Late-life depression and the counseling agenda: Exploring geriatric logotherapy as a treatment modality

Abstract

The counseling agenda established for dealing with late-life depression is often followed in consort with pharmacotherapy which has proven clinically to be quite effective in reducing and, in many cases, relieving symptoms of low self-esteem and anxiety. Whereas conventional medical intervention concentrates on the reduction of depression symptoms, psychotherapeutic modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy have proven somewhat effective in creating a more stabilizing experience of existential contentment, offering a deeper sense of well-being rather than simply symptom reduction. Geriatric logotherapy has come forth with an emphasis upon existential contentment drawn from accessing what is called the "life story window" wherein the therapist assists the patient in exploring the past in search of the "happy memory." Since palliative rather than curative care is the therapeutic agenda in late-life counseling, this logotherapeutic approach has produced a treatment modality worthy of further exploration with particular attention to reminiscence and life review studies.