Читать книгу Helping Relationships With Older Adults - Adelle M. Williams - Страница 9

Gerontology is an exciting integration of many disciplines. Students preparing for careers in the counseling and related professions who plan to work with older adults are in need of theoretical and practical experiences to be prepared to work effectively. They need to understand the complexities of the aging process and appreciate the challenges and opportunities that the process entails. With the dramatic increase in the current older adult population and the large projected increase in the future, many opportunities will be available for students in counseling and related professions to help older adults realize their strengths and assets and empower them to manage life’s inconsistent terrain. Older adults are a very heterogeneous population, and they require helping professionals who have the knowledge, skills, and positive attitude to work effectively with their issues.

This textbook entails fundamental theoretical perspectives of the aging process and societal influences. It reinforces the strength and resiliency of this older population throughout the textbook. Common changes experienced by elders and problematic conditions are examined. The significance of the relationship of the helping professional in the therapeutic encounter is also examined. The standards and competencies required of gerontological counselors and unique attributes of the helping professional are highlighted. Various therapeutic modalities and the effectiveness for older adults are explored. Throughout the textbook, case illustrations and guided practice exercises allow the reader to experience the various issues that are challenging in the lives of older clients. Instructors can stimulate critical thinking skills and sensitize students to the uniqueness of their older clients. It is my hope that through a concerted effort, we will be able to improve and enhance the overall health of older adults because the later years are just as significant as the early and middle years of the life span. I hope that Fundamentals of Helping Relationships With Older Adults is a text that students, faculty, and helping professionals enjoy.

Adelle M. Williams, PhD

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania