Critical considerations about ageism and its impact on health, with discussion about intersectionality

Interview-style, with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT

  • Course Description

    By 2034, there will be more adults 65 and older than children under the age of 18. 20% of older adults have a mental health condition, yet mental health conditions are often underdiagnosed and undertreated among older adults. Ageism is one of the barriers to older adults receiving the mental health care they need. This CE courses defines three (3) types of ageism and discuss the toll of ageism on physical and mental health. One common ageist assumption (i.e., stereotype) is that “older adults are alike” when in fact, older adults are incredibly diverse. Intersections between age and other identity variables (e.g., sexual orientation, race/ethnicity) with relation to mental health are reviewed using credible empirical support, including "Facts on LGBT Aging" from the SAGE & National Resource Center on LGBT Aging (2021). Empirically supported strategies to reduce ageism in mental health care are discussed (Burnes et al., 2019) and recommendations for promoting access to mental health care are provided.

  • Learning Objectives

    Upon completing this course, participants will be able to: Summarize the three types of ageism and the impact of ageism on older adults’ health and mental health; Discuss intersections between older age and other identity variables (e.g. race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.); List two or more strategies to reduce ageism and promote equitable access to mental health care


    Target Audience and Instructional Level
    This course is intended for psychologists, therapists, social workers, clinical counselors, and addiction counselors. Instructional level: Intermediate

  • How To Take This Course

    In order to receive a certificate of completion reflecting the associated CE credit hour, you must:
    #1: Have an active paid Clearly Clinical membership
    #2: Listen to the corresponding course podcast
    #3: Achieve a passing grade on the post-presentation test (the test has up to ten questions and you must earn a score of at least 80%; users can re-test up to three times. After three attempts, users are advised to re-listen to the audio course in its entirety and then subsequently re-test. Psychologists who are seeking CE credit may not be awarded credit if they attempt to pass the post-test more than three times.)
    #4: Complete the requested course evaluation.

    Course elements (including the course audio, post-test, and requested course evaluation) can be completed on a computer or mobile device via your Clearly Clinical account.

  • Course Format

    This high-quality and interesting course contains a one-hour, non-interactive audio podcast presentation which is available for free via all major public podcast providers. You can also listen to and download the file via our course player.

  • Commercial Support

    There is no known commercial support or conflict of interest for this CE program, presenter, sponsor, instructor, or content. Dr. Regina Koepp hosts a podcast about ageism, which she mentions as a resource during this program.

  • Certificate Access Details

    Once you've completed the course, your certificate will automatically populate in the 'Certificate' section of your account; it will also be emailed to you. Access to completion certificate will expire 365 days after issuance. Course certificates will be on file for ten (10) years from date of course completion.

  • Accommodations

    If you have special needs or need an accommodation, please email us at [email protected] and we will do our best to assist you.

Interviewee and Interviewer

Dr. Regina Koepp, Psy #003388

Geropsychology Expert

Dr. Regina Koepp is a clinical geropsychologist, and founder of the Center for Mental Health & Aging. She is Vice Chair of the Georgia Psychological Association Ethics Committee. Dr. Koepp is creator and host of the Psychology of Aging Podcast and is a contributing writer at Psychology Today, where she discusses mental health and aging. She has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, AARP Magazine, and Insider. Dr. Koepp is a sought after speaker on the topics of mental health and aging, caregiving, ageism, resilience, and dementia and sexual expression. Prior to founding the Center for Mental Health & Aging, Dr. Koepp was an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and former staff psychologist at the Atlanta VA Health Care System, where she provided direct patient care and consultation on the Geropsychiatry Outpatient Mental Health team for more than a decade.

Please visit her at MentalHealthAndAging.com, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Elizabeth 'Beth' Irias, MS, LMFT

Interviewer & Clearly Clinical Founder

Elizabeth 'Beth' Irias (she/her) is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and the Founder and President of Clearly Clinical. She has specializations in Clinical Documentation, Best Practice, and Utilization Review, and works closely with clinical teams across the US as a trainer and national conference presenter; Beth was formerly an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University in the Graduate Psychology and Education department. Licensed in California and Oregon, she provides therapy via her private practice to young adult and adult clients, members of the LGBTQ population, and those with addictive disorders. She has two young children, a super cool spouse who helps out with Clearly Clinical's tech, and a rescue dog.

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  • SOCIALLY-RESPONSIBLE: We donate to The Trevor Project for LGBTQIA+ youth suicide prevention

  • WOMEN-OWNED: We are founded and run by Elizabeth Irias, LMFT

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