Family Consults for MCI/Dementia
When someone you love is losing their memory, you are the one who has to decide what happens next.
You did not train for this. Most families don't get guidance; they get a diagnosis, a pamphlet, and a follow-up appointment in six months.
I work with families navigating mild cognitive impairment and early dementia in a parent, spouse, or family member. Together we make sense of what you're seeing, prepare for what's coming, and work through the decisions that are hardest to make alone.
Your loved one does not have to have a formal diagnosis. Many families start consulting with me when they are just beginning to notice changes in their loved one and don’t know what to do about it. I can help you figure out where to start and provide guidance along the way as your loved one’s needs change. All family consultations are conducted via videoconference so that everyone can come together in one place.
If any of this sounds familiar, you're in the right place
• You've noticed changes for a while, but everyone keeps saying it's just normal aging.
• There's a diagnosis, and no one has explained what it actually means for the next few years.
• Your loved one insists nothing is wrong, and every conversation about it ends in an argument.
• You don't know whether driving, finances, or living alone are still safe, and you don't know who decides.
• Your siblings see the situation completely differently than you.
• You're doing most of the caregiving and you're exhausted, resentful, and guilty about being resentful.
• You want to keep your loved one engaged and active, but you don't know what actually helps.
• You're afraid you'll wait too long to act — or step in too soon and take away their independence.
These are the questions I help families answer.
A family consultation is a private, focused session with a psychologist who specializes in cognitive impairment. It is not a support group, not an intake for ongoing therapy, and not a sales call for a facility or service.
You bring what's happening. I bring 20+ years of clinical experience with this exact population, and I help you understand it and decide what to do.
What is included in a consultation
What we can work on
Education: what is MCI/early dementia, and honest guidance about what the evidence supports
Safety Concerns: how much independence is still safe; when to step in (including driving, finances, medication, cooking, living alone)
Denial: what to say when a loved one insists nothing is wrong, or lacks insight into their impaired functioning
Consensus: how to hold a family together when everyone sees the situation differently
Future Planning: what the next few years are likely to look like
Sustaining the Caregiver: what burnout looks like, and what actually prevents it
Action Plan with specific deliverables for each family member as appropriate
Ongoing Support as needed
What this consultation is not:
• Not a neuropsychological evaluation or a diagnosis of your loved one
• Not medical care or medication management.
• Not psychotherapy or treatment for your loved one with MCI/dementia.
• Not emergency or crisis services
If you're not sure whether a consultation is the right fit, ask. I'd rather point you somewhere better, than take an appointment that won't help.
The fee is $350 for a 60-minute consultation
(insurance does not cover/reimburse for these sessions).
“Dr. Tonia helped our family sort through all the issues and come together on our common goal of doing what is best for our mom, and accepting this new reality. I don’t think we could have come to any agreements on our own, without her guidance.”
– Former Family Member Client