When we are close to someone with cognitive impairment there is a great concern: how to interact with them ?, how can we tell you what we mean?What can we do if forgetfulness, sudden anger, and a lack of direction are becoming more apparent?
There comes a time when we feel so frustrated that we don’t know what to do or how to deal with that person, but there’s certainly always a way, and one of them is emotional validation therapy.
- This therapy is a wonderful method to communicate with patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of cognitive decline.
- Especially when it becomes a difficult problem for both them and their caregivers.
These types of therapies are an excellent support when it comes to treating people who are at an advanced stage of cognitive dysfunction, in this article you will learn what it is, the fundamental principles it addresses and some communication techniques.
“The way we communicate with others and ourselves determines the quality of our lives. “Anthony Robbins.
Affective validation therapy is a form of communication for advanced stages of cognitive dysfunction. It’s also a way to confidently approach people with it.
With this therapy, feelings of frustration disappear. In fact, we know how to treat people with cognitive decline, which facilitates communication and care. At the same time, it is guaranteed that they will change less because this approach is appropriate.
The creator of this therapy was Naomi Feil, who has lived all her life with the elderly through the work of her parents, on the one hand, her father ran a nursing home in Cleveland, on the other hand, her mother was in charge of the social services of the center.
In addition, thanks to her close contact with the elderly, Naomi Feil has devised a way to treat the disoriented elderly, who have joined emotional validation therapy.
Emotional validation therapy fosters deep respect and empathy for the beliefs and experiences of the person with cognitive impairment, no matter if the ideas and experiences are not real, credibility must be given
It is about approving the reality of people who are in advanced stages of cognitive dysfunction, for this they must take into account the following principles:
Taking these principles into account and applying emotional validation therapy techniques will help to increase self-esteem and decrease depressive symptoms in people with cognitive impairment, in addition to these actions improving the relationship with caregivers and thus reducing the emotional overload of these professionals.
Emotional validation therapy is accessible to everyone. Practicing it means greater well-being for both people with cognitive decline and caregivers Some of the techniques to achieve your goals are:
These techniques validate the person with cognitive impairment, in this way promote a better quality of life, due to the decrease of feelings of discomfort in both caregivers and people with cognitive impairment.
It is a useful therapy because it makes us think about how the person who suffers from cognitive dysfunction feels and thinks, in this way it invites us to put ourselves in their place, however, this is not a method that replaces others. a way of approaching people with cognitive impairment that can be integrated or used in addition to other types of treatment.
It can often cause frustration and irritability to see disoriented loved ones, with vague and aggressive memories, with easy crying or any other symptoms. Therefore, it is a care task and requires working both in the way you relate and in yourself.
Let us connect and build relationships that, out of love, nourish those with cognitive dysfunction. Without a doubt, emotional validation therapy is a wonderful tool to validate, understand and reduce your stress.
A posture of affection, respect and tolerance always makes those around us feel better.