ABSTRACT
Mourning and reminiscence are central to the psychology of elderly people. The elderly are likely to lose so much they have loved: spouse, friends, pets, home, abilities, roles, values, health, and strength. Grieving for these losses is a constant theme in their later years. Mourning must, then, be a part of any form of psychotherapy for the elderly. Also, elderly people often verbalize their reviews of and reflections on their earlier life experiences in reminiscence. This, too, has considerable therapeutic value for them.
