Dedicated to Naomi Feil

FORUM

FOR THE VALIDATION COMMUNITY
AND NAOMI FEIL

A Message from Naomi Feil:

I have some bad news to share with you. I have been diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic cancer and the doctors tell me I have less than six months to live.I am at home receiving palliative care, surrounded by family and excellent caregivers.

My greatest wish now, as it has been for the past 50 years, is that everyone keep using Validation, spreading Validation, teaching Validation – so that older adults around the world feel heard, respected and gain self-esteem.

Thank you for carrying on my life’s work.

Naomi Feil

Your love and messages to Naomi

Gracias

Querida Naomi:
Gracias por enseñarme tanto, sos, fuiste y serás siempre un referente de trabajo y de vida para mi y mis alumnos.
Rezaré por tu salud, por tu familia y por todos los que tenemos esa enfermedad.
Te abrazo desde Argentina

(Dear Naomi:

Thank you for teaching me so much, you are, were and will always be a reference in work and life for me and my students.
I will pray for your health, for your family and for all of us who have this disease.
I hug you from Argentina)
 

– Cecilia Millán

Naomi,

Thank you for all your work, I am grateful that I meet you two times in my life. Your work has touch and changes so many life’s!

I have been a validation worker for 15 plus years now, the words that I have always told my team that works for me is that until I became a validation worker, I was like a carpenter with only a work belt. I had no tools, until I became a validation worker. The master that trained me was Rita Altman from Sunrise in California.

I remember in my class, I started to cry when I realized that so many residents in my past care could of not wanted to eat because they were too sad to eat!

I told so many of my team members that I would share just basic things like the W’s – that once you see the resident respond a light bulb will go off in your head. You will see that they reached the resident and that the validation truly works… So many have come to my office in tears saying it happened, it worked, they spoke to me!!!

I will forever use the tools from validation,  share my stories and be forever grateful for The Validation Method!!

I will see you on the other side my friend!!

Love and respect,

– Viola Kaake

I’m so sorry to hear that.  I’ll be praying for you and your family. 

– Linda Benninghoff

Naomi,

When I first became  a CDP and watched your video showing your validation technique with a sweet lady with end-stage dementia and watching her “come out” of her shell and sing with you, cry with you, her holding your hand, all I could do was cry….. it touched me to my core. It made me want to be just like you. I have been a nurse for 38 years. It is my passion, loving and caring for others after losing my mother when I was 16 and she was 33. It became my mission in life to be knowledgeable and to be able to assist my family and friends with keeping them informed with their health care needs. It wasn’t until recently that I became more involved with the elderly population. Now that I am, it brings me great joy to talk with them, to try and “meet them where they are in their life cycle” and to use this validation technique….. to be like you. You have taught me so much in my efforts on approaching the people with dementia and I appreciate you.

I pray you are exactly where you want to be and with the ones that love you the most. You are truly a wonderful soul. My prayers are with you.  God bless.

Thanks so much,

– Loretta Lane

Dear Naomi,
Snowy Siberia, Russia, Krasnoyarsk is saddened by the news about your health!
Strength to you and your loved ones!

Two years ago, meeting with you turned our idea of people with dementia upside down! Now we are telling everyone about you: how validation helps to find meaning, love and respect for people suffering from dementia (unfortunately, there is very little information, and we welcome every mention of you).

We hope that the political situation between our countries will stabilize, and we will buy your books, your courses to help more than a dozen people with dementia.

We embrace you from the bottom of our hearts! Fight!

We are sending you photos of our wards from the day stay group.

The light and smiles on their faces are also your merit!
Thanks!

Sincerely, to you and your family, we are infinitely grateful
Comprehensive social service Center „Life“

– Ekaterina Mashkovskaya and Victoria Krasnopeeva

Dear Naomi,
Snowy Siberia, Russia, Krasnoyarsk is saddened by the news about your health!
Strength to you and your loved ones!

Two years ago, meeting with you turned our idea of people with dementia upside down! Now we are telling everyone about you: how validation helps to find meaning, love and respect for people suffering from dementia (unfortunately, there is very little information, and we welcome every mention of you).

We hope that the political situation between our countries will stabilize, and we will buy your books, your courses to help more than a dozen people with dementia.

We embrace you from the bottom of our hearts! Fight!

We are sending you photos of our wards from the day stay group.

The light and smiles on their faces are also your merit!
Thanks!

Sincerely, to you and your family, we are infinitely grateful
Comprehensive social service Center „Life“

– Ekaterina Mashkovskaya and Victoria Krasnopeeva

Thank you for all you have done. 
 
I think I share your Validation Techniques at least five times a day with carers, both professional and private, in my role as a Dementia Consultant with Dementia Support Australia. 
 
Your Validation Technique changes lives over and over again. 
 
If I could afford to travel and complete the Masters, I would ( America is not for me, though :)) 
 
I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for all you have done, and I know your teachings will continue to help people on a daily basis. 
 
Much love to you as you enter the most exciting journey of your physical life. 

– Caroline Roberts 

In the mid-90s, my Unit Manager for the Nursing Home I worked on and some work colleagues attended a workshop with Naomi in Stockholm. They thought that everything had been so good and exciting. My unit manager bought the book „V/F VALIDATION® The Feil Method – How To Help Disoriented Old-Old“ which has just been published in Swedish. I read the book and thought about how to do everything that was written there. I tested some questions that were in the book, but didn’t know how to really do it.

We started a project at my workplace, where we wanted to improve the quality of life for those who lived in the ward. In that work, we decided to find out more about the Validation method. We learned that they worked based on the Validation Method at Ersta in Stockholm and went there to learn more about their work. Then we invited Rita Schwarz to a full-day workshop in the method. After this, some of us got the opportunity to go to the Level 1 Validation Worker course.

Already during the course, we noticed effects in the people we followed during our course. When a relative of a woman in Phase 3 thanked me for working with her mother during my course, I understood how good Validation really is. Even then, I knew that I wanted to help spread knowledge about the Validation Method in various ways in Sweden. Today I am a Validation Teacher and I will continue to spread knowledge about Naomi and her work in any way that I can. Without that knowledge, I don’t think I would still be working in the care of people with cognitive impairments today. I will continue to spread knowledge about Validation in any way that I can.

I have had the opportunity to meet Naomi 3 times when she has been in Sweden. It has been memorable. Naomi has really done an important job and is a pioneer in person-centred approach and meeting people with cognitive impairments with respect.

Maria Hedman Holmblad Validation Teacher in Sweden

– Alles Gute

Bonjour Naomi,
C’est avec une grand tristesse que je viens d’apprendre cette mauvaise nouvelle.
Toutes mes pensées avec vous.
Je garde de bons souvenirs de votre passage à Porrentruy et toutes les autres fois que j’ai eu la chance de vous rencontrer. Merci pour tout ce que vous m’avez apporté, convaincu par votre approche des personnes désorientées j’ai toujours était un de vos fidèles disciples et un de vos relais ici dans la Suisse francophone.
Encore merci et merci pour toutes ces personnes qui grâce à votre vision ont pu être accompagnées dans la dignité, et tous les soignants dont moi compris avons retrouvés du sens à notre travail.
Je vous souhaite d’être bien accompagné dans ce dernier parcours de votre vie et soyez sûr que les graines que vous avez semées fleurissent dans le monde entier et continueront à fleurir à jamais.
Bien à vous
– Freddy Clavijo.
Suisse
 
( Translation: 
Hello Naomi,
It is with great sadness that I have just learned this bad news.
All my thoughts with you.
I have good memories of your time in Porrentruy and all the other times I had the chance to meet you. Thank you for everything you have given me, convinced by your approach to disoriented people I have always been one of your faithful disciples and one of your relays here in French-speaking Switzerland.
Thank you again and thank you for all these people who, thanks to your vision, were able to be supported with dignity, and all the caregivers, including myself, have found meaning in our work.
I wish you well on this final journey of your life and be sure that the seeds you have sown flourish throughout the world and will continue to bloom forever. )

Dear Naomi,

I will always remember and always be grateful to have had Naomi visit China while I was there training the staffs of Senior Living L’Amore in the policies and procedures of Meridian Senior Living.  Naomi’s guidance and inspiration as well as her enthusiasm and energy in introducing Chinese caregivers to the precepts of Validation will be a lasting tribute to her efforts to help those living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.  She so inspired the staff of Senior Living L’Amore (Chunxuanmao 椿萱茂) that they underwrote the translation of her book into Chinese and became the second Asian certified AVO.

– Robert Arsenault

Dear Naomi

I feel deep gratitude for your work and I will do my best to honour your legacy.
 
People with dementia will benefit from your wonderful work because you brought the light of compassion and respect for them in every step you took.
 
I’m sure these words are going to be very similar to others messages but let me tell you about what it means to me: the seed of Validation in South America. 
 
It´s a bridge, it’s been excellent news for people caring for old people. You are leaving the seeds of a new future for old people that are excluded and neglected from many places. 
 
My commitment is to honour your legacy and make it grow for a better life for every person in the human community.
 
Have a joyous time Naomi
 
– Viviana Bilezker
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dear Naomi

As a teenager in the 1980’s I witnessed two of my grandparents living with dementia and was horrified by their experiences, especially in their later stages while living in an institutional setting. I wanted to make sure older adults with dementia were never treated like objects, overmedicated, tied to chairs, I was convinced there were better ways.
 
Naomi Feil has long been a huge inspiration to me and so many others working with older adults. I have worked as a social worker with caregivers, as a trainer for professionals on how to work with older adults with neurocognitive diseases, and currently teach students becoming specialists in working with older adults in long term care and other services for older adults in the community. My colleagues, former students and I continue to promote the amazing work Naomi pioneered. We are saddened by the diagnosis, and with you and your family much support and love.
 
– Francine Cytrynbaum, College teacher (Vanier College), Montreal, Canada. 
Gratitudine
Occhi nuovi per camminare accanto a chi ha camminato prima di noi, 
la mano che ci sostiene è il rispetto , 
la strada è il Valore dell’essere umano , 
gli alberi sono i ruoli  che vengono convalidati.
 
Camminare lungo strade ombreggiate diventa meno faticoso quando il passo (la mente) rallenta.
 
Validation : aiuta a guardare l’opera della vita con più considerazione ed ogni anziano diventa capolavoro.
 
Buon cammino ombreggiato Naomi Feil
 
con la sua idea di Validation ha reso 
il mio lavoro più gratificante e 
il quotidiano dei nostri anziani meno arso.
 
Con affetto,
– Anna
 
( Translation: 
New eyes to walk alongside those who walked before us,
the hand that supports us is respect, the road is the value of the human being, the trees are the roles that are validated.
 
Walking along shaded streets becomes less tiring when your pace (your mind) slows down.
 
Validation: helps to look at the work of life with more consideration and every elderly person becomes a masterpiece.
 
