Gabriele Wilz Bücher

This handbook offers comprehensive guidance for supporting family caregivers of individuals with dementia through psychotherapy, utilizing evidence-based strategies. It provides step-by-step instructions for effective therapeutic approaches, primarily rooted in cognitive-behavioral therapy, and features real-session dialogs between therapists and caregivers. The content is organized into modules that tackle various challenges, including managing difficult behavior, self-care, perfectionism, guilt, shifts in relationships, barriers to seeking support, stress management, emotion regulation, and accepting personal limitations, including the complexities of institutionalization. These modules can be tailored to meet individual needs, with a strong focus on building a positive therapeutic alliance and fostering motivation for change. Additionally, the manual includes downloadable intervention handouts for practical use. The strategies presented are applicable in diverse settings, whether face-to-face or remotely via telephone or online therapy. This resource is particularly beneficial for clinical psychologists, gerontologists, psychotherapists, counselors, and social workers engaged with dementia patients and their families.