Core competences for psychotherapeutic work with people with dementia

What matters most when delivering and receiving psychotherapy for people living with dementia? 

We asked people living with dementia, their families and friends, and therapists who provide therapeutic interventions to families affected by dementia.

The result is a co-designed set of core competences specifically tailored for working with families affected by dementia, ensuring that support is grounded in both clinical evidence and lived experience.

Who are the competences for?

The competences are aimed at psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, family therapists and other professionals involved in delivering or developing psychotherapuetic support for people affected by dementia. 

They may also be useful for services, supervisors, commissioners and educators when considering training, professional development and the delivery of psychological support.

The competences are available to download via the link above, or via the 'Access the core competences' tab.

Developing the competences: Charura, D., Jeffery, S., Mikhaylova‐O'Connell, Y., Reed, E. W., Gates, C., Donnellan, W. J., ... & Griffiths, A. W. (2026). Developing core competences for working therapeutically with people with dementia and their families. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 26(1), e70104.

Referencing the competences: Griffiths, A. W., Charura, D., Stokes, L., Jeffery, S., Whittlesea Reed, E., Mikhaylova-O’Connell, Y., Gates, C., Wilkinson, H., O’Donnell, J., Donnellan, W., Shoesmith, E., Ball, P., & Makatini, Z. (2026). Core competences for psychotherapeutic work with people with dementia (Version 1). figshare. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.33420358.v1