Happy shaded walking Naomi Feil with his idea of Validation he made it my most rewarding job and the daily life of our elderly people is less intense.
 
With love,

– Anna

CHERE Naomi Feil,

Ce soir mon cœur est touché par votre annonce en lien avec votre cancer. JE SUIS touchée car je vois une personne tellement incroyable au travers des cours que je suis, j’ai l’impression de vous connaître. 
 
Simplement , je tiens à vous remercier de tout mon cœur pour cette transmission de la validation, votre cœur pour l’être humain me touche tellement , vous êtes une source d’inspiration pour moi et mon équipe. 
 
J’ai eu la bénédiction d’avoir pu créer mon entreprise pour favoriser le maintien à domicile des personnes âgées en Suisse au canton du Jura et je souhaitais approfondir mes études et je suis tombé sur le DOCTEUR CLAVIJO qui m’a énormément parlé de vous. Vous êtes d’ailleurs venu en Suisse par l’invitation de Docteur Clavijo Freddy. 
 
Et Bien ce soir, je tiens à vous remercier,  car grâce à votre validation je n’ai plu peur d’aller a la rencontre des personnes atteinte de trouble neuro cognitif . Grâce à vous j’ai pu voir la richesse et la beauté et mettre en place la communication  adapter à toutes ces merveilleuses personnes. 
 
Je suis si reconnaissante , car je m’en voulais de ne pas savoir comment réagir ..je me sentais dépassé et bien attristé.  
 
Mais grâce à vous , maintenant j’ai mis en place la validation et c’est juste EXTRA ORDINAIRE. ALORS MERCI MERCI MERCI !
 
Vous êtes merveilleuse et je prie pour vous. 
 
Bien cordialement. 
– Laura Gerber 

Dearest Naomi,

I learned so much from you as an Activity Professional here in Washington State at our conferences when you presented at our workshops! I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you taught so many. I only wish everyone could have heard you! I hope you will be comfortable and comforted at this time! You are in good hands with God, family and your caretakers. I am now retired but have such great memories of my caregiving days and was a nursing assistant and activity professional for over 40 years. Loved every minute of it! And your presentations were a part of my life and ability to be the best I could be for all the residents I was honored to serve.
Thank you again for touching my life and the lives of so many! 
Sincerely,
– Patricia Scully ADC Retired
Dear Naomi,
I received the news that your health is not going well and that it is coming to an end. Dear Naomi, God has endowed you with this outstanding vision and activity and I adore you and have gladly accepted and applied your vision. You as a public figure, it was an honor.
Your family will be with you until the end and my thoughts are with you.
A beautiful and timeless time is waiting for you, I know that and you will always remain in my heart and God will take you when HE wants

Many people adore you, like I do
With love and gratitude

– Anke Sylvia Korinth

Thank you, Naomi, for inspiring so many. Your wisdom, passion, and dedication reflected in every work that you do, and we have been so privileged to learn from you through your presentations and resources. You are truly an inspiration to me, and your teachings will always be ingrained in the work that I do.

 

With heartfelt gratitude,

– Jennifer

Dear Naomi,

I’d like to send you a lot of love at this time of your life.

I have recorded in my mind your immense empathy and your presence.

I would like my message to be filled with that powerful energy that you have always transmitted.

For me, you have been an example to follow, from Validation.

A very strong hug from Barcelona, and lots of love for you. 

– Duna

Dear Naomi,

you enrich my life, my innermost being, my heart!

I met you in Bremen and was able to experience you as a resident in a shared apartment have validated.

I was so fascinated by what happened during this validation and decided: I want to learn that!!!

No sooner said than done and so I started my training at Heidrun in Bremen.

What a gift for me!!!

I immersed myself in validation and my inner attitude towards life has changed.

What a gift I got from you!!!

Thank you very much !

Antje Engeleke-Denker

What is immortal in human work is what is made

from the heart, full of love, for them

is thought, felt and accomplished by humanity

– v. Rudolf Steine

Oh nooooo Naomi.
Yesterday I was shocked by such sad news… 
Naomi, you will be around us when we talk, observe and listen to people who some time ago would have been invisible, abandoned and alone in any corner due to lack of knowledge about how to understand what’s happening to them.  All of us have learned a lot thanks to you, Naomi and your VALIDATION Method or way of understanding behaviours and communication needs. Thanks Naomi, you are so human, so generous, so resilient,…you are a top person in our heart. Live slowly and savor every moment as you wish. Let me send you a sweet kiss. 
I feel proud of having been lucky to meet you in Barcelona some years ago. Just then something special woke up in me that forever will be part of me and the basis in my way of working.  I promise you that you will always be present in my daily work and I will spread, wherever I am, all I have learnt from you.
THANKS FOR SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!
Let me send you a sweet kiss and a “bear”hug if you like them.

Sincerely,
– Mercè Cabot Ximenes
Collaborator of Fundación Cuidados Dignos.

Dear Naomi,

Two weeks ago a colleague at work let me know that she was struggling to support and connect with two of her close friends living with dementia. She shared that she wasn’t sure where to turn for help. I happened to have a copy of Validation Techniques for Dementia Care and gave it to her to read. After reading it, she said she was relieved because she now understood how to support and connect meaningfully with her friends. Your work is changing lives everyday and you have made this world a better place. Thank you!
 
With love,
– Meaghan

Naomi, you have shown me the importance of connecting with people on a human level. Inside the person is always there and you have devoted your career to validating and interpreting what people are telling us.

Now in my career, this forms a huge part of my practice and it’s all because of you. Wishing you strength and peace,

We all love you and cannot thank you enough

– David Wilson-Wynne xx

As an almost-18-year Sunrise veteran, I have seen firsthand the results of Naomi’s teaching.  She has revolutionized the way we approach our memory care residents, and in many ways, the way we treat all fellow humans.  She has taught us how to be in the moment and to be ever mindful of safeguarding the dignity of our elders, and her impact cannot be overstated.  I pray that she will enjoy her remaining time in comfort, peace, and joy, and that her family will know that their Sunrise family is holding them all close to our hearts.

With the utmost of love and respect,

– Kathy McDonagh

Dear Naomi, my mentor, my guide, my hero, 
 
It is with tears rolling down my face that I write this message. I feel so deeply sorry for what you have to go through. I wish you much love, courage and trust on your following path. May you feel the love of all of us, the Validation community, radiating from all over the world. 
 
My life has changed radically since I started my training to become a Validation practitioner many years ago. On a personal level, Validation has helped me gain emotional maturity and grow as a human being. Professionally, being a companion of older adults living with memory loss, using and embodying your precious teaching has transformed my understanding, approach and communication with elderly people with cognitive frailty. Validation has enabled me to build deep connections and experience unique, intimate, profound, and divine interactions. I am deeply thankful to you for this.
 
Since 2020, I have followed your monthly webinars with Michael Verde. They have been a true inspiration on both my private and professional path. As a fountain of love and wisdom, you are my most significant source of inspiration and spiritual guidance. Seeing how much your teaching has changed my life and, subsequently, the one of the people I work with fills my heart with joy, gratitude and humility.
 
With my deepest gratitude and love.
 
Katja from Lausanne, Switzerland

Dear Naomi,

I’m very sorry to hear that your state of health has deteriorated. I hope that you are taken care of by medical professionals and your dearest family and friends.

I graduated as a validation teacher in 2000 and I had the pleasure to meet you a few times, when you visited Finland. I remember from those encounters, that you are a very warm person and you truly appreciate other people. I have been impressed by the fact that you have taught others as you have lived and worked with people with dementia. You have done very remarkable development work for all people with dementia around the world.

Your wish that we will cherish the validation method with next generations will surely come true, as you have created something truly meaningful. It is valuable for all of us. I think the most important thing with the validation method is that people with dementia can maintain their confidence and feel that they are appreciated and valuable people.

For me the validation method is the only way to face people with dementia and it has been important to follow its principles while working. For me this is a matter of heart (in Finnish we say sydämen asia) and I am wearing those pink glasses that I’m looking through people with dementia. I am very grateful for all that I have learnt from you.

The warmest thoughts for you and God bless you!

Sincerely,

Tuija Uusitalo

Dear Naomi
Dear Naomi, it was with dismay and great sympathy that we read the news of your illness. We wish you all the best, strength and energy for the next few weeks and months. We feel the need to express our gratitude for knowing you and validation. We can no longer imagine working with older people without this empathetic and valuable approach! We really enjoyed the times we were able to spend with you and will always be remembered. Warm greetings and a big hug from Linz, Hannes and Ulli
I wanted to share a story about a resident with whom I connected just this past Monday. 
 
I’ve been assisting our Sunrise of Summit (NJ) community for the last 1.5 weeks and truly getting to know and understand each resident [and their families]. One particular resident is relatively new to the community and briefly spent time in Assisted Living prior to her transition to Reminiscence. 
 
As chance would have it, I was able to speak with this resident’s two cousins who were kind enough to share many valuable life experiences; the resident neither married nor had children but remained extremely close to her parents, especially her father. As the conversation progressed, it became clear that this resident’s exit-seeking behaviors were because of this unmet need – she really missed her loving parent(s)!
 
This past Monday, the resident was noticeably anxious about getting home and seeing her father. I used my newly gained knowledge to acknowledge this resident’s past history and emotions, which she clearly held. Additionally, the sheer mention of her cousins, parents, and previous residence(s) produced a 15-minute sit-down conversation; the exit-seeking behavior was immediately halted, all while a care manager closely observed the interaction.. it was indeed the best education.
 
As the resident began to conclude her own life stories and experiences, she suddenly asked „so, let’s hear about you! Where are you from?“ I instinctively smiled, thanked her, and the conversation continued without a hitch. She didn’t even approach the exit door for nearly two hours!
 
In a single instance, I’m proof Validation works and this simple gesture – matching the resident’s emotions, rephrasing their words, and listening with empathy – worked wonders.

– John T.
Hello Naomi,
 
My name is Deanna.  While we have not met, I am writing to you to say hello and let you know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.  I wasn’t even aware of the Validation Training Institute until today, and so pretty cool stuff that our world is in fact nothing more than a connected spider web of people making a difference for one another that lives on.  
 
My hunch is that you know Charles De Vilmorin, founder of LinkedSenior as he shared a hint of your story today with attendees at the Teepa Snow PAC conference.  
 
You are special and making a difference for generations to come!  Thank you!
 
Prayers and virtual hugs coming your way.

– Deanna

Hi Naomi- I took Sandy’s first course 4 years ago and discovered I had “sort of” been doing validation on my own albeit haphazardly. The course made sense to me but, now, I recognize the full impact.

I took the second course-I had my Reminiscence group at Sunrise of North Wales—and I got it! I had a resident, will call her a generic, Mary, who I really wanted in the group ((she was constantly searching the halls for her Mother). She was terrifically resistant and refused to participate in any subject -I asked her to be our philosopher-she did agree to that.

