Therapeutic Dementia Practitioner & iCARER Facilitator's Training

Duration: 2-day skills workshop

Typical Course Hours: 9:15am to 4.30pm
Next Available Workshop:
5th June 2019 - London SW12 8NB

Two-day Skills Workshop 

Go Dementia Sense to sign in for the Validating Me Workshop Booking Form

The founder of The Validation Method (USA), Naomi Feil with Gladys Wilson (YouTube). 

Our 2-day fast track programme, Validating Me: Therapeutic Dementia Practitioner develops qualities and skills necessary for a therapeutic relationship with people experiencing dementia, using a person-centred validation process, enabling them to have the conversations that matter. This approach is an emotional model of care.

The practitioner demonstrates their skills in observing, listening, pacing, exploring, matching voice tones, collaborating and facilitating. The person feels the practitioner's empathetic understanding creating a therapeutic relationship.

iCARER is an acronym for a set of skillful therapeutic interaction. These skills are transferable to other relationships e.g. professional and client, parent and child, educator and learner, supervisor and carers. Once learnt, these skills cannot be unlearnt. 

Who should attend?

People familiar with person-centred dementia practice, from all settings and backgrounds whether care managers, professionals, housekeepers, family carers or support staff. 

What will I learn?

The therapeutic skills demonstrated in the film Conversations that Matter: Breaking through Dementia

  1. Gain greater awareness of your feelings, values and behaviours towards a person experiencing dementia at any given moment

  2. The theoretical approach and principles underpinning person-centred communication in dementia care and support.

  3. To apply person-centred validation verbal and non-verbal interactions skills demonstrating the empathetic process at various stages of dementia (iCARER™)

  4. To communicate confidently and effectively in crucial moments when emotions start to run high

  5. To unlock and meet and a person’s deeper emotional need

  6. Demonstrate person-centred touch and validation skills for a person in mid to later stages of dementia.

  7. Be able to establish a therapeutic relationship using person-centred validation process and skills.

Day 1 

  1. Putting theory into practice 

  2. The essential core conditions needed to create a therapeutic relationship.

  3. iCARER skills practice.

Day 2 

  1. iCARER skills practice - getting it into the muscle!

  2. Learning to present the iCARER 2½ hour programme a community or an organisation

iCARER is an acronym for a set of skillful therapeutic interaction. It is warmer, richer in feeling than that of everyday life.  The purpose is to find a shared meaning between two people and understand the reality the person with dementia is experiencing.  By using such interaction, the helper is conveying, you are important to meI am listening. I want to understand. 

Please download the Learning Outcomes: Understand and enable therapeutic interaction and communication with individuals experiencing dementia.

What are the benefits to my organisation?

  • Teams felt more confident and equipped to respond positively to the person’s emotional and psychological needs particularly in stressful situations.

  • Team members have the skills and materials to offer a 2½ hour iCarer session to staff and families (iCARER is an acronym for a set of skillful therapeutic interaction).

  • These skills are transferable to other relationships e.g. professional and client, parent and child, educator and learner, supervisor and carers. Once learnt, these skills cannot be unlearnt.

  • Staff report a greater sense of fulfillment at work.

  • Increased involvement from families ensuring personalised care.

What to ask more, please contact: julia@dementiasense.org or please call 01483 275555