Als alte Frau zu neuer Lebensfreude finden: Über den Psychotherapieprozess mit einer älteren Frau, die ihre Angst bewältigte

Abstract

Finding new joie de vivre as an old woman. On the psychotherapeutic process with an elderly woman, helping her to overcome anxiety. Psychotherapy has gained greater and greater importance for the elderly. The younger baby boom generations have more willing than previous generations to turn to it. However, the treatment of psychological disorders can help even the very elderly, leading to an improvement in life quality. — This report describes a lengthy therapeutic process that has a particular relevance for female patients. The patient is an elderly woman who gradually overcame her anxieties and feelings of panic, developing a new perspective onto herself and a new vitality. This involved reflecting on her role as a woman, the consideration of helpful therapeutic interventions, self-awareness and challenging the normative expectations of her surroundings, thus allowing therapeutic recovery and greater quality of life. She learns to reorder her priorities and appreciate existing social networks as an aging wife, as a retired business woman and mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, as well as making constructive usage of the possibilities accompanying them. From a therapeutic point of view, during the entire psychotherapeutic process sensitive practices are required, enabling the patient to discern new behavioural patterns. — In terms of qualitative therapy and field research this psychotherapeutic process was documented continually by the therapist and author. The present article presents the concluding analysis and assessment of this successful client-centred psychotherapeutic process.