After 4 months of weekly, resisting, attendance, she called me over at the end of a group and spilled a horrific story of abuse.

We worked together, 1:1, and she is now sharing her story with other folks in Reminiscence. She does, on occasion, still search for the love her Mother could/would not give-it seems to be less often and she has been more engaged.

I have now left that community—on my departure day, we had a long conversation; Mary said to me she knew I was not her Mother and yet, she loved “how I had been”.

What an incredible gift you have developed, taught and given us. At one point, I remember gleefully shouting to my peers, “validation works!” .

It has also assured me that opening my heart to the old-old  or those Reminiscent folk who need touch and validation is not an exercise in futility.

I wish you all peace, you have changed my outlook of senior care.

My heart to yours. Linda

Linda Calvert, Senior AVC Float, Sunrise Senior Living

I first met you and your daughter Vicki during my work with the Eden Alternative. You both struck me as pillars of humanness, devoted to teaching care partners how to see the truth of the whole person in their path.

As someone who walked to the edge of physical life myself in the past 5 years due to a blood cancer, I hear and empathize with your desire to walk into the next with awareness of, and some processing of what wondrous things you did while you were here and your hope that you can grieve the loss of a life you love, and walk into the next with peace and not fear.

Thank you for your brilliance, vulnerability, and commitment to elevating our collective humanity.

May light perpetual envelop you and those who know and love you and may you all encounter peace.

Rebecca Priest

Chère Naomi, 
quelle tristesse d’apprendre ces nouvelles. 
je voudrais vous dire MERCI 
Merci de m‘ avoir donné beaucoup de plaisir à travailler avec les personnes âgées en donnant du sens à mon travail.
Merci de m’avoir permis de mieux accompagner nos aînés.
Merci de leur permettre de retrouver de l’estime malgré leur trouble. 
Soyez certaine que la Validation fait écho chez beaucoup de soignants. 
Soyez cetaine que je continuerais à transmettre avec passion ce que vous m’avez appris afin que nos ainés, leurs proches et les soignants puissent vivre mieux. 
 
Avec toute ma gratitude 
En pensée avec vous. 
Laetitia formatrice en Validation Genève.( Suisse) 
 
Translation:   
Dear Naomi,
How sad to hear this news.
I would like to say THANK YOU
Thank you for giving me a lot of pleasure working with elderly people by giving meaning to my work.
Thank you for allowing me to better support our elders.
Thank you for allowing them to regain self-esteem despite their disorder.
Be sure that Validation resonates with many caregivers.
Be sure that I will continue to pass on with passion what you have taught me so that our elders, their loved ones and caregivers can live better.
 
With all my gratitude
My thoughts are with you.
Laetitia trainer in Validation Geneva. (Switzerland)

Liebe Naomi

Eine schlimme Nachricht hat mich erreicht, ich denke sehr viel an dich und schließe dich ein in mein Gebet.

Vielen Dank, dass ich durch die die Validation lernen durfte.

Mit meinen Angehörigen Seminaren und Gesprächskreisen für betroffene Angehörige und auch Schulungen für Pflege- und Betreuungspersonal bin ich im Kreis Freudenstadt, im Schwarzwald

mit vielen Angeboten unterwegs. Auch arbeite ich noch teilzeit in Loßburg im Gebrüder-Hehl Stift bei der Bruderhaus Diakonie, und darf da Einzel und Gruppenvalidation  anbieten.

Ich bin sehr gut vernetzt mit Stephanie Maser, Validationsmaster.

Sie gibt mir immer wieder Sicherheit und Unterstützung bei Fragen.

Ich grüße dich ganz herzlich

– Susanne Herre

Greetings from Austria

Dear Naomi,

in our nursing school, located in Neunkirchen, Lower Austria, Karin Gal (Validation Teacher) an I (Nursing teacher and Validation practitioner, Level 1) had the pleasure to perform Validation education to a class of so called Pflegefachassistenz (a 2 years program for nursing assistance).

From Karin we learned about your health condition.

The students wanted to express their gratitude for their work with elderly people and their respect for their life’s work.

All together we wish you and your loved ones the best,

m ost sincerely,

Christian

PS: In addition I send a few photos of the students during the lessons and a group photo.

Group photo – from left to right: Thomas, Karin (VT), Luca, Tina, Sebastian, Hannah, Claudia, Maria, Sarah, Christian (Nursing teacher), Thomas.

Warm greeting,

– Christian R. Plank, MSc, BSc

Chère Naomi,

C’est avec beaucoup d’émotion que j’ai reçu la nouvelle de votre maladie!
En 2000, je vous ai rencontrée pour la première fois lors d’une conférence que vous donniez à Paris. J’en suis ressortie chamboulée, car je me suis alors rendu compte que la présence que j’avais offerte aux personnes âgées que j’accueillais dans ma résidence, était totalement inadaptée..
Quelle prise de conscience!
 Il m’a fallu quelques temps pour digérer ce que j’avais pu entendre lors de cette conférence! Ensuite tout s’est vite passé, j’ai suivi les différentes formations en Validation jusqu’au teacher. Cet enseignement a transformé ma vie professionnelle : les valeurs, les principes, les techniques m’accompagnent encore dans mon quotidien.
Quelle chance j’ai eu de vous rencontrer, de vous côtoyer. Votre empreinte humaine, humaniste marque chaque jour de ma vie professionnelle et personnelle.
Je vous remercie pour tout ce que vous m’avez appris, mais également pour la professionnelle que je suis devenue  grâce à vous, chère Naomi.
Je suis fière d’avoir croisé votre chemin ainsi que celui de Vicky.
Puissiez vous trouver la sérénité .
Je vous envoie mes plus chaleureuses pensées .
Avec tout le respect que je vous dois, et l’admiration que j’éprouve pour vous!
Sylvie LENFANT 
TRANSLATION:
Dear Naomi,
It was with great emotion that I received the news of your illness!
In 2000, I met you for the first time during a conference you gave in Paris. I came out shocked, because I realized that the presence I had offered to the elderly people I welcomed into my residence was totally inappropriate.
What awareness!
It took me some time to digest what I heard during this conference! Then everything happened quickly, I followed the different Validation training courses up to the teacher level. This teaching transformed my professional life: the values, the principles, the techniques still accompany me in my daily life.
How lucky I was to meet you, to rub shoulders with you. Your human, humanist imprint marks every day of my professional and personal life.
I thank you for everything you have taught me, but also for the professional I have become thanks to you, dear Naomi.
I am proud to have crossed your path as well as that of Vicky.
May you find serenity.
I send you my warmest thoughts.
With all the respect I owe you, and the admiration I feel for you!
Sylvie LENFANT  
Dear Naomi,
I am writing because I heard the news of your health challenge and I want to take this opportunity to send my thanks for introducing me to the Validation method.
A method that has fascinated me since the basic course. I am a nurse, but unfortunately our profession is moving towards the era of technique and technology and there is less and less time for human contact! So I am turning towards teaching the method to colleagues and relatives and most likely in a few years I will no longer be a nurse. This is what I feel in my heart.
I want to express my deep gratitude and gratitude for giving me these wonderful tools.
With great affection and respect
Denise Branchi-Luminati

TRANSLATION:
Cara Naomi, 
Scrivo perché ho appreso la notizia della sua sfida di salute e voglio approfittare per mandare i miei ringraziamenti per avermi fatto conoscere il metodo Validation.
Metodo che mi ha affascinato fin dal corso base. Io sono infermiera ma purtroppo la nostra professione sta andando verso l’era della tecnica e della tecnologia e c’è sempre meno tempo per il contatto umano! Quindi io mi sto volgendo verso l’insegnamento del metodo ai colleghi e ai parenti e molto probabilmente tra alcuni anni non farò più l’infermiera. Questo è ciò che sento nel mio cuore. 
Io voglio esprimere la mia profonda  gratitudine e riconoscenza per avermi dato questi meravigliosi strumenti.
Con grande affetto e stima 
Denise Branchi-Luminati 
Dear Naomi Feil, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for your outstanding work. Even as a young teenager, you inspired me, and your work was a pivotal factor in motivating me to work in the field of dementia care. In my presentations, I have the opportunity to showcase your impressive instructional videos. As I observe the faces of the students, I see the same inspiring expressions that I had as a 17-year-old girl. I will continue to share with my students about you and the Validation method. I wish you and your family strength and, above all, peace.  – Jules
 
Julia Katlein  

Dear Naomi,

It was a blessing and a great honor to get to know you personally.
I learned a lot from you.
I wish you a lot of strength and God’s blessing with all my heart.

Kind regards, Anita
Hi Naomi,

Wonderful work!!!

Felip

Words to Naomi

Wir Validationstrainer:innen aus dem deutschsprachigen Teil der Schweiz, möchten uns bei dir, liebe Naomi von Herzen für deine wertvolle Arbeit bedanken.

Du hat mit viel Geduld und Hingabe einen Weg zum Verständnis desorientierterer alter Menschen gesucht, und du hast ihn auch gefunden. Es ist dir gelungen uns daran teilhaben zu lassen – das ist grossartig!

Naomi du hast jede und jeden von uns persönlich in punkto Kommunikation und Umgang mit hochaltrigen Menschen massgeblich geprägt. Der Samen der „Validation“ wurde durch dich gesät und unser weiteres Bestreben ist es, dein Lebenswerk zu schützen, zu pflegen, in deinem Sinne bestmöglich weiterzugeben und das VTI bei der Weiterentwicklung zu unterstützen.

Durch dein engagiertes Lebenswerk hast du dem desorientierten, alten Menschen eine starke Stimme inmitten unserer Gesellschaft gegeben. Naomi du hast es geschafft, dass wir das hohe Alter aus einem neuen Blickwinkel betrachten können und wissen, wie wir desorientierten Menschen würdevoll und auf Augenhöhe begegnen können.

Danke für alles und eine friedvolle Reise.

TRANSLATION 

We validation trainers from the German-speaking part of Switzerland would like to thank you, dear Naomi, from the bottom of our hearts for your valuable work.

With a lot of patience and dedication, you have searched for a way to understand disoriented elderly people, and you have found it. You have managed to share this with us – that’s great!

Naomi, you have made a significant personal impact on each and every one of us in terms of communication and dealing with very old people. The seed of „validation“ was sown by you and our further endeavor is to protect and maintain your life’s work, to pass it on in the best possible way in your spirit and to support the VTI in its further development.

Through your dedicated life’s work, you have given the disoriented elderly a strong voice in the midst of our society. Naomi, you have made it possible for us to look at old age from a new perspective and to know how we can treat disoriented people with dignity and at eye level.

Thank you for everything and have a peaceful journey.

