ABSTRACT

Gestalt reminiscence therapy is based on the assumption that older adults continue to develop in the emotional, social and spiritual dimensions of their lives up to the point of death. Gestalt reminiscence therapy draws on a lifespan developmental model of the person in which ongoing personal growth is viewed as not only possible but also desirable. Within approaches to integration in psychotherapy, it falls into the classification of theoretical integration since it integrates gestalt and reminiscence therapies. The focus of gestalt reminiscence therapy is on improving the quality of life of older adults through three goals, namely, raising self-esteem, living in the present, and balancing self-support and interdependence. The role of therapists involves the provision of empathy, the enhancement of intrapersonal and interpersonal contact, and the encouragement and management of boundaries and of participation among group members. To optimize their role, it is essential that they work through any ageist attitudes that they possess.