Our graduate Ms Katerina Siampani publishes a book about Dementia and the Alzheimer’s disease

Ms Katerina Siampani, a Psychology Department graduate of the International Faculty and holder of the MSc in Psychology and Counselling degree has recently published a book about the Alzheimer’s disease titled: "Walking together: The Gestalt Therapy Perspective in Dementia"

The book presents the distilled clinical experience of Katerina Siampani, Counselling Psychologist and Gestalt Psychotherapist & Trainer, who has been working with dementia patients since 2002. At that time there were no Day Centres or other facilities as there are today and the Alzheimer Association launched a major campaign to raise public awareness about Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

While studying for her Counselling and Psychology Master’s Degree at CITY College in 2006, the writer completed her dissertation on "Depression and Anxiety among Women Caregivers: A comparative study of caregivers of older persons with and without dementia", the results of which are contained in the second part of the book, in Chapter 4. Since 2005 the author has been systematically recording her clinical experience of working with groups of people with dementia and coordinating caregivers’ groups. In 2008 Ms. Siampani submitted her dissertation titled "Gestalt Psychotherapy and Dementia: Theory and Practice" to Gestalt Foundation; the paper focused on case studies of the three stages of dementia and formed the basis for this book.

The book was edited by Neurologist - Psychiatrist Magda Tsolaki, a Professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and it was published by the Hellenic Association of Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders. Although the book is written from the Gestalt psychotherapy perspective, it is a useful tool for mental health professionals using other approaches that work or intend to work with people suffering from dementia. The book contains suggestions for integrating other approaches, practical applications and a body of relevant literature.

People with chronic diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer Disease, are not the only ones who suffer; people also suffering along with the chronically ill are those close to them and their caregivers. This book aims at helping the latter maintain a relationship with their loved ones through overcoming their initial horror upon hearing the diagnosis of dementia and through learning to cope with a mind losing its capacity for memory, logic, concentration, speech and so many other important faculties necessary for human communication.

The book is available at the ILC library of CITY College.