Benno Meichtry, Irene Portmann, Marianne Ryser, Regina Voramwald

Bernd Wilhof, Angelica Soula, Monika Jasper, Madlen Richter

(Schweiz-switzerland)

Naomi, 
You have left our world a grande legacy 
 
By modeling your brave & curiosity led compassion, your generous soul, your ability to create space for elders to reveal their spirit, we have learnt much about connecting with souls who many believe are unreachable. You taught us not to judge. As you have lovingly demonstrated, everyone can be reached & it is our civic duty to find a way. 
 
Naomi, you changed the way I perceived cognitive challenges & communication barriers in my fellow humans & I am eternally in your debt. My work is not possible without your enlightened example. 
 
I know your colleagues at the Institute will keep us connected to your mission & will continue to share your wisdom. 
 
I have attached 3 photos taken of my work which I hope will bring a smile to your face as you realise your example has touched the hearts of the elders in each photo.
 

Take care out there,

 
Maurie

Hello Naomi,

10 years ago I sent you an email that I wanted to delve deeper into Validation. I then received a much appreciated message from you and I was able to contact Vicki. I did this and I spoke to Vicki in an inspiring meeting in the Netherlands. From that moment on I knew that I had to do more than just give workshops in the Netherlands about experience-oriented care and Validation. I continued to give workshops about Validation for a long time. Even though I had not taken a Validation course. But I followed my heart and my ambition to tell as many people as possible about the Validation. In my workshops I have shown Gladys‘ video countless times. You told me that she died after a successful Validation.

But the Validation and you live on in me. I tried to get Vicki into Dutch nursing homes so that she could give her presentations. That was somewhat successful, but there was no nursing home that wanted to invest in it. That broke my heart but made me stronger to try even harder to get the Validation on Dutch soil. I was a nursing team leader at the time and I was able to inspire healthcare providers for years. I felt like an ambassador for Validation. We did manage to give you a stage at the TEDx women in Amsterdam. Together with a few colleagues and Vicki, we succeeded. I am very proud that I was able to contribute to this. My career has continued and I still have a warm heart for elderly care. It has now been 10 years and I now have my own healthcare organization together with a colleague. The name is Leunzorg. I am currently also involved in elderly care and this will continue to develop. Naomi, I thank you for the inspiration you have given me. I will support Validation in the Netherlands and will look for people and a possibility to eventually organize a Validation training center in the Netherlands. I hope I can support Vicki in this. It must work! I now have a wide network.

Naomi I hardly have words to express my gratitude. But what I can say is that through you I have learned to see with my heart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESqfW_kyZq8

Yours sincerely,
Sergio Schellekens
Director of care

Dear Naomi,

I would like to express my deep gratitude for your work with elderly, frail adults. Your video with Gladys Wilson touched me very much and I have shown it to many people over the years.
God’s blessings on you as you prepare for the journey home to God.

Most sincerely,

– Sr. Judith Connor

Dear Naomi, I thank God for your life, for sharing your experience, for your humble heart filled with love for others…no matter what. I will never forget how you offered me your dessert and we ate together from the same plate in the restaurant. So symbolic and so significant – this memory is forever in my heart. An apartment for others out of love for them. Even if your earthly journey ends, your message will continue. I thank you that I could meet you in person, talk to you and listen to you. Thank you for directing my life professionally and personally! It was an honor for me! Thank you for Slovakia and the Czech Republic. 

– Maria Wirth, AVO OZ therapeutiKA, Slovakia

Dear Naomi,

I just had to let you know you are in my thoughts and prayers for the comfort only God can give.
I will NEVER forget the first time I met you and was introduced to the world of Validation Therapy. I was only in the Activities field for about 3-4 years,( and one of the first few certified by NCCAP) the year was 1987-88 and the place was Clark Nursing and Rehab Center in Clark, NJ…You did a seminar on validation therapy for our Regional Activity Director’s organization…I was spellbound at how well you knew your residents and how you portrayed each stage of the dementia process….I can honestly still picture the entire thing so I know what a great impression you made on me! 
 I remained an Activity Director for 30 years and only recently started a business of using this knowledge and my degree in art to design and teach art projects for many senior populations including those with dementia….Validation therapy has been my „go-to“ for all my residents and clients ever since that „eye opening“ seminar with you…I can’t thank you enough for teaching and giving me the tools to better understand those who cannot always verbalize their needs…It still amazes me that although someone might not know or even be able to say your name, knows the warmth in which you treat them…
 
I am so sad to hear of your diagnosis but want you to know your work will certainly go on forever, and for that I am thankful…
Sending lots of love, hugs and prayers your way…
Sincerely,
 
– Annette 

Naomi, my thoughts are with you as you enter this part of your journey.
You have made such an impact on not only me but the world.

Your legacy and life’s work will live on Namoi, through the commitment, dedication and knowledge you have instilled in us.
I am personally committed to Validation as is Meridian Senior Living – marching in the pathway you have paved Naomi.

My love to you and your family and a huge thank you Naomi for your life’s work, your impact is profound and far reaching.

With Love, Gratitude and Admiration.

Kind regards,

– Sue Johnston

As a health care worker who specializes in dementia care, I want to say thank you for being an inspiration. Your teachings have been tremendous in helping not only myself, but my staff and the family members of our residents. I thank you from the bottom of my heart., 

– Cathy Dionne

Thank you so much Naomi for the Validation Method.  I am no longer working in a nursing home, but continue to hold Validation group every week.  It is the best part of my week.  I am attaching a picture of you when you presented for Mile Bluff in Wisconsin, USA.  Thank you for being you.  

– Melissa Fry

Naomi,

Thank you so much for your work and improving the life of seniors and paving the way for others to lead intentionally with their hearts as well. I love retelling your stories and see family members’ lives filled with hope….

May these days be filled with joy, contentment, and peace.

– Brandy Puckett

Dear Naomi 

I was so sorry to learn your news today Naomi. I treasure the time Daniel Potts, Brian Covert and I met and filmed an interview with you in yours and Ed’s house in Cleveland. Before you moved out to Oregon.  You are such an integral part of the half hour documentary, “Do You Know Me Now?”

You welcomed us graciously, the interview we did with you was outstanding. Validation therapy is so very important.

My personal connection to Validation therapy is having my mother live with my husband, Bertrand, and me for 2 1/2 years at the end of her life. I did not know the name Validation therapy. But I knew the best thing to do with my mother Annette was to enter into her world and participate with her.

I will certainly continue to support Validation therapy.  With two documentaries now produced through Cognitive Dynamics – Validation therapy is essential and works so well with people with memory loss.

Naomi, I treasure you, and I continue to value and support Validation Therapy.  I always will.

Judith Murray 
Dear Naomi
It’s been 14 years since you blessed me with my newborn daughter.
 
My daughter Kokono said happily when I showed her the video of my validation.
She said, „I love the way my mother speaks, her sense of distance, and the way she speaks with consideration for others.“
 
Even my 14-year-old daughter seems to understand this.
That makes me happy.
 
Her daughter is now an adolescent.
She swallows her thoughts and is in pain.
„I learned how important it is to talk to her and express your feelings for the other person, and to talk to her little by little without swallowing your own feelings.I will continue to use this in my daily life.“I told Naomi. „and.
 
Naomi’s important things. This has also been passed down to her daughter. I believe that when I meet elderly people in the future, I will be able to use them in my own life.
 
– Hiromi Tamaoki

Estimados,

Desde la ciudad de Barcelona (Spain), dos de sus fundadores, de la Asociación Relay queremos homenajear a Naomi Feil a partir de su recuerdo y participación.
 
Un placer haber conocido sus libros, un placer ver donde otros no veían, un placer estar con ella.
 
– Siempre Validación. Siempre Naomi.
 
Dear Naomi!

I just received your message  and I`am  deeply affected by the bad news. I first met you in the year 1995 and your message was formative for me. Since then Validation has been an  important part of my life. I fondly remember your visits in Carinthia, all your workshops, our trips and interesting conversations. You touched my heart and became a great role model for me. As a Validation Teacher I will do my part to fulfill your wish as best as I can. I know many others will too. 
As a private person I just say “ THANK YOU“ ! I sent you and your beloved ones strength and kind regards.
I hug you mentally

– Sigrid Kronhofer
( Austria, Carinthia AVO inca&kompetenz)
 
Dear Naomi,
 
 I just read your message, which makes me and us very sad. Throughout your life you have encouraged other people, supported them and given them so much. Now we want to stand by you, accompany you and always think of you.
 
Kind regards, Birgit

– Birgit Meinhard-Schiebel
Präsidentin der Interessengemeinschaft pflegender Angehöriger
 

Hi Naomi

I have never met you in person, but I was gifted in this life to come across you and to attend many webinars with you that Michael would bring each month.

Thank you so much for all that you shared and gave to so many.  Your stories, experiences shared, and wisdom will stay with me always, as I endeavour in my path to support people living with dementia, their loved ones and community,

Thank you xx

– Monique Pockran

 

Chère Naomi,

Avec Frédéric, nous voulons te dire MERCI pour ces 32 années de chemin parcouru à tes côtés.
Nous avons „marché sur les Grands Boulevards…avec toi, nous sommes montés ensemble à Montmartre, nous sommes allés voir, ensemble Cabaret…Nous avons fabriqué tant de souvenirs…avec Toi.
 
Now in English! Remember! this was our code, during your workshop:you said:  „French“ and you were talking French“ than, “ now English“ and I could translate using as much as I could, empathy, throwing my French in your body, in your mouth…I have learned Validation there, by sharing my French Voice with you…and you know what: today when I teach, I always ask my student if they had the opportunity to meet you in real, in a workshop…those who did always says: Naomi Feil, yes I met her in Vannes, in Paris, in Anglet, in St Etienne, in Lyon and she speaks French perfectly!!
 
Thank you Sensei Naomi Feil, for your trust, your confidence…I will go on spreading your all life work, for old adults, so they can keep feeling self esteem until the end, and for carers to feel proud of their commitment and work. 
 
You will never die, as we will continue to keep you alive through your work.
Thank you Amazing Lady, Grande Dame, We are so grateful, me and Frederic, we shared a little place in your life.
 
Thank You with much GRATITUDE
Love
 
– Kathia et Frédéric Munsch
 
Dear Naomi, 
 
Thank you for your validation that made me understand a lot of context and helped me in my contact with disoriented seniors. I can pass on my knowledge to raise awareness of validation among home caregivers and professionals alike. At the same time, it allows our family to have close moments with our grandmother. 
 
Dear Naomi, I would like to wish you with all my heart many wonderful moments with those you love. 
 
