Welcome to sageandsecure.com. My name is Melissa Tanner, and I'm a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in treatment of older adults. Geropsychology is not a popular field of study for budding psychologists. Courses and training programs are hard to find, but I welcomed the opportunity to work with a vulnerable, underserved population. I also liked that the work challenged me to distinguish between complex cognitive, medical, and psychiatric symptoms. 

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When I first entered the field, elder fraud was not a part of the conversation. It wasn’t included in my training, and it rarely came up in practice. Since then, I've witnessed a dramatic increase in number of patients reporting and needing to process their experiences with fraud. Though fraud does not currently meet DSM criteria for a traumatic event, the psychological impact of fraud victimhood often meets other criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I've worked with patients who have lost their life savings, self-esteem, identity, and ability to trust. Many have experienced a major depressive episode, sometimes with suicidal ideation. It is heart-breaking.

 

Unfortunately, most programs for fraud prevention and support lack adequate psychological influence. This inspired me to create Sage and Secure. My hope is that psychology becomes a larger part of the elder fraud conversation because I believe this is the key to reducing stigma, empowering older adults to report their experiences, supporting their full psychological recovery, and preventing further losses.

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Through our work together I hope to protect, empower, and restore.

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Sincerely,

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​Melissa Tanner, Ph.D.