Riedel-Heller, Busse & Angermeyer, 2005), described by Maples (2006) as “The Silver Tsunami,” it may be timely, and of the essence, that this predicament be given heed, and that counselling services are made more available and accessible to elderly individuals who live in the community as well as to those who live within a residential setting. 5
Page 1 and 2: The Official Newsletter of MACP Jul
Page 3: Interview with Vivien Cassar Vice-P
Page 7 and 8: International Association For Couns
Page 9 and 10: BACP Summit and ‘An Evening with

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