Yours sincerely,
 
– Renáta Nentvichová Novotná (validation presenter from Czech Republic)
 
Très chère Naomi,

Nous avons appris avec tristesse votre maladie.
Nous tenions à vous témoigner notre reconnaissance. Voilà maintenant plus d’une dizaine d’années que nous pratiquons et transmettons la Validation avec bonheur et enthousiasme.
Votre méthode nous a permis de rester en lien de façon respectueuse et profondément humaine avec les personnes âgées désorientées.
Pratiquer la Validation nous a ouvertes à  des rencontres fortes et authentiques.
Nous sommes bien en pensées avec vous et avec vos proches.
Amitiés.
Marie-Pierre Geiger
Sabine Udry Dumoulin
Teachers – Genève

( Translation:
  
Dearest Naomi,
We were saddened to learn of your illness.
We would like to show our gratitude to you. We have been practicing and transmitting Validation with happiness and enthusiasm for more than ten years now.
Your method allowed us to stay connected in a respectful and deeply human way with disoriented elderly people.
Practicing Validation opened us up to strong and authentic encounters.
We are in our thoughts with you and your loved ones.
Friendships.)

– Marie-Pierre Geiger
Sabine Udry Dumoulin
Teachers – Genève
 

Carissime,

Mi chiamo Francesca Metelli e scrivo da un piccolo paese in provincia di Pavia, città vicino a Milano, in Italia.
Ho conosciuto il metodo Validation circa 4 anni fa, quando mio zio, malato di Alzheimer, è stato ricoverato in una struttura in provincia di Sondrio, in cui si respirava un’aria serena, di accoglienza e amicizia…gli operatori erano stati tutti formati e applicavano il metodo.
Da allora sono cambiate tante cose…lo zio non c’è più da circa un anno e io mi sono formata, ho frequentato i corsi certificati e ora conduco un gruppo Validation nel nucleo Alzheimer della struttura in cui lavoro come educatrice da più di vent’anni.
 
Detto questo…mi sento scossa per ciò che sta vivendo la sig.ra Naomi Feil. Pur non conoscendola di persona, mi sento vicina a lei e alla sua famiglia in questo momento così difficile e delicato. La ringrazio per l’attenzione che la contraddistingue verso le persone fragili e per trasmetterne il metodo: ascolto, accoglienza, empatia, assenza giudizio,… fanno parte di me, come anche il desiderio di diffondere il metodo attraverso la mia persona e, spero, poterlo insegnare. 
 
– Forza Noemi! Le sono tanto vicina!
 
Un saluto, un abbraccio e una preghiera.
Francesca Metelli
Sabine Udry Dumoulin
Teachers – Genève
 
Lieve mevrouw Feil, 
 
Bedankt voor uw inzet en het verbeteren van de omgang met mensen met dementie.
Ik ben u eeuwig dankbaar en coach vaak mijn collega’s in mijn werk met dementie over de validation methode, ik laat ze er mee kennis maken. Zo helpen wij onze bewoners van de kleinschalige boerderij waar ik werk als verzorgende.
Ik wens u veel sterkte en kracht toe. Er zijn vast veel mensen waaronder uw dochter die u bijstaan in deze laatste periode van uw leven.
Ik maak een diepe buiging voor u,
Lieve groet Dorien Spil 
Nederland

(Translation:
Dear Mrs Feil,
Thank you for your efforts and improving the way you deal with people with dementia.
I am eternally grateful to you and often coach my colleagues in my work with dementia about the validation method, I introduce them to it. This is how we help our residents of the small-scale farm where I work as a caregiver.
I wish you much strength and power. There are probably many people, including your daughter, who will support you in this last period of your life.
I bow deeply to you,

Kind regards,

– Dorien Spil

The Netherlands
 
 
DEAR Naomi Feil,
 
This evening my heart is touched by your announcement related to your cancer. I AM touched because I see such an incredible person through the classes I take, I feel like I know you.
 
Simply, I want to thank you with all my heart for this transmission of validation, your heart for human beings touches me so much, you are a source of inspiration for me and my team.
 
I was blessed to have been able to create my business to promote home care for the elderly in Switzerland in the canton of Jura and I wanted to deepen my studies and I came across DOCTOR CLAVIJO who spoke to me a lot about you . You also came to Switzerland at the invitation of Doctor Clavijo Freddy.
 
Well this evening, I want to thank you, because thanks to your validation I am no longer afraid to meet people with neurocognitive disorders. Thanks to you I was able to see the richness and beauty and set up communication adapted to all these wonderful people.
 
I am so grateful, because I blamed myself for not knowing how to react…I felt overwhelmed and very saddened.
 
But thanks to you, now I have validation set up and it’s just EXTRA ORDINARY. SO THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
 
You are wonderful and I pray for you.
 
Best regards.

– Laura
 

Dear Naomi,

Your message came as a shock and I feel very sad, knowing you have to go through this illness.

Meeting you in Brussels at Rhapsodie 25 years ago, has been a privilege. Your ‘spiritual child’ Validation changed my work and my life, I became a better person thanks to you.
I’m forever grateful to you for sharing your wisdom with us.
As a teacher (73) in Flanders, together with Marie-Claire Giard and Doris Van Averbeke, we long for young teachers to ‘spread the word’ with enhanced energy.
I’m very happy to say we finally have a Validation Level 2 course starting on november 23 in Brussels. And two of the students aim at a Teachers’ course in the future.

So please know we carry on being a loving launching platform, to ensure your life work to be embedded in our country, as for to help elderly people feeling heard, respected and able to live in dignity.

Every day, we light a candle for our loved ones, for instance also for our son (47) who has cancer stage IV too. Our candle will light also for you.
We pray for you and wish you harmony, love and peace.

With love,
– Marie-Paule

Dear Naomi,
You will not remember me but I have had the great pleasure of watching Vicki and Beth grow into the amazing, accomplished and generous of spirit women that they are today.
This could not have been down without your guidance, love and support.
They are a credit to you and I want to say as one mother to another – job well done!
You are fortunate to have such love surrounding you during this time.
Peace be with you,

– Susan Goldstein

Dearest Naomi:

It is not that I know you personally to feel free to address you casually, but rather it is because of the place where you reside in my heart.  Your brilliance, teaching and sharing have been such a source of strength in these past years.  You have allowed my heart to expand in ways I could never have imagined.  May the blessing of peace that you have brought to so many return to you in abundance and carry you forward.  

With thanks for all the goodness and love that you have brought into our world.

Best,

~Marcia

Dear Naomi, 
 
We first “met” in the early 90’s, I was working at Kendal @Oberlin when I had the opportunity to attend one of your workshops, held at a local hospital. It was a life-changing experience for me to learn the different techniques and about this new idea of validation therapy. Later  I became the Director of Nursing for the same facility. I ordered all of your training materials and began teaching our staff your techniques. We also had you and your dear husband come to Kendal for a week. It wasn’t surprising to later learn that we had the lowest staff turnover of all of our sister locations. We also were recognized for reducing our use of anti-anxiety and antipsychotic medication‘s by tremendous amounts. Fast forward to today, I have personally been recognized for creating 5 unique memory cafés that meet every week for four hours. You were our guest speaker in 2021 with a virtual Presentation that I will never forget. Your life’s work has been so instrumental in my life‘s work. Thank you for all you’ve shared and for your willingness to teach us how to help and understand those with memory loss and dementia.  I am praying for you and hope we will meet again one day. 
 
With much love, gratitude, and respect,
Carole

– Carole Klingler BSN, RN, CDP, CEO
Merci
Until her death, my grandmother was connected to me thanks to this fabulous tool. In my work, I will continue to use Validation to help families communicate with their loved ones. Well done madam and thank you very much.

– Lydia
Merci
Thank you Ms Feil.
I am a psychologist and trainer, and always very proud to share what you have taught us about supporting the elderly.
I think very much of you, you have marked my professional life and my practice forever.
It’s so beautiful what you have done, created.
Thank you from the heart.

– Audrey 

As an almost-18-year Sunrise veteran, I have seen firsthand the results of Naomi’s teaching.  She has revolutionized the way we approach our memory care residents, and in many ways, the way we treat all fellow humans.  She has taught us how to be in the moment and to be ever mindful of safeguarding the dignity of our elders, and her impact cannot be overstated.  I pray that she will enjoy her remaining time in comfort, peace, and joy, and that her family will know that their Sunrise family is holding them all close to our hearts.

With the utmost of love and respect,

– Kathy McDonagh

Business Office Coordinator (and former AVC)

Sunrise of Shelby Township

Dear Naomi,

I was saddened to hear your bad news. You have played a big part in my academic life and vocational career. I came across your book on validation by chance some years ago and after reading it, I felt so inspired. I have gone on to study a BA, MSc and now my PhD in Dementia Studies. I have used validation again and again. I have also gained much insight and knowledge and thank you for what you have shared.

Take care beautiful lady,
– Pam

Dear Naomi,

What you tell me about your health pains me a lot and makes me sad.

I will keep your joy and how you embodied Validation in your conferences and meetings.

We have known each other for thirty years and I also remember the trips made together between airports and conference cities with your songs in the car, the escapades after the conferences for very late shows, the night walk where our hearts cried out for joy in the streets of Brest with the entire organizing group!

From reading your first book in French found randomly at the Strasbourg train station in 1992, we began, stammered Validation near the disoriented elderly people we knew, and you never left us on a path that will never end.

We send you recognition, gratitude and thanks and all our energy for your daily life.

Sincerely

Paul Choisnet

Validation Teacher

Naomi Changed My Life
Oh my goodness I’m so saddened to hear this news. But you have left so many of us with gratitude, respect & bring something into this world & for me I’m so very, very grateful.
I’ve been following you for over nearly 2 decades. My promise to you is that I will continue in the steps to share your amazing legacy💜🌺
I hope you know how special you are, this world is a better place for you’re presence & gift to us all who have learnt so much through your teachings🙏🏻
I am so grateful for you touching my life.
My love to you & yours🌺🙏🏻I can imagine the love that surrounds you💜🩷
I’ll stay true to you always. Enjoy your loved ones, you’re one very special Human🙏🏻
Thank you always & forever from lil ol me here in Tasmania Australia.
Love always
Lainey Kitschke xx🌟🕊️

Hello!

I am so sad to hear that Naomi has terminal cancer.

I would like to thank her for her work and inspiration. I am sending my warmest thoughts and love to her and her family.

Thank you, Naomi!

–  Anna Pyrih

Querida Naomi,

El día que conocí la Validación descubrí el sentido de mi trabajo con las personas mayores desorientadas y el día que pude verte en acción en la jornada de Barcelona comenzó mi admiración hacia ti como persona, con esa energía, magnetismo y capacidad de comunicación.

Siento mucho la noticia de tu enfermedad y espero estés acompañada por las personas que amas y te den la seguridad y dignidad que has practicado y extendido durante tu vida.

Gracias por existir y recibe mi reconocimiento a tu legado y mi amor hacia ti como bellísima persona.

Hasta siempre

Dolors Cano

Barcelona

Translation

Dear Naomi,

The day I learned about Validation, I discovered the meaning of my work with disoriented older people and the day I was able to see you in action at the Barcelona event, my admiration for you as a person began, with that energy, magnetism and ability to communicate.

I am very sorry to hear about your illness and I hope you are accompanied by the people you love and who give you the security and dignity that you have practiced and extended throughout your life.

