Geriatric Mental Health Services in Michigan | Counseling & Therapy

Geriatric Mental Health Services in Michigan help older adults feel steadier, safer, and more hopeful. Many seniors face sadness, worry, sleep problems, memory changes, or stress after a loss or a health scare. These feelings can make daily life harder and can strain family relationships. Our goal is to provide clear, kind care that supports the whole person—mind, body, and home life.

Geriatric mental health care is for adults usually age 60+ and their caregivers. Services may include therapy, psychiatric evaluation, medication support, and care planning with your medical team. We focus on helping you keep your independence, reduce distress, and improve quality of life.

Signs You Might Benefit

Many people think “this is just aging,” but mental health symptoms are treatable at any age. You may benefit from geriatric mental health services if you notice changes that last more than two weeks, or if symptoms affect daily activities.

• Ongoing sadness or loss of interest in hobbies, social time, or family events
• Worry, fear, or panic that feels hard to control
• Sleep problems (trouble falling asleep, waking often, nightmares)
• Low energy, low motivation, or feeling “slowed down”
• Grief that feels stuck after a death, retirement, or major life change
• Memory or thinking changes that cause stress, confusion, or conflict at home
• Anger, irritability, or mood swings that are new or worsening
• Hallucinations or strong beliefs that others do not share (urgent to evaluate)
• More alcohol or medication use to cope with stress or sleep
• Caregiver burnout: feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or guilty

Benefits of care often include improved sleep, fewer worry thoughts, better mood, clearer routines, safer medication use, and more peace at home. We also help families learn how to support a loved one without constant conflict.

Evidence-Based Approach

Our treatment plans are built around research-supported care and your personal goals. We use simple, step-by-step skills and adjust for hearing, vision, mobility, and memory needs. When needed, we coordinate with primary care, cardiology, neurology, and home health.

Therapy approaches we may use

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps you notice unhelpful thoughts and build coping skills for depression and anxiety. CBT is widely supported in research and recommended in many clinical guidelines (APA).
• Problem-Solving Therapy: Breaks big problems into small steps—useful for health-related stress, role changes, and loss of independence.
• Behavioral Activation: Builds a weekly plan for meaningful activities to improve mood and energy.
• Grief-focused counseling: Supports healthy mourning while helping you reconnect with life.
• Family and caregiver support: Teaches communication tools, boundary setting, and realistic care planning.
• Support for cognitive changes: Skills for routines, reminders, safety planning, and reducing confusion; we also help families understand what is normal aging versus a medical concern (NIH).

Medication and medical coordination (when appropriate)

Some older adults benefit from medication for depression, anxiety, sleep, or mood. Others do best with therapy only. If medication is considered, we use an age-sensitive approach: start low, go slow, and review all current medicines to reduce side effects and interactions. We also screen for medical causes of mood and thinking changes (like thyroid disease, vitamin deficiencies, pain, infection, or medication side effects), because these can look like depression or dementia (NIH).

Clinical standards and Michigan licensing

In Michigan, mental health treatment is provided by licensed professionals who must meet state education, training, and ethics requirements, and follow scope-of-practice rules. Depending on your needs, care may be provided by a Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Master’s Social Worker (LMSW), marriage and family therapist, or medical providers such as a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. We follow evidence-based practice, informed consent, privacy standards, and careful documentation consistent with Michigan licensing expectations.

References: American Psychological Association (APA) resources on evidence-based psychotherapy; National Institutes of Health (NIH) information on depression, anxiety, and cognitive health in older adults.

What to Expect

Starting care should feel clear and respectful. We keep the process simple and explain each step.

Step 1: Intake and screening

Your first visit usually lasts 45–60 minutes. We will ask about your symptoms, health history, medications, sleep, pain, recent losses, and daily routines. With your permission, we may include a family member or caregiver to help with details. We may use brief questionnaires to measure mood, anxiety, and functioning, so we can track progress over time.

Step 2: A personalized care plan

After intake, we share what we think is happening in plain language. Together, we set goals—like “sleep 6–7 hours,” “stop avoiding the grocery store,” or “feel less lonely.” Your plan may include therapy, a medical referral, medication review, caregiver coaching, or community supports.

Step 3: Ongoing sessions

Follow-up visits are often 45–60 minutes, weekly or every other week at first. Sessions are practical and skills-based. You will not be asked to “just talk” with no direction. We may give gentle practice steps between sessions, like a short walking plan, a sleep routine, or a calm-breathing exercise.

Safety and crisis support

If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself, feel unsafe at home, or notice sudden confusion, seek urgent help right away. Call 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), go to the nearest emergency room, or call 911 for immediate danger. We also help with safety planning during treatment.

Insurance

We aim to make costs understandable. Coverage depends on your plan, your diagnosis, and whether services are in-network or out-of-network.

• Copays and coinsurance: Many visits require a set copay (like $20–$50) or a percentage of the visit cost.
• Deductibles: Some plans require you to pay full cost until your deductible is met, then coverage increases.
• Medicare: Many geriatric mental health services are covered when medically necessary and provided by eligible clinicians. We can help you understand what applies to you.
• Parity protections: Mental health benefits are often required to be comparable to medical benefits under mental health parity rules. If coverage seems limited or confusing, we can help you ask the right questions.

Before your first appointment, we can verify benefits when possible and explain likely out-of-pocket costs. If you are uninsured or have high costs, ask about self-pay rates and community resources.

FAQ

Is depression a normal part of aging?

No. While life changes and health problems can increase risk, ongoing depression is not “normal aging.” Depression is treatable, and many older adults improve with therapy, social support, and sometimes medication (NIH).

How do you tell the difference between dementia and depression?

They can look similar, especially when someone has low energy, poor focus, or memory trouble. We look at the time course, daily functioning, mood symptoms, medical factors, and (when needed) recommend cognitive screening or referral. Some people have both, and treatment can still improve quality of life.

Can my caregiver or adult child join sessions?

Yes—if you want. With your consent, involving a supportive person can improve communication, help with home routines, and reduce stress for everyone. We also offer caregiver coaching to address burnout and set realistic expectations.

Do you offer telehealth in Michigan?

Many older adults can do therapy by phone or video, especially for mobility or transportation barriers. Telehealth rules can vary by insurer and provider type, and care must follow Michigan licensing and privacy standards. We will help you choose the safest and easiest option.