Person-Centred Counselling for People with Dementia

Book excerpt: Although currently many people with dementia are not given the opportunity to receive professional counselling, this book explores the value of counselling for men and women living with this condition and how it enables them to make sense of their lives and their notions of themselves. The author explores the pervasive myth that all experiences of living with dementia are entirely negative and shows counsellors and carers how a person-centred counselling experience can have positive outcomes for those with dementia and the people who care for them. Based on the author's own experiences of counselling people with dementia, the book covers the fundamentals of the counselling process and precisely what a person-centred approach entails. The book then brings together several theories of counselling such as the role of the 'spiritual' in the counselling relationship; working with concepts of relational depth and configurations of Self; and the author's own theories of relating to a person's spiritual core. Accumulating findings from over 20 years of counselling experience in both the UK and the US, this book explores the importance of the Self and recognising each individual's worth and value. Dialogue from the author's counselling experiences is used to illustrate the person-centred counselling approach. Providing a comprehensive guide to person-centred counselling for people with dementia, this book gives an illuminating perspective on the subject and will be of value to counsellors, health and social care professionals, carers, people with dementia and their families.