58th Annual PCA Conference

Name: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Dementia Family Caregivers
Start: 2026-11-06T17:30:00-0500
End: 2026-11-06T18:00:00-0500

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Dementia Family Caregivers

Friday November 6, 2026 5:30pm - 6:00pm EST

Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias are known as progressive brain diseases that affect millions of people from all over. Subsequently, this creates mental and physical strains for their family caregivers. According to the 2024 Alzheimer’s Association report, more than 11 million Americans provide unpaid support to relatives with dementia, which goes beyond regular or standard family responsibilities. Despite those with dementia receiving comprehensive medical care, their caregivers’mental health needs remain largely unrecognized. This may come as a surprise since research even indicates that caregivers face higher rates of depression, anxiety, stress, and social isolation compared to non-caregivers (Brodaty & Donkin 2009; Pinquart & Sörensen 2003). Caregiving is an intense role which creates psychological difficulties as caregivers face multiple obligations that include emotional, occupational, and family responsibilities.
Caregiving for dementia patients causes chronic stress which results in cognitive and behavioral problems that lead to increased emotional distress. Many caregivers experience ongoing guilt, self-blame, and helplessness especially when the dementia causes progressive symptoms which cannot be stopped (Gallagher-Thompson & Coon 2007). Caregivers develop cognitive distortions which include future catastrophizing and personalization of disease-related behaviors as well as the belief that self-care time represents neglect or failure. The duration of these beliefs establishes a pattern that can result in withdrawing from socializing, reducing participation in enjoyable or important activities, and their risk of developing depression increases (Losada et al., 2010).
One well established and evidenced-based psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, addresses emotional distress through the identification and modification of maladaptive thinking and behavior patterns (Beck 2011). Due to its popularity, CBT has a substantial amount of empirical evidence that shows its effectiveness in decreasing caregiver burden while enhancing the mental health of dementia caregivers who provide support to their family members (Gallagher-Thompson et al. 2012 Kwon et al. 2017). The model works successfully with this group because it provides caregivers with structured methods which enable them to develop better cognitive skills for evaluating caregiving challenges while increasing participation in activities that build their emotional resilience.
This workshop demonstrates the application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to assist family caregivers who experience distress because of their responsibilities to care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. The presentation will provide an overview of the psychological impact of dementia caregiving, followed by an explanation of the CBT conceptualization of caregiver stress. The presentation uses empirical research and clinical examples to show how caregivers can use cognitive restructuring techniques to challenge their self-critical and catastrophic thoughts while developing balanced interpretations of their caregiving challenges. Caregivers can use activity scheduling and problem-solving interventions to regain their capacity for meaningful participation in personal and social activities which they usually miss because of their caregiving responsibilities.
The psychotherapy process will be demonstrated through a brief case study which shows an adult family caregiver who suffers from guilt, emotional exhaustion, and social withdrawal while caring for a relative who has Alzheimer’s disease. The presentation shows how a counselor uses fundamental CBT methods through the case study to help the caregiver change their disruptive thoughts, develop better coping methods, and achieve better mental health results. The counseling process will focus on three elements which include joint goal setting, understanding the other person's perspective, and creating effective coping methods that suit the specific needs of dementia caregivers.
The presentation shows how evidence-based CBT interventions help caregivers deal with distressing situations while showing counselors the psychological difficulties which family caregivers experience and the proven methods to assist this neglected group. As the world faces rising dementia cases, and families may not be able to pay for professional care, this presentation is extremely relevant to showcase how family caregivers providing essential long-term support may be affected mentally and the necessity for effective counseling methods to assist family caregivers.

Speakers

Kaylin Foss

Kaylin Foss is in the process of completing her master’s in clinical psychology at Penn State Harrisburg, with future interests in neuropsychology. At the University of Texas, Dallas, she worked as a dementia researcher, working with patients and their family caregivers. At the... Read More →

Friday November 6, 2026 5:30pm - 6:00pm EST

Poster Session

global Y

Tickets

Success you have shared X tickets.

58th Annual PCA Conference

Kaylin Foss

Attendees (1)

Get help with the event

Success you have shared X tickets.

58th Annual PCA Conference

Kaylin Foss

Attendees (1)

Sign up or log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!

Get help with the event