Thank you for existing and receiving my recognition of your legacy and my love for you as a beautiful person.

See you forever,

Dolors Cano

Barcelona

Dear Naomi,

My heart sank as I read your recent message about your cancer diagnosis, and entry into palliative care.  I wanted you to know that I appreciate the update, and will be continuing to remember you and your family and loved ones in thought, prayer, and kind and compassionate regard in the coming days, weeks, and months.

I wanted to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to you for the difference you have made in my life, and the lives of countless others, including students, caregivers, and professionals with whom I have been able to share your work, philosophy, and story.  I am sorry to say that as a neurologist, I had not had the good fortune of being exposed to Validation until after I was thrust into a caregiving role for my father, Lester, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2001.  In trying to educate myself, I soon found your videos and book, and they have been transformative in my career, and personally.  In fact, no one has had a greater influence on me as a neurologist who cares for persons who are living with cognitive impairment, than you, Naomi.

Furthermore, I am so grateful that you allowed me, Judith Murray, and Brian Covert to come to your home and interview you in 2013.  The video footage that was obtained at that time, and in a later session or two, continues to impact many lives as part of the educational offerings from our foundation, Cognitive Dynamics, and as an essential part of my teaching in our college course called Bringing Art to Life.  Students consistently rate your videos and writings as one of their favorite parts of the course, and I am thankful to be able to continue using those each semester in my class.

Since my first exposure to you and your work through the video with you and Gladys Wilson, continuing through our collaborative work with you and Vicki, I remain deeply grateful and indebted to you, inspired by you, and committed to continue to follow your principles on a daily basis in my work as a neurologist, now caregiver for my mother who also has Alzheimer’s, educator of students and caregivers, and as an advocate for those living with dementia and their caregivers through the American Academy of Neurology.  It is also my goal to educate as many of my colleagues in medicine as possible about your methods and philosophy.

Best wishes to you, friend, and you will remain a part of our lives as time moves forward.

– Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN  

Wir hängen dazwischen.
Altes ist leer geworden,
es klingt hohl,
bringt wenig zum Schwingen in uns.

Worte,
Lieder,
Gesten,
Bewegungen,
Gedankengebäude,
sie betreffen uns nicht mehr,
und darum sind wir nicht betroffen.
Es geschieht etwas an uns
aber nicht in uns.

Wir warten.
Wir überlegen.
Wir sind unsicher.
Wir ahnen.

Das Neue ist noch nicht da.
Vorsichtig hat es sich angedeutet.
Wir sehen es in inneren Bildern.
Wir wissen, dass es kommen wird,
weil wir das Alte ablegen.

Es hat noch keinen Namen.
Die alten Worte passen nicht.
Unsere Vorstellungen sind noch zu eng.
Wege sind noch nicht deutlich und gebahnt.
Schon die Ansätze laufen gegen Blockaden.
Und der Preis des Wartens fordert uns heraus.

Hier zu stehen
In diesem Nicht-Mehr und Noch-Nicht,
ist eine Form von Glauben,
und sich die Lösungen der Vergangenheit
nicht mehr zu genehmigen,
ist Ausdruck des Vertrauens,
dass alles weitergeht,
dass es einen Punkt gibt,
auf den wir zuströmen,
dass es eine Kraft gibt,
die die Entwicklung steuert.

Ich will mich der Veränderung nicht entziehen.
Ich will loslassen,
um wieder Neues umarmen zu können.
Und auch das will ich wieder loslassen,
in einer ständigen Entwicklung
auf meinen Ursprung zu,
auf die Vollkommenheit, aus der ich komme
und zu der ich gehe.

( nach Ulrich Schaffer…….. für Dich, liebe Naomi von mir etwas verändert.)

Liebe Naomi,

ich denke an Dich, sende Dir eine ganz innige Umarmung
und habe Dich sehr lieb.

Herzlichste Grüße aus Bremen,Love , Deine Heidrun

Hello dearest Naomi.

I have been playing therapeutic harp for elderly people, patients and people in need (in various facilities and centres), in the majority of the cases pro bono (voluntarily), for quite some time now. 

During my service, there is occasional verbal interaction with the recipient of the therapeutic music. Whenever I need to talk with them and also with the care-givers (social workers, psychologists, doctors, family), I attune myself to the Validation frequency within me.

It has been graceful for me to be in this state and also empowering and connective. I see that it is empowering, warm and humane also for the others.

Validating myself and people around me brings flow, connection, warmth and joy, even in challenging moments, in every environment i.e. family, job, therapeutic vocation, connection with spouse, neighbours, co-workers, my students.

I have been following your work for some years now and diligently your monthly web meetings with Michael Verde from Memory Bridge.

I have been visiting in my soul this special place of inspiration and comfort and joy each time I have been with you two during your conversations together. 

I am grateful for having you into my life.

Here is a link from a recent video of mine. 

It is called ‘I am a Bridge’ and was created in summer 2023. It is about the noble work we are invited to do with/for elderly people:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxIS4BKIKtQ/

The lyrics talk about values of the Validation method and nuances that Michael Verde explores in his teachings and retreats.

Please feel free to share any comments and feelings with me. 

Thank you, Naomi.
With love and deep gratitude,
maria a. angeli
Greece

Thank You for just being YOU! REEB

Miss Naomi,

All I can say is THANK YOU for just being YOU!

Earlier this year, I was introduced to your work in Validation. Your life’s work has truly made a difference in my life.

I am doing my best to practice the principles of Validation in both my professional ( I am dementia educator) and

in my personal life. What a game changer!

Thank you for being a pioneer in truly what it means to lead and serve from the heart!

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers during this time. God Bless.

Take care & be well,

Linda Odom

Dear Naomi,

I live in Toulouse in France and 20 years ago I started working serving the elderly in their homes to feed my family and I said to myself that I was waiting for better.
And then life decided otherwise when I met and immediately accompanied 3 elderly people and each of them had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I felt so helpless in the face of their distress, their anger, their sadness that I looked for ways to accompany such despair!
I was then told about you and you came into my life one day in 2007 in France, in Salies de Béarn, during one of your study days in France. I came to find help and you gave meaning to my work, you enlightened my path by changing my outlook on them, on myself and also gave meaning to my life, to the fact of having found myself in serving people one day, out of necessity.
It was a long road, 10 years, to become a Teacher in 2017 and teach in Kathia Munsch’s team of trainers.
Every time I say during training “no, they don’t, they don’t say anything, what they do makes sense to them even if it doesn’t make sense to you”, when talking about these such disturbing behavior of great old people, I have immense gratitude for you for your audacity, for your curiosity, your immense humanity which you have transmitted to us as a heritage. A heritage that I like to call “Fantasy therapy” because when we join the other where they are, we enter a new land full of fantasy where joy is possible again.
Lots of blessings and love
Catherine
I know that your French is excellent, I sincerely hope that you can read me. In the photo taken in Paris one day you are sitting between Vicki and me and that in itself was a great joy for me! And then the first training which saw me become an unforgettable Teacher!
Dear Naomi,

We pray God comforts you and your family through these tough days…
Thank you for all you have done for Validation…
l’m a Certified Validation Teacher and will continue working with Vickie and the VTI Team…to continue the work you started…
#validationworks #listen #love #family 
Love you so much!!!! 

Craig Rukande
Hi Naomi,
 
I know of your work through my dear friend Dr. Danny Potts, who interviewed and filmed you years ago. That video is now on his Cognitive Dynamics Foundation website. I fell in love with you in your interview with Gladys Wilson (on YouTube), in amazement of the connection you two formed and the demonstration of what love really means in your singing the hymns with her. The validation principles and concepts of person-centered care transformed my interactions with people living with dementia and my writing and talking to caregivers. That, I suspect, is quite common for people who encounter you. But, I also am very involved in music with persons living with dementia and do weekly singalongs with several respite programs. Music has an exceptional power both neurologically and emotionally to help people tap into and share memories, feelings, stories, thoughts, etc. and I regularly see „minor musical miracles“ where people who are severely limited in communication/cognitive abilities sing along, recall the lyrics and make meaningful contact with me and the other participants. But, I have come as a musician to regard what I’m doing not as a performance I’m putting on for folks (although I put a lot of effort into making the music part the best I can, which they deserve), but as an experience I’m sharing that allows them to do something competently, get a self-esteem boost, enjoy the social contact with others, play, express emotions, feel more like themselves, get affirmation for their involvement and contributions and be validated for who they are right now. My mantra now is, in the words of another friend, Bishop Ken Carder, the simple, profound phrase: „with, not for“ that makes all the difference. Thank you for your work and teachings and how they have touched and enriched so many, many lives. Thank you, too, for the interviews on dying, a topic that is becoming increasingly relevant for me in my mid-70s with a number of health issues and many aging friends. I love how you’re hanging on to your humor. Thanks, too, to Vicki for her brilliant, empathetic interviewing. Her ability to pause and give you space to respond is particularly wonderful. Farewell.
 
Don Wendorf 

Naomi,

This message could never be enough to express the gratitude I have towards you. I began to admire who you are and the benevolent aura you have since my childhood. You will accompany me throughout my life, in everything I undertake, as I am inspired daily by the values you share. I still remember the Pirates of the Caribbean puzzle you gave me… I still have it! I found it amusing to think that puzzles are a beautiful representation of all your work: connecting people, rebuilding with others, imagining, but also that each piece of a life is important and has its place even if it’s missing at the moment.

I send you my warmest thoughts and affection,

Very tenderly,

Hannah Munsch

Dearest Naomi,

Shalom from Jerusalem.  I want to share with you how much you have influenced my life both personally and professionally.  I first learned about Validation nearly 15 years ago when a volunteer in my day center shared with me a book, “V/F Validation: The Feil Method” that you autographed for her when she attended a Naomi workshop in Israel. The book captivated me and I knew I must learn more about Validation.  And, now I’m a Certified Validation Teacher.  Validation has transformed the work I do with my clients more than any other method I have ever tried.  Working with older adults living with advanced dementia on a daily basis is extremely challenging, but because of my training in Validation and the techniques you taught us, I work with confidence and joy.  I am blessed to work with a woman who was inspired to become a Validation Worker and we make a remarkable team.  When we’re not sure what to do in a challenging situation, we look at each other and say, “What would Naomi do?”  You have no idea how many times you “speak” to us through the books you’ve written, the videos you and Ed produced, the workshops and presentations, and the wonderful monthly conversations with Memory Bridge.  Recently I was honored to be a keynote speaker for a wonderful organization in Shreveport, The Bridge.  Many attendees fondly remembered the workshop you gave and how much they love Validation.  I spoke from the same stage where you were.  I studied your workshop video “Naomi Feil in Workshop” and felt so prepared.  Thank you for teaching me not only how to connect with older adults, but also how to connect to an audience who is eager to learn more about Validation.
 
