SCENIC IMAGINING OF MEMORY IMAGES - A GRO UP PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC CONCEPT FOR THE ELDERLY

Considering that elderly people tend to put more emphasis on rememberi ng than on working on the every day reality, the therapeutic value of meomories has been underestimated. Memory images are live situations r etrieved out of the long term memory. Having been recorded by intense emotional experience and made unforgettable by countless rehearsing, t hey contain basic material of unconscious conflicts. Making use of the sharing of memories in a group setting, the scenic imaging provides a way through present conflicts. First results of this group psychother apeutic concept indicate an impressive acceptance by the elderly patie nts and good access to current emotional processes.