Painful feelings that are expressed, acknowledged and validated by a trusted listener will diminish. Painful feelings that are ignored or suppressed will gain in strength – Validation® Method, principle n.4
As a counsellor and practitioner of the Validation method® I work specifically with people who are affected by dementia. This includes both the person with a dementia diagnosis or symptoms of cognitive decline and the people who support them and are connected to them.
Validation® is method of communicating and being with disoriented older people, usually affected by a form of dementia and cognitive decline. At the core of this approach is the act of welcoming and respecting all emotions experienced by the person and the ways in which they are expressed.
The experience of living with dementia is different for each and every person and different is the experience of every family member or friend.
Generally speaking it is an experience that changes, and often deeply shakes, the everyday landscape in which one has lived up until then. At times it can be challenging to navigate.
Having access to a safe space in which the person can voice what is going on for them, can bring relief, help the person feel less isolated and activate inner and outer resources.
Counselling can help with some of the challenges that living with dementia can bring.