Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Later Life: Clinical Insights and Practical Adaptations when Working with Older Adults

July 14, 2026

1:00 pm – 4:30 pm PST
Virtual Presentation via Zoom

Hosted by the Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Mental Health Training Program

Registration coming soon.

Presented by Julie Erickson, Ph.D, C. Psych.

Presenter Bio

Dr. Julie Erickson is a clinical psychologist, author, and educator dedicated to reshaping how aging is understood in both clinical practice and society. She is the author of The Aging Well Workbook for Anxiety and Depression (New Harbinger Publications), a pioneering CBT self-help resource designed specifically for older adults.

Dr. Erickson is the founder of a thriving private practice in Toronto, Canada, where she provides evidence-based treatment to adults across the lifespan, with expertise in anxiety, mood, OCD, and trauma-related disorders. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the University of Toronto, where she teaches graduate-level courses in CBT and supervises emerging clinicians.

A sought-after speaker and trainer, Dr. Erickson delivers workshops and continuing education programs for mental health professionals across North America, with a focus on adapting CBT for older adult populations. Her scholarly work has appeared in journals including Aging & Mental Health, Depression & Anxiety, and Cognitive and Behavioral Practice.

The number of older adults with mental health disorders is expected to double by 2030. Despite this demographic shift, only one-third of older adults in need receive evidence-based psychological treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Compounding this disparity, fewer than 2% of psychologists in the United States report geropsychology as a competency area, underscoring a critical shortage of clinicians equipped to meet the needs of this population. This three-hour seminar will strengthen participants’ understanding of evidence-based principles for adapting CBT to the unique emotional, psychological, and social context of later life. Through a combination of didactic teaching, case examples, and guided discussion, attendees will learn how to modify case formulation and intervention strategies to optimize CBT outcomes for older adults.

Topics covered will include:

  1. Developmental considerations in later life: A biopsychosocial overview of late adulthood; highlighting both the strengths acquired and challenges experienced by older adults.
  2. Epidemiology of late-life mental disorders: Trends in the prevalence of major mental disorders in later life, help-seeking patterns, and systemic barriers to care.
  3. Efficacy and limitations of CBT in late life: Review of empirical evidence and factors influencing treatment response.
  4. Conceptual issues in case formulation: How to use a lifespan development approach to conceptualize older adult cases.
  5. Practical adaptations: Adjusting psychoeducation, session pacing, cognitive supports, and involvement of caregivers or family members.
  6. Technique-level modifications: Addressing maladaptive beliefs about aging, interventions to enhance wisdom and meaning, and safely adapting interoceptive exposure for medical comorbidities.
  7. Mitigating clinician ageism: Recognizing and addressing implicit biases in therapeutic practice.
  8. Applied case example: Step-by-step adaptation of CBT for an older adult presenting with a phobic disorder.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe key developmental and contextual factors influencing mental health in later life.
  2. Identify conceptual and practical modifications of CBT that enhance treatment engagement and effectiveness for older adults.
  3. Apply strategies to reduce age-related bias and strengthen geropsychology competence in clinical practice.

Instructional Level

Advanced

This CE program is free to Kaiser Permanente employees.
Instructional Methodology
Lecture
Audio/Visual
On-line Presentation

Continuing Education Information

Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Training Programs (KPMHTP) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. KPMHTP maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California Mental Health Training Programs designate this live activity for 3 hours continuing education credits for the above-identified licensed professionals.

Refund and Attendance Policy

This session is free to all Kaiser Employees. There is no known commercial support for this program. For questions and requests for information, please contact our program evaluator: supria.k.gill@kp.org

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Those who attend the program in full and complete the appropriate evaluation form will receive CE credits. Please note that credit will only be granted for those who attend the entire lecture.

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