At a certain point or stage in life, which can be different for everyone as we all age individually, we may try to make sense of our life and hopefully achieve a sense of integrity. In doing so, life review or reminiscent therapy has many treatment strengths, especially for an older adult or anyone who is not like he or she used to be.

Talking about times when one was more “well” is very important to both the patient and therapist. Learning this information can greatly help to understand the present situation and who the person really is. Not taking the time to ask and understand in a interested and supportive way can be a disservice to the patient in the therapeutic process. For the patient, being able to tell you about him or herself is often very positive.

Even in the face of some forgetfulness or memory loss, the long-term memory can be intact. Helping someone to achieve a sense of integrity or to make sense of all that is going on up until the present, can alleviate anxiety and depression. This can also begin to help a person regain a sense of hopefulness, purposefulness, and improved self-esteem. Working with remaining strengths and finding new outlets or activities are possible.