What does it really take to build a national movement for mental health and aging?

If you’ve ever carried a big dream or felt a deep calling to improve care for older adults, you know the path to lasting change is rarely straightforward. It requires persistence, humility, and the willingness to learn from every setback.

In this post, I’m inviting you behind the scenes of the Center for Mental Health & Aging (CMHA)—why I launched it, the unexpected obstacles I encountered, and the convictions that keep me going on the hardest days.

Here’s the simple truth: Older adults deserve better. They deserve excellent mental health care delivered by professionals who are trained, supported, and inspired to help them thrive—not merely survive. Professionals, in turn, deserve accessible, evidence-informed tools to provide that care.

Where It All Began: A VA Hospital, Two Kids, and a Growing Fire in My Belly

For over a decade I worked as a clinical geropsychologist at the Atlanta VA Health Care System. I trained graduate students, led therapy groups, and supported countless older veterans and their families through life-altering diagnoses such as dementia, cancer, and chronic pain.

What stood out was the same problem again and again: even experienced clinicians often lacked the knowledge and training to address the mental health needs of older adults. They would come to me with questions like:

• Is this depression or dementia?
• What is normal aging versus something more serious?
• How can I best support this family?

I quickly became the go-to person across departments, not because I had all the answers, but because no one had been given the training. Fewer than 2% of psychologists specialize in older adults, and similar shortages exist across disciplines—leaving a significant gap in care.

The Turning Point: GeroChampions and a Thermometer of Dreams

At the VA I developed a program called GeroChampions—an annual one- or two-day continuing education training for hospital staff. It was well attended and praised, but institutional barriers, gendered dynamics, and limited support for innovation repeatedly blocked wider change.

With two young children and a full clinical caseload, I still felt compelled to do more. So in 2020 I made a difficult decision: I left my stable VA role and founded the Center for Mental Health & Aging.

Armed with a laptop, a thermometer sketched on a dinner table, and a clear set of goals, I set out to:

• Gain accreditation from major credentialing bodies (APA, ASWB, NBCC, NACCM, CAMFT)
• Assemble a team of expert reviewers and instructors
• Create continuing education courses that truly meet the needs of professionals working with older adults
• Center diversity, equity, and inclusion across all programs

Step by step, those goals started to become reality.

The First Course That Launched a Movement

Our first offering was Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain, taught by Dr. Jennifer Steiner. Even with initial accreditation limited to one body, professionals enrolled because they believed in our mission.

Since that first course, we have launched more than 30 programs, including flagship certificate curricula: the 18-hour Mental Health & Aging Certificate Program, a Therapy for Chronic Pain certificate, culturally inclusive trauma-informed care for older adults (in partnership with the American Society on Aging), and End-of-Life Ethics & Psychotherapy developed with the Aging Life Care Association.

Why This Work Matters (And Why I Won’t Stop)

When mental health needs of older adults are overlooked, consequences ripple across health and wellbeing. Medical conditions worsen, medication use increases, emergency visits and hospitalizations rise, financial strain deepens, family tension escalates—and most importantly, people suffer needlessly.

Worse still, a system that dismisses mental health in later life sends a damaging message: that after a certain age, healing and transformation are no longer possible. That is simply not true.

There’s no expiration date on healing, transformation, and love.

– Dr. Regina Koepp

Growth, Grit, and Post-Traumatic Wisdom

One of the most meaningful moments on this journey was delivering a keynote on post-traumatic growth and aging well. Many older adults carry trauma from medical crises, ICU stays, or prolonged hospitalizations; trauma that lives in the body and the mind. As clinicians, we have a unique opportunity to help older adults process, integrate, and find meaning in those experiences.

Interventions like Life Review Therapy, meaning-making approaches, and trauma-informed care are essential tools—not optional extras—when working with this population. As Erik Erikson reminds us, the culminating question of life is often, “Was my life meaningful?” Supporting older adults to answer that question affirmatively is vital.

What’s Next for the Center for Mental Health & Aging

• Our Mental Health & Aging Certificate Program now trains professionals across the U.S. and internationally and has received strong feedback from participants.
• Our national provider directory is expanding to help older adults and families find qualified geriatric mental health clinicians in their communities.
• We continue to offer free weekly tips and practical tools for professionals.
• We are partnering with state agencies and organizations—such as aging services, ombudsman programs, and professional associations—to train entire systems of care.

And this is just the beginning.

To the Professionals Reading This…

If you’re reading this, you care about your clients, about equity, and about doing the work required to improve the lives of older adults. Thank you—for your compassion, your curiosity, and your commitment to learning.

If you’re ready to take the next step, here are practical ways to get involved:

Start Here:

✅ Download the free guide
✅ Explore our CEU courses approved for therapists, psychologists, social workers, LMFTs, LPCs, LMHCs, behavioral health nurses, and Aging Life Care Professionals
✅ Share this post or podcast with a colleague or friend
✅ Join our community and receive weekly tips and tools

Final Thoughts

Building the Center for Mental Health & Aging has been one of the greatest honors of my life. With your partnership and dedication, we can continue to expand a movement that ensures older adults receive the compassionate, competent care they deserve.

Thank you for being here and for caring about this vital work.

With deep gratitude,
Dr. Regina Koepp