Publisher
BACP, BACP House, 15 St John’s
Business Park, Lutterworth LE17 4HB
Tel 01455 883300 Fax 01455 550243
email hcpj.editorial@bacp.co.uk
Contents
Disclaimer
The views expressed in HCPJ are not
necessarily those of BACP Healthcare
or its members, or of BACP.
1
2
HCPJ is the quarterly professional
journal for counsellors and
psychotherapists in health care.
Subscriptions
The journal is sent free to BACP
Healthcare members. For subscription
queries telephone 01455 883300 or
email membership@bacp.co.uk
Editor
Dr Penny Gray hcpj@pennygray.com
Associate Editors
Rachel Freeth, psychiatrist and counsellor
Peter Jenkins, Senior Lecturer in
Counselling Studies, Salford University
Ewan Davidson, primary care counsellor
and healthcare counselling tutor
Sarah Hovington, primary care counsellor
and BACP Healthcare Executive Member
Editorial
Early psychosocial
interventions in dementia
Evidence is growing of the benefits
of psychosocial interventions early in
dementia. Now we need to translate
this into practice, writes Esme
Moniz-Cook
3
4
Cover image Shutterstock
 British Association for Counselling
and Psychotherapy
ISSN 1475-0724
26Training nurses to deliver
post-diagnostic dementia
support
Counselling skills training can make
a big difference to nurses’ ability
to address difficult issues following
a dementia diagnosis, according
to research by Dot Weaks and
colleagues
Printer Page Bros
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or review, as permitted under the UK
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1988, no part of this publication may
be reproduced, stored or transmitted
in any form or by any means without
the prior permission in writing of the
publisher, or in accordance with the
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other organisations authorised by the
publisher to administer reprographic
reproduction rights. Individual and
organisational members of BACP only
may make photocopies for teaching
purposes free of charge provided such
copies are not resold.
Cognitive stimulation therapy for
dementia has beneficial effects on
both cognitive function and quality
of life, say Elisa Aguirre and Martin
Orrell
Why counsel people with
dementia?
Production Jamie McCansh,
Creative by Design, Paisley, Scotland
Advertising
For rates contact Jeannette Hughes
tel 01455 883314
jeannette.hughes@bacp.co.uk
therapy for dementia
News
Clients with dementia share the
same difficult issues as others who
come for therapy, writes Danuta
Lipinska
Design Fran Shall
22Cognitive stimulation
8
Counselling the relatives
of people with dementia
One-third of dementia caregivers
fail to seek help, despite sometimes
extreme difficulties. Yet a number
of therapeutic interventions can be
helpful for carers, writes Pamela
Griffiths
12A psychodynamic
perspective on dementia
care
Understanding and support for the
difficult emotions that accompany
dementia can help to reduce the
burden of distress and improve care,
writes Paul Terry
16CBT approaches in older
adults: what the research
tells us
Cognitive behaviour therapy may
be particularly well suited for those
with early stage dementia and their
carers, writes Ken Laidlaw
32Communication and
personhood in advanced
dementia
A system of intensive interaction
that focuses on the nonverbal
communication capacities of people
with advanced dementia appears to
have great potential for supporting
communication with those who care
for them, according to Maggie Ellis
and Arlene Astell
36Research matters
writes Sara Perren
38Primary cares
39On the receiving end
Finding the right therapist for me
took years, writes Lisa Purvis
40Reviews
44BACP Healthcare update
45Forthcoming events
Forthcoming events
BACP regional events
‘Making connections; news, views, ethics
and you’. Dates and locations: 5 July,
Barceló Imperial Hotel, Torquay; 2 or 8
September, Glasgow; October, Wales;
November, York; February 2011, Midlands;
March 2011, Norwich. Dates/venues to be
confirmed. For further information visit:
www.bacp.co.uk/makingconnections or
email sally.wigston@bacp.co.uk
Trauma skills summer school
Five-day programme for psychotherapists
presenting some of the most recent
developments in the treatment of traumarelated disorders. Each day offers two
seminars lasting three hours, including a
30-minute break. Dates: 5–9 July. Venue:
The Brunei Gallery, London WC1. For
information visit: www.confer.uk.com/
bigidea.html, or tel: 01728 689090 or
email info@confer.uk.com
New Horizons
One-day conference on implementing
the recommendations for the national
strategy: ‘a shared vision for mental
health’, with sessions on: developing an
evidence-based approach to improving
wellbeing and mental health; early
recognition and identification of
depression in primary care; achieving
inclusion through employment;
commissioning for mental health and
wellbeing. Date: 8 July. Venue: Manchester
Conference Centre. Further information
via Healthcare Events on 0208 8541 1399
or email: matt@healthcare-events.co.uk
Lifepsychol 2010
Two-day conference designed to highlight
the benefits of psychological management
for people with long-term and lifethreatening conditions. Dates: 7–8 July.
