If your 75-year-old client stops coming to therapy, it might not be them. It might be your approach.

In this episode, I explore why therapy must evolve, just like people, with age. I share five powerful ways to evolve your practice to better serve older adults.

While many therapists are trained to work with adults in general, most graduate and continuing education programs focus on midlife or younger adulthood, often excluding older adulthood entirely. The result is a significant gap in care.

Therapy that resonates with younger adults can fall flat or even feel dismissive for older clients. When therapists don't adapt their approach, clients may feel unseen, misunderstood, or disengaged—not because they’re resistant, but because the therapy model doesn’t reflect their stage of life.

This episode will help you recognize what shifts with age, why it matters in clinical practice, and how to modify your work for more effective and compassionate outcomes.

What You’ll Learn

• Why traditional therapy methods may not land with older adults
• How perceived time left in life shifts therapeutic goals and priorities
• What therapists often misunderstand about aging and mental health
• How to center meaning, wisdom, and resilience in your sessions
• Five clinical adaptations you can start using right away

Want to learn more? Enroll in my upcoming 90min CE course on "Becoming an Aging-Informed Therapist" - Live July 22, 2025

See the show notes here

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Chronic pain increases the risk for depression and suicide.

The connection between chronic pain and depression is stronger—and more dangerous—than most professionals realize. In this powerful episode, Dr. Regina Koepp sits down with pain psychology expert, Dr. Jennifer Steiner, to uncover the complex and bidirectional relationship between chronic pain, depression, and suicide risk.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why people living with chronic pain are twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors
• The true drivers of suicide risk in chronic pain—not just pain intensity, but emotional, relational, and financial strain
• How the brain’s stress response amplifies both physical pain and emotional suffering
• What research says about which comes first—pain or depression—and why it’s not always clear-cut
• How chronic pain affects sleep, cognition, and identity, creating a vicious cycle of distress
• The essential role of therapists trained in chronic pain in breaking this cycle
• What to look for in a therapist who can truly support someone living with chronic pain

Whether you’re a therapist, psychologist, social worker, or aging life care expert—this episode will transform the way you think about pain. Because treating chronic pain isn’t just about reducing discomfort… it’s about restoring dignity, function, and hope.

Click here to see show notes

AttentionTherapists:

• Download your free guide on the Depression-Pain Cycle
• Become a sought after specialist with our Pain Psychology Certificate Course (14.5 CE Credits), where's you'll learn ACT and CBT for Chronic Pain, as well as strategies to address bias in pain care.

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits

Chronic pain isn’t just physical—it's personal, emotional, and deeply misunderstood. And when it comes to older adults, the pain often hides in plain sight. In this episode, I sit down with pain psychology expert, Dr. Jennifer Steiner, to explore the invisible impact of chronic pain and what every therapist must understand to truly help older adults living with it.

You’ll walk away with a fresh perspective—and four critical psychological themes—that can transform the way you support older adults in your practice.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

The real size of the chronic pain epidemic—and why it’s often underestimated in older adults

Common pain conditions affecting people 65+

Dr. Steiner’s personal journey from growing up with chronic pain to becoming a national leader in pain psychology

How chronic pain influences mental health, identity, relationships, and work

The 4 psychological themes every therapist must recognize when treating chronic pain:

1. The Body as an Obstacle
2. Pain is Invisible—and Real
3. Disrupted Sense of Self
4. Unpredictability of the Condition

AttentionTherapists:

• Download your free guide on the Depression-Pain Cycle
• Become a sought after specialist with our Pain Psychology Certificate Course (14.5 CE Credits), where's you'll learn ACT and CBT for Chronic Pain, as well as strategies to address bias in pain care.

Click here to go to Show Notes

Have a topic idea? Send us a text.

PROFESSIONALS: Grab your free guide to working with older adults here


Attention Social Workers, Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Aging Life Care Experts... Click here to get Continuing Education Credits