With G-d’s help (בְּעֶזרַת הַשֵׁם), I will have the good health and strength to continue your work, Naomi.  Im so grateful for the opportunities not only to teach, but to make presentations, present Validation at conferences, and conduct webinars in order to reach a wider audience who want to learn.  I commit to you that I will continue to support Vicki and the Validation Training Institute in our mission to continue your legacy and to spread Validation far and wide.
 
Thank you for continuing to teach us during your last days.  You are a pillar of strength in spirit by your candor in describing your experiences as you feel life is fleeting, and and as you share with us your humor in words and song.  During this wonderful week of Chanukah and as we light an additional candle for 8 days, I am thinking, Naomi, of how your light will continue to shine and light the world for many years to come.  
 
With love, respect, admiration, and gratitude, 
Nancy

Dear Naomi,

I have read your message and although I am very sorry,I find a lot of comfort in the fact that you will be leaving the world as a game changer and your life was so meaningful for so many people around the world!
I myself, as a gerontologist, have spread Validation wherever I could,backing the theory and method with my personal experience with my own mother, who lived , thanks to you, a meaningful and joyful life for the last 10 years of her life, although having dementia.
You are a wonderful person and I will always treasure you in my heart.

Yours

Tali Kadmon Stern
Israel

Shalom Dear Naomi,

Thank you for being a meaningful part of my life and my relationships.
You and what you taught the world, are with me in the most sacred and intimate moments I share with ‘the very old’.

Thank you for being an embodiment of love shared in graceful sincerity.

Love,

Rahel
Israel

Dear Naomi.

I’m very sorry to hear that. I had the opportunity to get to know your method in Germany in the 90s. Since then, I have recommended using it as a working method in the geriatric area. Regardless of the message, I had planned the topic for next year in one of my BC Espresso.

My best wishes and energy for this difficult time. Naomi Feil will have a permanent name in history. Thank you for everything you have done over these years to improve people’s quality of life and well-being.

Saludos cordiales – Salutacions cordials – Best wishes – Freundliche Grüße

Dag Naomi,

10 jaar geleden stuurde ik jou een mail dat ik mij wilde verdiepen in de Validation. Ik kreeg daarna een erg gewaardeerd bericht van jou en kon ik contact opnemen met Vicki. Dit heb ik gedaan en ik heb Vicki in Nederland in een inspirerende ontmoeting gesproken. Vanaf dat moment wist ik dat ik meer moest doen dan alleen workshops in Nederland geven over belevingsgerichte zorg en de Validation. Ik ben nog lang doorgegaan om workshops te geven over de Validation. Ondanks dat ik geen Validation cursus had gevolgd. Maar ik volgde mijn hart en mijn ambitie om zoveel mogelijk mensen te vertellen over de Validation. In mijn workshops heb ik talloze keren het filmpje laten zien van Gladys. Jij vertelde mij dat ze na een succesvolle Validation was overleden.

Maar de Validation en jij leven in mij voort. Ik heb geprobeerd om Vicki binnen de Nederlandse verpleeghuizen te krijgen zodat zij haar presentaties kon houden. Dat lukte enigszins maar er was geen verpleeghuis wat daarin wilde investeren. Dat brak mijn hart maar heeft mij sterker gemaakt om nog harder mijn best te doen om de Validation op de Nederlandse bodem te krijgen. Ik was destijds verpleegkundig teamleider en jarenlang kon ik zorgverleners inspireren. Ik voelde mij een ambassadeur voor de Validation. Wat wel is gelukt om jou op de TEDx women in Amsterdam een podium te geven. Samen met een paar collega’s en met Vicki is dat toen gelukt. Daar ben ik erg trots op dat ik hieraan heb kunnen bijdragen. Mijn carrière is verder gegaan en heb ik nog steeds een warm hart voor de ouderenzorg. Inmiddels ben ik 10 jaar verder en heb ik nu samen met een collega een eigen zorgorganisatie. De naam is Leunzorg. Ik ben op dit moment ook bezig met de ouderenzorg en dit zal nog een ontwikkeling krijgen. Naomi ik dank jou voor de inspiratie die jij mij hebt gegeven. Ik zal de Validation in Nederland steunen en ga ik op zoek naar mensen en een mogelijkheid om uiteindelijk een Validation opleidingscentrum in Nederland georganiseerd te krijgen. Ik hoop dat ik Vicki hierin kan steunen. Het moet lukken! Ik heb inmiddels een ruim netwerk.

Naomi ik heb nauwelijks woorden om mijn dank uit te spreken. Maar wat ik kan zeggen is dat ik door jou heb geleerd om met mijn hart te zien.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESqfW_kyZq8

Met vriendelijke groet,
Sergio Schellekens
Directeur zorg – BIG verpleegkundige

Hi Naomi

Just wanted to send a message to say I’m so sorry to hear your devastating news.
I wanted to let you know how much I’ve enjoyed engaging with your material about validation. 
I wish you and your family the very best.

Most sincerely,

– Sarah

Dear Naomi — while it feels a bit disrespectful not to address you more formally, I feel so deeply connected to you and your teachings, that I am just going to call you „Naomi“.  Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for your teaching me not only how to work with people who are experiencing a different moment than I am, but for modeling so well what it means to be human.
 
You and your teachings have been an inspiration and a gift.  I am committed to continuing your work and hope this may bring you some sense of legacy.  May you be surrounded by love as this final leg of your journey unfolds.
 
With love and admiration

– Mary
Naomi –
I cannot begin to express the depth of my gratitude for you and your program. You have revolutionized the way that we approach individuals with memory-related disorders. It saddens my heart to know that your physical self will no longer be here, but your soul will live on in the lives of current and future residents.
My favorite verse always has been the following: 
Be joyful always. Pray continually. And give thanks in all circumstances.
It’s often the hardest to find joy and thanks in times like these. However, please try to find joy in the small things and be thankful that your program will continue for years to come.

– Nicole 
Naomi
This news is beyond sad…. 
Thank you so much for teaching us all how to treat those with dementia.  I will always remember what I have learned and how I learned it.  My first seminar I was about 10 min late got lost…. but I walked into the class and this crazy lady was up front yelling and yelling I actually looked at the lady next to me and asked if I was in the right place… she laughed and said yes that you were the crazy lady. I will always remember that and to this day I still tell that story.
THANK YOU!!
May you and your family find peace and comfort, and may you be as pain free as possible
Bless you…
Love

– Michele Gordon, ADC/CDP
I hope this message finds you comfortable physically and spiritually. Thank you for all you have done to help countless people have a better journey in life. Many of us have never met you, but have read your writings and felt your compassion, and we will have better lives because of you. Prayers are rising for a joyous eternal rest.

– Suzanne Tiemstra

I had the pleasure of going to one of your Validation seminars early in my career.  It was in Raleigh, NC in the early 1990’s and I was a young Social Worker in a nursing home.  I always say I learned the hard way, but once I went to that seminar it revolutionized my understanding about dementia and communication.  I have never been the same since, and the many residents and families that I have had the privilege to serve have benefited as well.  Later in my career, I worked for Sunrise Senior Living and was able to become Level I and Level II certified.  The depth of those courses further developed my skills and I count it a great honor to be able to use those skills everyday in professional life.  Thank you for changing the narrative around dementia care!  The world will never be the same because of your dedication, passion and insight.

May God richly bless your last months on this earth,

– Maureen

Dear Naomi,

On behalf of every Diversional and Recreational Therapist in Aotearoa New Zealand, we thank you for your commitment and love to better the lives of people around the globe through the Validation Method.

I have personally enjoyed meeting you online, asking you questions, and listening to your amazing advice and constructive feedback always. As you prepare for the next stage of life, please know that many love you, and we will sorely miss seeing you, however we know that you will always be present in our lives.

You have shaped my professional practice, and I will take you with me wherever I go.

With lots of love and respect.  

– Orquidea Tamayo Mortera

President for the New Zealand Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapists Inc.

Thank you Naomi!

I was deeply shocked when I heard the bad news.
I would like to thank Vicki for announcing to  me about this at the same time.
 
I first met Naomi at my first workshop in Japan.
We did her mother’s anchor touching and yes/no exercises together.
For always embracing me with your kind voice. We ate delicious ramen together.
I have been filled with so many memories and feelings that I cannot convey.
 
I remember Naomi’s strong energy and kindness as if it were the other day.
 
As a teacher, I will pass on the validation that Naomi left behind so that the elderly can feel heard, respected, and gain self-respect.
 
– Hiromi Tamaoki
Dear Naomi, I would be honored to be able to carry on the work you began so many years ago. I cannot tell you how profoundly the news you shared hurts my very soul, but I hope that you also know that finding validation has forever changed the way I connect with the people I care for, and it is a gift you have given me. So, my gift to you is that for as long as I am able on this earth, I will speak of validation to anyone that will hear, I will practice validation with anyone who might receive benefit and I will honor the philosophy and foundation of validation and be forever grateful for it’s existence as I would with any miracle I have had the privilege to witness and be a part of.
With all my love,

– Jennifer Lecher, Future Validation Worker

Dear Naomi

your validation is a Philosophy of life and should generally be part of the standardized communication of everyone in life.
I wish you a good and pain-free time.
Thank you for letting me get to know you.

Sincerely and with deep love,

– your Janos from Switzerland

Dear Naomi and Vicki and friends and validation team,

I am so sorry to hear your news Naomi.
 
My name is Katharine. My Mum Ginny (age 89 years) has a diagnosis of Alzheimers. She was doing well till my oldest brother (Joe) died suddenly and unexpectedly in November 2022. She declined quickly and stopped speaking; became doubly incontinent and lost the ability to stand or walk.
 
I have not trained in Validation Therapy but I have read your book and watched your videos and tried to connect with my Mum’s feelings and to meet her there. Mum has started speaking again and we have a laugh and a cry sometimes. She is more her „old self“. She has regained her ability to use the toilet sometimes and she is regaining sitting balance. Your work gave me my Mum back.
 
I really want to learn more about validation therapy. I found your life history so interesting in terms of how you used your childhood experiences with older people to develop validation therapy. I love watching yours and Naomi’s videos.
 
I will be praying for you both. Thank you so much for your work which gives people their lives back to enjoy and has given me personally more time with my Mum as her „old self.“
 
With Love,
– Katharine

Liebe Naomi,

auf einem deiner Vorträge standen wir gemeinsam auf einer Bühne und haben ein Schlaflied gesungen.

Das wird mir unvergessen bleiben.

Herzlichen Dank für deine Anregungen und für dein wunderbares Wesen.

Gott schütze dich auf deinem letzten Weg.

Herzliche Grüße

– Inge Starck

 (Translation: All the best

Dear Naomi,

At one of your lectures we stood together on a stage and sang a lullaby.

I will never forget that.

Thank you very much for your suggestions and for your wonderful nature.

