Counseling Older Adults: Cognitive Decline, Grief, and Late-Life Transitions
A two-hour clinical course for licensed counselors working with adults in late life. Section 1 teaches you to distinguish normal cognitive aging from mild and major neurocognitive disorder, to recognize depression that masquerades as dementia (and dementia that masquerades as depression), to spot delirium as a medical emergency, and to use screening tools such as the MoCA, Mini-Cog, GDS-15, and PHQ-9 appropriately. It also addresses late-life anxiety, substance and medication misuse, the elevated suicide risk in older men, clinician ageism, and practical adaptations to pacing and sensory needs. Section 2 covers bereavement and prolonged grief disorder, spousal loss, retirement and role loss, relocation and driving cessation, caregiver burden, end-of-life conversations and advance directives, elder abuse and financial exploitation recognition and reporting, capacity versus competence and supported decision-making, family-systems work with adult children, and the evidence base for reminiscence and life review, behavioral activation, and problem-solving therapy in late-life depression. Interactive activities include a flashcard deck, a card sort, a branching scenario, and a sequencing exercise, with an 18-question final assessment.
2
CE Hours
4
Modules
18
Quiz Questions
2
Est. Minutes
What you'll learn
- Differentiate normal cognitive aging, mild neurocognitive disorder, major neurocognitive disorder, depression-related cognitive impairment, and delirium using DSM-5-TR criteria and clinical presentation.
- Select and interpret age-appropriate screening tools (MoCA, Mini-Cog, GDS-15, PHQ-9) and explain what each does and does not establish.
- Identify suicide, substance misuse, and medication-related risk factors specific to older adults and describe a geriatric-informed safety and referral response.
- Apply DSM-5-TR prolonged grief disorder criteria to distinguish prolonged grief from normative bereavement and late-life depression.
- Recognize indicators of elder abuse and financial exploitation, describe the counselor’s reporting obligations, and outline a stepwise response that protects client autonomy.
- Describe the evidence for reminiscence and life review, behavioral activation, and problem-solving therapy in late-life depression and adapt session pacing, sensory accommodations, and family involvement accordingly.
Who it's for
Licensed mental health professionals (LPCs, LCSWs, LMFTs, NCCs, psychiatric NPs).
Approval & credit
CounselorReady is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP #7760). This course awards 2 NBCC-approved CE hours; a certificate is issued on completion. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CounselorReady is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.