Therapists' attitudes towards working with older people

This article offers a brief review of literature on the subject of therapists' attitudes towards working with older people. It is suggested that the literature is not extensive and that most of the material which exists derives mainly from the psychodynamic and analytical traditions. A key concept, therefore, is countertransference. The article suggests that the paucity of reported work in this field is a reflection of therapists' resistance to working with older people. Working in a field where major developmental issues involve anxiety about loss and bereavement, therapists are consistently confronted with fears about their own mortality. The article examines traditional views about the potential for therapeutic work with older people and explains how the fear of dependency may affect both parties. Various types of countertransference are explored, with particular reference to age differences between therapist and client. Finally, a small piece of research carried out by the author is summarised. This reveals the limited extent to which counsellors have experience of working with older people. Key concepts include countertransference, parental and grandparent countertransference, death anxiety and fear of dependency.