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This discussion will examine mental health issue in the older adult population and what it looks like in a group therapy setting as observed during my clinical experiences as well as any issues, resistances, challenges and therapeutic techniques implemented by the group facilitator. The group session that I observed was a group of elderly clients whose ages ranges from 60-70 year. The group consists of total of 10 members and their primary diagnosis is major depressive disorder. The group session met three times a week. Each session lasted approximately 60 minutes. This therapeutic group was formulated prior to me beginning my practicum experience. The initial stage of formation has already been adopted by the members. Based on my observation, the group members are in the norming stage due to the development of shared values, goals and support between the group members (Priestley, 2015)
Group Challenges
The group members were respectful of each other. However, there were times when the group members may interrupt other members while they are speaking about a specific topic, and this is when the therapist intervenes and get the clients back to track. Another issue noted is they are organic deficits that exist among some members of the group members, this include advancing age of the clients, occasionally, noted change of mental function is decreased by either medical or physical issues but not psychiatric illness (Enslion & Taylor, 2013). This issue may sometimes cause certain topic and concepts to be further discussed in order to receive appropriate knowledge and feedback.
Therapeutic Techniques
The therapist used cognitive Behavioral therapy for the group. CBT is considered an efficacious treatment for depression. Clients benefit from CBT by learning strategies which help identify negative thought patterns and enable them to deal more effectively with their depression (Wheeler, 2014).