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Validation Therapy

What is Validation?

            Validation was developed by Naomi Feil, MSW, ACSW between 1963 and 1980.  It is a tested method that helps elderly disoriented people reduce stress, enhance dignity and increase happiness.  Validation is accepting the feelings of another person.  It is reaching out with empathy to the person with memory impairment .  Validation therapy uses specific techniques to facilitate communication with disoriented persons. 

Validation allows us to accompany the disoriented person in the resolution of unfinished issues while supporting their feelings of self worth.  Validation helps one to build an empathetic relationship with the disoriented person which allows the expression of feelings.  With Validation people with memory impairment are motivated to increase verbal and non-verbal communication.  Through Validation, techniques are learned that will help us enter the disoriented person's world, because they cannot enter ours.

            All people have three basic psychological needs; to feel safe and loved, to feel useful and to express their emotions.  Validation increases our ability to help the disoriented person meet these needs.