ABSTRACT
Ageing is an increasingly prominent theme in modern societies. Moreover, the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic has turned the spotlight on the third age and its more fragile side.
In the field of psychology, there have been numerous theoretical-application developments in recent decades, from psychogerontology, to clinical neuroscience of ageing, to psychotherapy for older people. Regarding the latter, Gestalt psychotherapy is in its infancy in exploring its potential in working with older people in various settings.
The aim of the following chapter is to contribute to this exploration, through the presentation of theoretical reflections enriched by some examples of clinical practice. The theoretical approach integrates recent knowledge of gerontological psychology and Gestalt psychotherapy with a particular attention to the experience of ageing and therefore to the self at the contact boundary in “dance” with the environment. This discussion is centred on the current times and the background of the current context, from which new theoretical ideas emerge that link the two areas of knowledge.
