The workshop will touch on the pervasiveness of our society’s unconscious ageism which influences our organizational offers and our own clinical thinking, it will question what we mean by ageing, reflect on types of ageing and who needs ‘Older Adult’ services. It will encourage attendees of the workshop to reflect on their own assumptions guiding decision-making, and participate in small-group discussions.

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The energy of the workshop will move onto practical considerations when working with Older People; using examples from Rebecca’s clinical practice in working with different groups for Older People living with severe Mental Health distress, Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Trauma/Complex Emotional Needs. Delegates will also be encouraged to bring their own clinical dilemmas to the discussion. We will discuss dilemmas and challenges which may more frequently present themselves in later life, including losses of role, bereavement, the challenges of living with a physical body that may fail the emotional needs of the person, and the reliance on formal care from others. And specifically, we will discuss how this may trigger strong responses such as shame, and the interface and relevance of compassion at such times.

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Bringing in her training as a Neuropsychologist, Rebecca will encourage delegates to consider how the ageing brain may process therapeutic information differently, what adaptations may need to be made to our clinical practice to ensure optimal accessibility, and consider both the tensions and benefits of working with the cultures of age-cohorts which may be different from our own. Finally the workshop will reflect on the systemic differences that may be present when working with Older People, and how the model of CFT responds to working with older couples, and multi-generational adults within families.

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The workshop will encourage delegates to bring their experiences of being alongside Older People, whether professionally or personally, and hopefully leave the workshop with some practical tools for their own work settings.

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