Reminiscence therapy is a technique used to provide counseling and support to older adults, and is used in patients with brain damage who have symptoms of “Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive impairment.” A 2018 article from the American Association of Retired Persons focused on a separate project called Gleaner Town Square that looked at individuals who had symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. The goal of the Gleaner project was to “photograph the years 1953 to 1961,” with participants going back in time and reminiscing about their lives between the ages of 10 and 30, the period when “our strongest memories are formed.” The American Psychiatric Association defines reminiscence therapy as “the use of life histories, written, oral, or both, to improve psychological well-being. It is often used in older adults.” This type of therapeutic intervention respects the individual’s life and experiences and helps the patient maintain mental health. Most research on reminiscence therapy has been conducted in older adults, particularly those suffering from depression, though some studies have looked at other older populations. Reminiscence therapy has been researched and implemented in many areas across cultures, in Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Reminiscence is described as “the process of voluntarily or involuntarily bringing to mind one’s past memories.” It involves reliving and reliving events in one’s life. This requires that “autobiographical memory” be intact in order to be able to recall specific life events. Reminiscence is meaningful to the extent that the memories retrieved are meaningful. There are different ways to make memories meaningful, including asking questions that suggest the significance of the event as well as using old memories from the past. Reminiscence has different psychological functions. Webster’s classification offers eight reasons why people reminisce: to relieve boredom, to revive emotional pain, to prepare for death, to have conversations and identity, to maintain intimate relationships, to solve problems, to teach, and to inform. Psychologists believe that the therapeutic use of reminiscence has positive results in improving coping skills and emotions, although its effectiveness is controversial. Recent data suggest that there are positive and lasting effects of reminiscence therapy among older people. There are different types of reminiscence. The two main types are interpersonal reminiscence and interpersonal reminiscence. Interpersonal reminiscence is cognitive in nature and is conducted individually. Interpersonal reminiscence is more conversational and is a group therapy. Reminiscence can be divided into three types: informative, evaluative, and urgent. Informative reminiscence is for the pleasure of retelling past stories. This type can be used to help people who have lost interest in life and relationships. Recalling good memories helps them focus on what they were happy about. Evaluative reminiscence is the main type used in reminiscence therapy because it is based on the “life review” introduced by Dr. Robert Butler. This process involves retrieving memories from across one’s life and sharing stories with other people. This is often done in group therapy. Urgent reminiscence is when an individual needs to let go of persistent emotional distress or guilt. By working through these issues, individuals can find peace with themselves. Reminiscence is used to help people cope with the death of a loved one by sharing stories about their life, remembering fond memories, and coming to terms with death. Reminiscence therapy is often used in nursing homes. The structure of reminiscence therapy can vary widely. In one documented session, the therapist played different songs from the 1920s to the 1960s and asked patients which songs held special meaning for them. In another session conducted by the same therapist, participants shared photos and talked about why they were important to them. Psychological research identifies two types of reminiscence therapy as particularly effective: integrative and procedural. Prior to the late 1950s, remembering the past was viewed as a negative symptom that often led to a decline in mental functioning. Erik Erikson introduced his concept of eight stages of psychological development from birth to death. The final stage is known as “late adulthood,” and it introduces the idea of “integration versus despair.” It is important at this stage to look back on one’s life with satisfaction and contentment before one dies. In 1963, Dr. Robert Butler published a paper on the critical points regarding the importance of life review and reminiscence. Butler is credited with starting the reminiscence therapy movement. Charles Lewis took the next step in the field in 1971. He conducted the first experimental study of reminiscence. Lewis wanted to investigate the cognitive changes that the process of remembering the past might cause, and how individuals viewed themselves. This experiment proved to be important, and in the years that followed it became a popular area of research. Subsequent research focused on the functions and benefits of remembering the past. In 1978, the U.S. Department of Health and Social Security began a project called the “Reminiscence Assistance Project.” The goal of the project was to begin using reminiscence as a therapeutic method. In the 1980s, reminiscence therapy was recognized by health care institutions and began to be used as a group therapy. During this time, the number of professionals trained to provide this therapy increased. Reminiscence therapy remains a research area to this day. Although much research has been done in this area, Butler and Erickson remain the researchers most closely associated with it.