What does it really take to build a national movement for mental health and aging?
If you’ve ever had a big dream or felt a deep calling to change the world—especially for older adults—you know that the path to change is rarely straight, easy, or predictable.
In this post, I’m inviting you behind the scenes of building the Center for Mental Health & Aging (CMHA)—why I started it, the unexpected challenges I faced, and what fuels me to keep going, even on the hardest days.
Because here’s the truth:
Older adults deserve better.
They deserve excellent mental health care. They deserve professionals who are trained, equipped, and inspired to help them thrive—not just survive.
And professionals deserve the tools to do just that.
This is why I’m building the Center for Mental Health and Aging
Where It All Began: A VA Hospital, Two Kids, and a Growing Fire in My Belly
For more than a decade, I worked as a clinical geropsychologist at the Atlanta VA Health Care System. I trained graduate students, led psychotherapy groups, saw countless older patients and families, and helped people navigate life-altering diagnoses like dementia, cancer, and chronic pain.
What I noticed?
No one—not even the most seasoned doctors—knew how to care for the mental health of older adults.
They’d turn to me with questions like:
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Is this depression or dementia?
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What’s normal aging vs. something more serious?
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How do I support this family?
I became the go-to person across departments. But the truth was, no one had been trained. Most had never had a single course on aging.
And with fewer than 2% of psychologists specializing in older adults—and the same underrepresentation in other disciplines—we had a massive problem on our hands.
The Turning Point: GeroChampions and a Thermometer of Dreams
While at the VA, I created a program called GeroChampions, offering annual full-day or two-day CE trainings for hospital staff. The program was widely attended and received acclaim. But despite its success, I kept hitting walls—leadership barriers, systemic sexism, and a lack of institutional support for innovation.
I had two small children, a full caseload, and the fire to do more.
So I did the scariest and most exciting thing I could think of.
In 2020, I left my stable job at the VA and launched the Center for Mental Health & Aging.
With nothing but a laptop, a dream, and a thermometer drawn on a piece of paper in my dining room, I mapped out my goals:
✅ Become accredited by the APA, ASWB, NBCC, NACCM, and CAMFT
✅ Build a team of expert reviewers and instructors
✅ Create CEU courses that professionals would actually want and need focused on meeting the mental health needs of older adults
✅ Center diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do
And one by one, I started checking them off.
The First Course That Launched a Movement
Our very first course?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain, led by Dr. Jennifer Steiner.
We only had APA approval at the time—but professionals enrolled anyway. They trusted our vision, and we delivered.
Since then, we’ve launched more than 30 courses, including:
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The Mental Health & Aging Certificate Program (our flagship 18-hour course)
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Therapy for Chronic Pain Certificate Program
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Culturally Inclusive, Trauma-Informed Care with Older Adults (in partnership with American Society on Aging)
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End-of-Life Ethics & Psychotherapy (partnered with the Aging Life Care Association)
Why This Work Matters (And Why I Won’t Stop)
Here’s why this work is urgent:
When we ignore the mental health needs of older adults, everything gets worse—
✔️ Medical conditions worsen
✔️ Medication use increases
✔️ Hospitalizations and ER visits rise
✔️ Financial strain deepens
✔️ Family tension escalates
✔️ And most of all, people suffer needlessly
And worse: We send the message that after a certain age, you’re no longer worthy of healing or transformation.
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 powerful moments of this journey was delivering a keynote at the University of Vermont Gerontology Conference on post-traumatic growth and aging well.
Did you know that 90% of older adults have experienced trauma?
Whether it’s a medical crisis, ICU stay, or long hospitalization—trauma lives in the body and mind. And we, as professionals, have the sacred opportunity to help them make meaning, grow, and integrate those experiences.
Tools like Life Review Therapy, meaning-making, and trauma-informed care are not luxuries—they’re necessities when working with older adults.
Because as Erik Erikson reminds us, the final developmental task of life is to consider, “Was my life meaningful?”
What’s Next for the Center for Mental Health & Aging
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Our Mental Health & Aging Certificate Program now trains professionals across the U.S. and internationally—with rave reviews.
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Our national provider directory is growing, helping older adults and families find qualified mental health providers.
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We offer free weekly tips and tools for professionals via email
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We’re partnering with agencies like the State of Vermont, American Society on Aging, Aging Life Care Association, and the Illinois Ombudsman Program, and more to train entire systems of care.
And we’re just getting started.
To the Professionals Reading This…
If you’re here, you care.
You care about your clients. About equity. About healing. About doing your part to improve the lives of older adults.
So I want to say thank you.
For your heart. Your compassion. And your dedication to learning.
And if you’re ready to take the next step…
Start Here:
✅ Download the free guide
✅ Explore our CEU courses approved for therapists, psychologists, social workers, LMFTS, LPCs, LMHCs, behavioral health nurses, Aging Life Care Professionals
✅ Share this post or podcast with a colleague or friend
✅ Join the movement—because we need you.
Final Thoughts
Building the Center for Mental Health & Aging has been one of the greatest honors of my life. And I know, with your help, we can keep growing this movement.
Because together, we can ensure that older adults get the care they deserve.
Thank you for being here.
With deep gratitude,
Dr. Regina Koepp
