Practice Innovations, Vol 11(3), Sep 2026, 199-214; doi:10.1037/pri0000296
Most bereaved older adults adapt well to important losses, yet those with current or previous episodes of clinical depression experience greater challenges. This article describes two composite therapy cases to exemplify strategies for responding to older clients’ bereavement experiences in the context of ongoing or previous psychotherapy for depression. Therapy planning and implementation with older bereaved adults requires clinicians to have knowledge about various trajectories of grief reactions, along with an understanding of how to screen for and differentiate among adaptive grief reactions, clinical depression, prolonged grief disorder, and other complicated grief reactions. Aging-friendly tools are described to support treatment planning and implementation with depressed and bereaved older adults. Resources are suggested for further professional development in clinical practice with older adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)