PhD Studentship at the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre on counselling and dementia: exploring the therapeutic relationship

This project aims to explore both conceptually and practically the therapeutic relationship in counselling for people with dementia.

Despite a policy focus on supporting growing numbers of people to live well with dementia, we don’t yet know the best ways to do this. The majority of therapists have no specific training or expertise in working with people with dementia, while the majority of those working in specialist dementia or older people’s services have no counselling training. There is a common view that people with memory problems cannot benefit from therapy. We hope our findings will challenge this view and provide both a conceptual and practical focus on the experience of the therapeutic relationship for people with dementia. This will contribute to both theoretical understanding and to policy and practice development in this field.

We will gather the understandings of people with dementia, their carers and professionals who work with them in addressing therapeutic issues. Our focus is on how people with dementia themselves make sense of their emotional needs, of being a person diagnosed with dementia, in the contexts of their lives; the meanings they attach to talking to and relating with a counsellor regarding these issues; and how such an encounter may affect them and their lived experience of dementia. We will also draw on observation of therapists engaging people with dementia in community-based counselling and their accounts of their interactions with clients who have dementia and their carers.

As a longstanding area of expertise, our design is built on core principles of participation and involvement with people with dementia and their carers, and on active collaboration with stakeholder partners and a programme of impact-focused activity. Our project has been developed collaboratively and we have strong engagement and commitment to ongoing involvement from multiple stakeholders.

EILIGIBILITY:
To be eligible for a full award (stipend and fees):

The successful applicant will have a very good undergraduate degree (at least 2:1) or have relevant comparable experience
Demonstrate a keen interest in the aetiology of dementia
Have an excellent grounding in qualitative research methods and/or counselling

To apply visit: http://edin.ac/2K2t8T4

Queries regarding application process: Mrs Denise Munro: [Email Address Removed]