Title: Counseling Older People: Opportunities and Challenges

Title: Counselor Considerations When Working with Older People

Author: Charlene M. Kampfe, PhD

Description: The purpose of this chapter is to provide information that is specific to gerontological counselors. Topics include counselor education program standards; other professionals who work with older people; responsibilities mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); evidence-based practice and program­ming; the dangers of transference; the concepts of autonomy, personal control, independence, and empowerment; multicultural issues as­sociated with aging and the need for counselor cultural competency; therapies used with older people; case management; assessment; and assistive technology.

Title: Defining Wellness in Older Adulthood: Toward a Comprehensive Framework

Author: Matthew C. Fullen, PhD

Description: Mental health and wellness are essential at every stage of life, and late adulthood is no exception. Yet, despite the counseling profession’s interest in wellness and the fact that the population of the U.S. is “graying”, there is limited research on wellness in older adults (Fullen, 2019). The article from the Journal of Counseling and Development (JCD), Defining Wellness in Older Adulthood: Toward a Comprehensive Framework (Fullen, 2019) presents an analysis of the existing counseling literature related to wellness and older adults. This Continuing Professional Development resource provides counselors with a rationale to identify current trends in the counseling literature on wellness among older adults, recognize the lack of multidimensional models that were normed on older adults, and understand the 8-dimensional wellness framework.