Support at the Start: Why Counselling Matters in Early Dementia Planning

Receiving a dementia diagnosis—or noticing early cognitive changes—can stir a complex mix of emotions: fear, sadness, confusion, and uncertainty. For individuals, families, and carers alike, the adjustment period can feel overwhelming. This is where professional counselling plays a vital role.

Counselling in the early stages of dementia is not about solving everything at once. It’s about creating space to process emotions, plan proactively, and begin the journey with clarity, dignity, and support.

As a dementia care expert, I’ve seen how early therapeutic support provides resilience, enhances communication, and lays the emotional foundation for meaningful legacy and care planning.

Why Early Emotional Support Is Essential

Dementia doesn’t just affect memory—it affects identity, relationships, and daily life. When counselling is introduced early:

• Individuals feel heard and validated
• Anxiety and depression can be reduced or prevented
• Families can process grief, guilt, or denial
• Conversations about care and legacy become easier
• Long-term emotional wellbeing is protected

According to Advance Care Planning Australia, early support leads to better alignment between values, preferences, and care outcomes.

Who Can Benefit From Counselling

Counselling can be beneficial for:

• Individuals diagnosed with dementia (or concerned about symptoms)
• Spouses or partners
• Adult children or the sandwich generation
• Siblings and extended family
• Carers or guardians navigating care responsibilities
• Families who feel stuck or conflicted about planning

Counsellors create a safe space to explore these emotions and facilitate healthy communication.

Common Challenges Addressed in Counselling

Early sessions may help address:

• Grieving the anticipated changes
• Processing diagnosis and reducing fear
• Navigating identity and self-worth
• Discussing sensitive topics like end-of-life preferences
• Reducing family tension or role confusion
• Addressing denial, avoidance, or overwhelm
• Encouraging legacy planning and expression

It’s not about “fixing” emotions—it’s about supporting emotional clarity and reducing isolation.

Integrating Counselling Into Legacy Work

Counsellors often help individuals and families:

• Identify what stories or memories they want to share
• Reflect on values to include in an ethical will
• Reduce anxiety around recording messages or facing the future
• Talk about care planning decisions without pressure
• Find language for spiritual or emotional legacy reflections

These conversations support the creation of legacy letters, voice recordings, or practical legacy routines with less emotional weight.

Supporting the Wider Family Unit

When multiple generations are involved in care or planning, tensions often arise. Counselling:

• Facilitates constructive dialogue
• Prevents misunderstandings
• Encourages shared responsibility
• Helps honour the person with dementia’s voice and wishes

Sessions may be individual, group, or family-based depending on preferences and needs.

What to Expect in a Counselling Session

Early sessions may involve:

• Exploring fears, hopes, and beliefs about dementia
• Discussing identity beyond diagnosis
• Reflecting on values and spiritual perspectives
• Talking about memory changes and practical impact
• Identifying goals for the near and long term
• Creating a safe environment for legacy storytelling or creative expression

Some may choose to record or reflect on these conversations using Evaheld’s platform, turning healing into legacy.

Counselling as a Legacy Tool

Many families are surprised to find that counselling creates legacy, even if that’s not the original intention. As individuals share:

• Personal philosophies
• Spiritual or emotional truths
• Family values or parenting approaches
• Wisdom about relationships, failure, or growth

…these insights can be preserved and integrated into ethical wills, memory books, or legacy videos—accessible for generations to come.

When to Begin Counselling

The best time to begin is as soon as possible after a diagnosis or during early memory concerns.

Even one or two sessions can:

• Build coping skills
• Support conversations about Advance Care Directives
• Reduce avoidance
• Support better communication across the care team
• Ease the emotional toll of starting legacy work

For carers or family members feeling overwhelmed, counselling can also reduce burnout and provide space to process their own grief.

Accessing Counselling Support

You can find counsellors through:

• Nurse Info, which lists mental health and dementia services
• Local dementia organisations and memory clinics
• Aged care providers and general practitioners
• Online mental health platforms offering telehealth sessions
• Community and faith-based support services

Look for professionals trained in aged care, dementia, or grief support for the most aligned experience.

Integrating Counselling With Evaheld

Evaheld’s platform allows users to:

• Safely record and store insights from counselling sessions
• Create private audio or video reflections
• Send messages to specific recipients over time
• Organise emotional reflections alongside practical planning documents

This creates a holistic legacy that honours mind, memory, and meaning—not just paperwork.

In Summary

The dementia journey is deeply emotional. But no one should face it alone. Early professional counselling offers more than support—it offers perspective, confidence, and the emotional safety needed to move forward with clarity.

By weaving therapy into the early planning process, families gain not only peace of mind, but the tools to build meaningful legacy and connection—one heartfelt reflection at a time.

With platforms like Evaheld, these reflections can be preserved with purpose and shared with those who matter most—when it matters most.