Care for the Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia (CCPLWD)

Care for the Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia (CCPLWD) – 8CE

Caregivers (care partners) often face dementia-related grief, shifts in relationship dynamics, role strain sandwiched between generations, and the heartbreak of watching a loved one change. Research has linked dementia caregiving to elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and long-term health risks, yet caregivers frequently remain on the margins of therapeutic care.

This course offers a research-based, nuanced conceptualization of caregiver strain, relationship dynamics, emotion, grief, and growth. Drawing on layered case reflections, it supports clinicians in approaching caregiver conversations with greater attunement and clinical clarity.

Continuing education in dementia-related caregiving is more than a peripheral skill set. As dementia rates rise, mental health professionals must be equipped to support caregivers with the same depth, compassion, and clinical precision we bring to trauma work, grief therapy, and identity-focused care.

Scope: This professional development program is intended to deepen clinicians’ understanding of complex caregiving dynamics and trauma-informed perspectives, particularly in the context of dementia care. The course is informational and reflective in nature and does not provide training or supervision in any specific psychotherapeutic modality. Rather, it is designed to enhance clinical insight, raise awareness of contextually embedded care challenges, and support ethically grounded decision-making through case-based exploration, cultural humility, and research-informed discussion. Participants are encouraged to pursue additional formal training before incorporating any referenced modalities into direct clinical practice.

This course is informed primarily by research on caregiving practices rooted in Canadian and American dominant cultures. While valuable, these perspectives do not fully reflect the diverse ways caregiving is understood and practiced. In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, the course honours the contributions of Indigenous, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit caregivers, scholars, and knowledge keepers.

Topics explored:
Module 1: Caregiver & PLwD Relationship
Module 2: Closeness and the Perception of Choice
Module 3: Ambivalence, EE, & Health/Wellbeing
Module 4: Dementia-related Grief
Module 5: Quality of Life: Eudaimonia, Agency, & Optimism
Module 6: Indigenous Caregiving / Care Partners

To explore these 6 asynchronous modules (8-CE), please visit waller.pro (available until May 2026).

Intended Audience: Registered Psychologists and other licensed mental health professionals, including individuals under supervision of a licensed mental health professional. While the content assumes no prior specialized knowledge of caregiver stress making this applicable to early career psychologists and other mental health professionals, it is grounded in recent peer-reviewed research and may offer valuable new insights or refresher for more experienced clinicians.

Course Structure and Format
This course is text-based, offering rich clinical content through written modules. Learners will engage with case conceptualizations, client voice excerpts, and occasional reflective or creative pieces designed to deepen emotional connection and insight. A TEDx talk and curated materials are included to offer variety and support meaning-making.

Registration: Ongoing / Coursework is asynchronous and available until May 2026.

Continuing Education: Waller Psychology is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Waller Psychology maintains responsibility for the program. There are no credits available for partial completion and CE certificates will be provided to eligible participants on an 80% pass rate of a final quiz and completion of course evaluation.

Investment:

• Indigenous Identifying: Fee Waived. Developed on Treaty 6 Territory and the homeland of Métis Region 4, traditional lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Dene, Nakota Sioux, and Métis peoples, the course is offered at no cost to Indigenous participants in the spirit of the TRC.
• Professional under Supervision: $250
• Registered Psychologist or other Licensed Mental Health Professional: $400

About the Course Developer: Penny Waller Ulmer is a Registered Psychologist with a Master’s in Counselling Psychology and certification in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. One of her areas of clinical focus is caregiver burden and stress as it relates to supporting a person living with dementia (PLwD).

With early experience working in recreation therapy with individuals living with dementia, Penny developed a deep appreciation for relationship-centered, strengths-based care for caregivers, later formalized through her certification as a Positive Approach to Care® (PAC) Consultant and carried into her clinical work. Her work assisting in trainings and as a consultant with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute further developed her skills in adult learning and professional development.

Responding to the need witnessed both personally and professionally, Penny designed this course content to be empathetic and clinically relevant.