The older client’s experience of counselling and psychotherapy

Older people are less likely to be referred for psychological therapies, yet statistics show they tend to have good outcomes. Ageist attitudes and professional bias are evidenced as part of the problem. Although in recent years treatment for dementia has received much research focus, older people’s general mental health has not. It has often been argued that research into the development of such a specialist provision for older people is urgently needed, and this means research into how older people experience therapy is called for in order to determine the sort of provision with which they would most likely engage. The aim of this idiographic study of four people in their 60s and 70s is to explore how older people themselves make sense of their therapeutic experience. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data in order to get a deep sense of the participants’ lived life. Semi‐structured, individual interviews were audio‐recorded with the four participants, and interview transcripts were analysed. Three overarching themes emerged; personal agency, authenticity and narrative. Personal agency findings challenged the social concept that older people are less motivated to change. This study shows how each participant’s personal agency provided drive and direction in the therapeutic process. Further, the analysis shows that the participant’s authenticity with the therapist is a cornerstone to developing a relationship that encourages change. The study also demonstrates how the reconciliation of past experiences was facilitated when the therapist adopted strong elements of a narrative approach.