Improving Mental Fitness through Routines w/ Allison Virtue

Mind My Age

Allison Virtue, a licensed clinical social worker, discusses her experience in providing therapy and advocacy for seniors in long-term care settings. She emphasizes the importance of mental health care for seniors and shares strategies for effective communication with doctors. Allison also explores the challenges and transitions that come with aging, such as retirement and caregiving, and how cognitive behavioral therapy can help individuals navigate these changes. She addresses the topic of grief and loss, highlighting the role of therapy in providing support and helping individuals build a meaningful life after loss. Lastly, Allison discusses the issue of isolation among seniors and offers strategies for combating loneliness and staying connected. Building resilience and managing depression are key focuses in therapy for older adults. Therapeutic approaches include becoming aware of negative thoughts and testing their validity, focusing on the positives, and making a list of good things to reference. Building resilience involves developing long-term habits and practices, such as movement, diet, connection with others, and engagement in creativity. It is important to take care of both physical and mental health. Implementing routines like writing a gratitude list, practicing deep breathing, and trying new things can improve mental fitness. Signs that a loved one may need mental health support include increased isolation, disengagement from activities, and excessive worry or anxiety. It is important to approach these conversations with curiosity and objectivity. Total Life offers remote therapy sessions covered by Medicare, and it is never too late to start taking care of mental health.

Story Notes:

• Mental health care for seniors is crucial and should be more accessible
• Effective communication with doctors involves making a list of symptoms and discussing how they impact daily life
• Cognitive behavioral therapy can help individuals navigate transitions and set goals for retirement
• Therapy can provide support and help individuals cope with grief and loss
• Combatting isolation among seniors requires seeking out social connections and practicing effective communication Building resilience is important for managing depression and improving mental health in older adults.
• Therapeutic approaches include becoming aware of negative thoughts, focusing on the positives, and making a list of good things.
• Developing long-term habits and practices, such as movement, diet, connection with others, and engagement in creativity, can build resilience.
• Taking care of physical health is essential for mental well-being.
• Implementing routines like writing a gratitude list, practicing deep breathing, and trying new things can improve mental fitness.
• Signs that a loved one may need mental health support include increased isolation, disengagement from activities, and excessive worry or anxiety.
• Approach conversations about mental health with curiosity and objectivity.
• Total Life offers remote therapy sessions covered by Medicare, making mental health support accessible for older adults.

To learn more about Total Life Therapy, visit:

https://totallife.com/