Paradox of aging: The older we get, the better we feel?

Presently, there are about 40 million Americans over the age of 65, with the fastest-growing segment of the population over 80 years old. Traditionally, aging has been viewed as a period of progressive decline in physical, cognitive and psychosocial functioning, and aging is viewed by many as the "number one public health problem" facing Americans today. But this negative view of aging contrasts with results of a comprehensive study of 1,006 older adults in San Diego by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Stanford University. Results of the Successful Aging Evaluation (SAGE) study – comprising a 25-minute phone interview, followed by a comprehensive mail-in survey – will be published in the December 7 online issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. "While there is a growing public health interest in understanding and promoting successful aging, until now little published research has combined measures of physical health with cognitive and psychological assessments, in a large and randomly selected sample," said principal investigator Dilip V. Jeste, MD, Estelle and Edgar Levi Chair in Aging, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, and director of UC San Diego's Stein Institute for Research on Aging, and the current President of the American Psychiatric Association (which was not involved in this study). The SAGE study included adults between the ages of 50 and 99 years, with a mean age of just over 77 years. In addition to measures which assessed rates of chronic disease and disability, the survey looked at more subjective criteria such as social engagement and participants' self-assessment of their overall health. "Sometimes the most relevant outcomes are from the perspective of the subjects themselves," said Jeste. The study concludes that resilience and depression have significant bearing on how individuals self-rate successful aging, with effects that are comparable to that of physical health. "Even though older age was closely associated with worse physical and cognitive functioning, it was also related to better mental functioning," said co-author Colin Depp, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine. After adjusting for age, a higher self-rating of successful aging was associated with higher education, better cognitive function, better perceived physical and mental health, less depression, and greater optimism and resilience. Participants were asked to rate the extent to which they thought they had "successfully aged," using a 10-point scale and using their own concept of the term. The study found that people with low physical functioning but high resilience, had self-ratings of successful aging similar to those of physical healthy people with low resilience. Likewise, the self-ratings of individuals with low physical functioning but no or minimal depression had scores comparable to those of physically healthy people with moderate to severe depression. "It was clear to us that, even in the midst of physical or cognitive decline, individuals in our study reported feeling that their well-being had improved with age," Jeste said. This counterintuitive increase in well-being with aging persisted even after accounting for variables like income, education and marriage. Jeste suggests there's a take-away message for clinicians, which is that an optimistic approach to the care of seniors may help reduce societal ageism. "There is considerable discussion In public forums about the financial drain on the society due to rising costs of healthcare for older adults – what some people disparagingly label the 'silver tsunami.' But, successfully aging older adults can be a great resource for younger generations," he said. The findings point to an important role for psychiatry in enhancing successful aging in older adults. "Perfect physical health is neither necessary nor sufficient," Jeste said. "There is potential for enhancing successful aging by fostering resilience and treating or preventing depression." Aging and Long Term Care (Abridged) CE Course (3 hours) ### Additional contributors to this study include Gauri N. Savla, PhD, Wesley K. Thompson, PhD, Ipsit V. Vahia, MD, Danielle K. Glorioso, MSW, A'verria Sirkin Martin, PhD, Barton W. Palmer, PhD, David Rock, BA, and Shahrokh Golshan, PhD, UC San Diego; and Helena C. Kraemer, PhD, professor of biostatistics in psychiatry at Stanford University. This work was supported, in part, by NIMH grants T32 MH-019934 and P30 MH-066248, by NIH National Center for Research Support grant UL1 RR-031980, by the John A. Hartford Foundation, and by the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging.

Continuing Education CEUS for MFT, LCSW, and LPC License Renewal

Our Continuing Education courses encompass all areas of mental health practice. Whether you are completing CEUs for your certification or maintain your license, our online continuing education courses provide the fastest, lowest cost, most convenient way to fulfill your CEU requirements. We offer courses in the following subjects:

Aging and Long Term Care CEUs
Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Dependency CEUs
Anger Management CEUs
Anxiety Disorders CEUs
Assessment and Diagnosis CEUs
Bipolar Disorder CEUs
Boundaries CEUs
Boundaries in Marriage CEUs
Child Abuse Assessment and Reporting CEUs
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CEUs
Conflict Resolution CEUs
Crisis Counseling CEUs
Depressive Disorders CEUs
Family Therapy CEUs
From Panic to Power CEUs
Group Therapy CEUs
HIV and AIDS CEUs
How To Build a Thriving Fee-for-Service Practice CEUs
Human Sexuality CEUs
Law and Ethics CEUs
Managed Care CEUs
Mom's House, Dad's House CEUs
Panic Disorder CEUs
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder CEUs
Psychopharmacology CEUs
Spousal and Partner Abuse CEUs
Step-Wives CEUs

LPCC and MFTs

LPCC Track for Pre-Licensed MFTs

Click here for online
CE Courses for MFT Interns
and LMFTs
In 2009, the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor licensure law was passed and signed here in California . For already licensed MFTs, grandparenting is available from January 1, 2011 through June 30, 2011. For interns who expect to be licensed before June 30, 2011, they too will have the option to apply for LPCC grandparenting. However, pre-licensed members who wish to obtain their LPCC license, and who are already in the pipeline (but will not be licensed by June 30, 2011) will need to adhere to specific education and experience requirements, as well as take the required licensing examinations.



For those who are outside of the grandparenting timeframe, the required education and experience is reviewed below. However, the specific regulations still need to be drafted by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. For example, can you count any and all supervised hours of experience towards both LPCC and MFT licensure? Will the BBS require national and/or state-developed examinations? Will the BBS allow more than one course to satisfy a particular required core course content area? These types of questions still need to be addressed through regulation, and we will share that information as the regulations evolve. As to the general education and experience required, please see the summary below[i]:





Education Requirements
Experience Requirements



· Masters or doctoral degree that is counseling or psychotherapy in content obtained from an accredited or approved institution containing not less than 48 graduate semester or 72 graduate quarter units of instruction.

· Three semester units or four and one-half quarter units of graduate study in each of following nine (9) areas: counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques; human growth and development; career development; group counseling; assessment, appraisal, and testing of individuals; multicultural counseling; principles of the diagnostic process; research and evaluation; and, law and ethics.[ii] NOTE: An applicant whose degree is deficient in no more than two of the required nine (9) areas of study listed above, may satisfy those deficiencies by successfully completing post-master’s or postdoctoral degree coursework at an accredited or approved institution.

· A minimum of 12 semester units or 18 quarter units of advanced coursework to develop knowledge of specific treatment issues, special populations, application of counseling constructs, assessment and treatment planning, clinical interventions, therapeutic relationships, psychopathology, or other clinical topics.

· Six semester units or nine quarter units of supervised practicum or field study experience.[iii]
· A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in alcoholism and other chemical substance abuse dependency.

· A minimum of 10 contact hours of training or coursework in human sexuality.

· A two semester unit or three quarter unit survey course in psychopharmacology (at an accredited or approved institution).

· A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies.

· A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting.

· A minimum of 18 contact hours of instruction in California law and ethics (school coursework may count towards this requirement.)

· A minimum of 10 contact hours of instruction in aging and long-term care.

· A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in crisis or trauma counseling.