Venue: Grand Connaught Rooms, London
WC2. For further details and to register
visit www.lifepsychol.com or telephone
020 7554 4044.
Impact on depression training
Sainsbury Centre is running on-site
training, adapted under licence from the
Australian Beyondblue National Mental
Health Programme, which takes one to
four hours in the workplace. ‘Impact
on depression’ is a proven, work-based
programme that reduces the impact
of depression and anxiety, minimising
their effects on organisations. For
details see: http://www.scmh.org.uk/
employment/impact_on_depression/
programmeevidence.aspx
Short-term dynamic therapy
for treatment-resistant clients:
from failure and despair to
health and hope
Fifth congress of the International
Experiential Dynamic Therapy Association
(EDTA). Keynote presenter: Dr Jaak
Panksepp. Dates: 15-18 July. Venue:
Vancouver, BC, Canada. For details and to
book visit: www.iedta.net
Caring for older people: new
approaches to provision and
support
For details and to book, visit: www.bacp.
co.uk/research/SuPReNet/index.php or
contact BACP Customer Services on 01455
883300 or email enquiries@bacp.co.uk
Race equality in mental
healthcare: 2010 and beyond
One-day Westminster Policy and
Practice briefing, providing a forum
to consider current Government
initiatives on delivering race equality in
mental healthcare and the remaining
key challenges that need to be
addressed. Date and time: 13 October,
10.40am-3.15pm. Venue: Westminster,
London. For information, visit: http://www.
westminster-briefing.com/?p=12919
One-day Westminster Policy and Practice
briefing, providing an opportunity
to consider recent Government and
opposition thinking and proposals over
how to improve the care and funding
pathways for older people. Participants
will debate the implications for service
providers and users, with an expert
panel on issues such as: the key barriers
to improving the system, and the role
of early intervention. Date and time:
8 September, 10am-16.45 pm. Venue:
Westminster, London. For information,
visit: http://www.westminster-briefing.
com/?p=11539
Next stages for the mental
health strategy
Working with suicide and
suicidal ideation: assessment
and risk assessment
Improving dementia care
A low-cost training day aimed at
experienced counsellors, psychotherapists
and counselling psychologists from all
therapeutic modalities. Designed to take
seriously the reality of suicide and enable
practitioners to become skilled and
supported in order that they can assess
the indications, identify their limits and,
if appropriate, work therapeutically with
suicidal patients. Dates and locations: 17
September, Manchester; 26 November,
London. For more information visit: www.
cpc-online.co.uk and to book, tel: 01243
870701 or email cpc@cpc-online.co.uk
Supervision and the therapist
The second in an ESRC series organised by
SuPRreNet, the organising theme of this
seminar is an exploration of the ways in
which therapists benefit from individual
and group supervision. Date: 24–25
September. Venue: University of Leicester.
This half-day seminar will assess the
next stages for the New Horizons mental
health strategy. Discussion will focus on
reviewing its early impact, outlining the
challenges that have been faced and how
they have been addressed – and asking
what further steps should be taken to
improve public mental health. Date: 26
October, morning. Venue: Central London.
Further details and booking via http://
www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/
forums/index.php?fid=westminster_
health_forum
This half-day seminar will examine the
effectiveness of the National Dementia
Strategy, and what more can be done
to make services more efficient and
better value for money, and to increase
the quality of dementia care. Date: 23
November, morning. Venue: Central
London. Further details and booking via:
http://www.westminsterforumprojects.
co.uk/forums/index.php?fid=westminster_
health_forum
Psychological therapies in the
NHS: science, practice and
policy
The fourth annual conference examining
the challenge and opportunity of
evidence-based practice for the
psychotherapy professions. Dates: 2-3
December 2010. Venue: Savoy Place,
London. Further information via www.
healthcare-events.co.uk or tel: 0208 8541
1399 or email: matt@healthcare-events.
co.uk