God protects you on your final journey. )

Dear Naomi, 

Your way to “look with special eyes” at older people with dementia has changed my life. I want you to know that your precious work will be the light I will follow whenever I will be in contact with someone who has lost words, but not his emotional world. 
Sorry for my English…
with all my respect

– Francesca Mazzon 
From Padova, Italy

Hi Naomi

My thoughts are with you. May you always be blessed.

Kindest

– Sheldon

Dear Naomi

Your work is not only inspirational and foundational to our work at Memory Lane TV but also represents a huge legacy for thousands of care partners around the world. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends during this challenging time.

With love, respect and gratefulness,

– Alban Maino

Dear Naomi

I am so grateful to her for the life lessons she gave us. Being involved a lot with Validation as a trainer gave me the opportunity to place the death of my third child and this years after the death. By always giving the example, „a mom who already has 2 babies and loses her third baby after birth. she keeps strong for the other children and her husband and parents, she goes back to work….“ this was how I dealt with my loss then.
 
In January of this year, we lost our 42-year-old daughter to cancer. Now I am much more conscious of my grieving process.I express my emotions in the present and thus hope to avoid having to process it all later in order to die serenely. 
 
In September my mother passed away, she was 99 years old. Naomi taught me to have a conversation with her as well, to ask about her fears and emotions, about her needs. i tried to stay on her side of the street every time.
 
Thank you Naomi for your life lessons and your insights into respecting elders. I will try to continue your life’s work by telling people what Validaiton is and forming them as validation workers. 
 
Thank you Vicki for continuing your mother’s life’s work.
 
I wish lots of strength and love

– Doris Van Averbeke
Hi Naomi.

I am so grateful to learn from you about Validation. It has made a huge difference with my residents and older family members. I hope to continue learning from this wonderful Validation Training I am in. You have touched me so deeply and I thank you. 
Love, Laura Cardoso Life Enrichment Coordinator at Chapel Hill Cumberland Senior Living Community
 
I hope to continue with Validation to help others.
Dearest Naomi:

I was very saddened to hear about your cancer diagnosis but pleased that you are receiving palliative and comfort care. I will always remember when you came to Fort Worth and I got to be your driver. That was quite a while ago but everyone remembers the impact you made on us showing that Validation was the best way to help those living with dementia. I often refer to your books when teaching my class, Dementia C.A.R.E.S. (Caregivers Accessing Resources, Education and Support) and recommend that the family caregivers utilize your methods.
 
I will include you, Vicki, and the rest of your family in my prayers for comfort. Thank you for what you have done in the dementia realm and thank you for your friendship. 
 
With Affection,

– Jane Oderberg

Dear Naomi:

My name is Francesca Metelli and I write from a small town in the province of Pavia, a city near Milan, in Italy.
I discovered the Validation method about 4 years ago, when my uncle, suffering from Alzheimer’s, was hospitalized in a facility in the province of Sondrio, where there was a peaceful atmosphere of welcome and friendship… the operators had all been trained and applied the method.
Many things have changed since then… my uncle has been gone for about a year and I trained, attended certified courses and now lead a Validation group in the Alzheimer’s unit of the facility where I have been working as an educator for more than twenty years.
 
That being said…I feel shaken by what Ms. Naomi Feil is experiencing. Even though I don’t know her personally, I feel close to her and her family in this difficult and delicate moment. I thank you for the attention that distinguishes you towards fragile people and for transmitting the method: listening, acceptance, empathy, absence of judgement,… are part of me, as is the desire to spread the method through my person and, I hope I can teach it.
 
Come on Naomi! I’m so close to her!
Greetings, a hug and a prayer.

– Francesca Metelli
 

With Affection,

– Jane Oderberg

Dearest Naomi,

I learned so much from you as an Activity Professional here in Washington State at our conferences when you presented at our workshops! I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you taught so many. I only wish everyone could have heard you! I hope you will be comfortable and comforted at this time! You are in good hands with God, family and your caretakers. I am now retired but have such great memories of my caregiving days and was a nursing assistant and activity professional for over 40 years. Loved every minute of it! And your presentations were a part of my life and ability to be the best I could be for all the residents I was honored to serve.
Thank you again for touching my life and the lives of so many! 

Sincerely,

– Patricia Scully ADC Retired 
 

Dear Naomi,

 when I saw and experienced you in July 1996, in Baden Baden at a workshop for the first time, I was thrilled.

Bright days but also crying, laughing, it was an eventful time that began with me.

For that, dear Naomie, I would like to thank you very much.

Many meetings and events in Worms, Strasbourg, Bad Dürkheim, etc.

have made me richer.  Enclosed you find pictures from our workshop in Worms 1999.

These days with you have strengthened me to go my way as a validation teacher.

 Thank you, thank you, thank you!

A Tibetan wisdom: Wer seinen Platz gefunden hat, der ähnelt einem Baum: Er schlägt Wurzeln und streift nicht mehr umher.

Have a good trip dear NAOMIE

– Hildegard Riedl

Dear Mrs Feil,
 
Thank you for your efforts and improving the way you deal with people with dementia.
I am eternally grateful to you and often coach my colleagues in my work with dementia about the validation method, I introduce them to it. This is how we help our residents of the small-scale farm where I work as a caregiver.
I wish you much strength and power. There are probably many people, including your daughter, who will support you in this last period of your life.
 
I bow deeply to you,
 
Kind regards, Dorien Spil
The Netherlands 

Naomi,

I will never be able to fully communicate the impact you have had on me, both personally and professionally. I was very close to my great-grandmothers, whom I was fortunate to have until I was in my late teens and both whom were living with dementia. They were my first education into dementia care and I have always wanted to find ways to honor their legacy in my work in helping teach people who are care partners to those living with dementia. You were the first trainer I was introduced to through your video training on Validation Method, and continued with many educational opportunities I have completed since then that feature your method.  Your work inspired me to really look at each person, look beyond the symptoms they are experiencing, and see the human needs that are there and need to be expressed. I strive each interaction to carry with me what I have learned from you, and to help teach others and share your message of compassion and kindness. Thank you for bravely sharing your story and talking openly about your diagnosis. I appreciate the opportunity to send this message to you, along with the countless others you have inspired through your work. I am thinking of you, praying for you and your family, and will keep using the skills you have taught me to help others. Thank you.

 

– Cameo Rogers
Corporate Life Enrichment Manager

Hochgeschätzte, liebe Naomi Feil,

 im Namen aller Teilnehmenden unserer Fachtagung in Wien am 13.11.2023 zum Thema Total Pain im hohen Alter sende ich Ihnen folgende Botschaft: Das Wissen, dass hochaltrige Menschen auf vielfältige und eben nicht nur körperliche Weise Leid empfinden, es aber nicht immer ausdrücken können, vor allem, wenn sie desorientiert sind, ist uns sehr wichtig. Von Ihnen, Naomi Feil, haben wir gelernt, wie schmerzhaft die Vergangenheit sich in die Gegenwart drängen kann und wie sehr die Menschen dann darauf angewiesen sind, dass wir ihnen offen, ehrlich und eben auch validierend begegnen. Sie brauchen unsere Ohren und unsere Aufmerksamkeit, unser Interesse und unsere innere Zuwendung. Das bedeutet nicht viel Zeit, sondern viel Präsenz. Wir sind sehr dankbar für alles, was wir und unsere Kolleginnen über und von Validation lernen konnten. Wir sagen Ihnen heute, dass wir das nach Kräften anwenden wollen. Den Schatz der Validation wollen wir alle in der Gegenwart nutzen und in die Zukunft tragen. Aus Wien senden wir Ihnen herzliche Grüße und Segen. Petra Rösler für rund 100 Teilnehmer:innen.

 Petra Rösler

– Kardinal König Haus, Vienna Austria

Dear Naomi,

I was saddened to hear your bad news. You have played a big part in my academic life and vocational career. I came across your book on validation by chance some years ago and after reading it, I felt so inspired. I have gone on to study a BA, MSc and now my PhD in Dementia Studies. I have used validation again and again. I have also gained much insight and knowledge and thank you for what you have shared.

Take care beautiful lady,
Pam
– Health Lecturer in UK

Dear Naomi

I had such a pleasure meeting you with Vicki a few years ago in Paris.
Thank you for being you and for having accompanied so many people over all these years.
Thank you for sharing with us all your keys to communication and kindness towards misguided people. You are a model in whom I have the greatest respect and having had the chance to see you remains and will remain engraved.
May you be as well accompanied as you accompanied
Lots of courage and strength for you
Please receive all my affection for you and your loved ones.

– Audrey Bocquet

Dear Naomi

I had the great honor of meeting you and your daughter.
The method has brought me a lot into my professional life working with elderly people.
I’m sad that you left us, but how lucky we are to have met you and thank you for what you taught us!!
Rest in peace

– Monique 

Ich danke Dir von Herzen (I thank you from the bottom of my heart)

Dear Naomi,

You have ensured that people with dementia around the world are seen as people first and not as mindless. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
How lucky I was to have met you over 25 years ago! It is a great honor and a great joy for me to be able to teach your validation to this day. Whenever I meet the very elderly in our retirement homes and see what validation does, I am once again fascinated and grateful that you have taken this brilliant step and thereby improved the world for all of us. Thank God you didn’t end up with George Clooney and Oceans 37 ! Your workshops were so much better. I’ll tell you about it as long as I live.
Hedwig wishes you all the best for your life

Dear Naomi, thank-you so very much for sharing Validation with the world. You have changed the way we communicate with people living with dementia. You have given all of us this gift. I will always be grateful for you and your wisdom. May God Bless you for your work.

 – Michael Krauthamer

“The wind changed the pace..
a sweet dance takes you far…
and your wings will open“

Naomi…the seeds she sowed
have flourished…her entire community
she will take care of them
bloom again…bloom again…bloom again.

Thank you with all my heart
Sabrina
 
Italian
“ il vento a cambiato l’andatura..
una danza soave ti porta lontano..
e le tue ali si apriranno “

    Naomi…i semi da lei seminati
    sono fioriti…tutta la sua comunità
    se ne prenderà cura per farli
    rifiorire…rifiorire…rifiorire ancora.

Grazie di cuore
Sabrina
Dear Naomi,
Reading your message saddened me a lot, my heart and thoughts are with you.
I would like to tell you how much Validation has changed my life as a caregiver but also and above all the people I support. I work at La Valse du Temps: a Validation-certified day center specializing in welcoming people suffering from neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s, in the canton of Jura in Switzerland. That’s approx. 10 years since I started my training in Validation, I am currently a teacher and it is an immense pleasure to transmit the method to the younger generation, especially since it seems to me that young people are more and more receptive and accept more readily to enter into the emotional. Thanks to the numerous videos, conferences and books, the work of your entire life leaves us a legacy of inestimable value
For all this a BIG THANK YOU Naomi, I imagine that seeing with what talent and investment your daughter Vicki continues to develop and promote Validation must be gratifying and reassuring!
Your name Naomi will remain, I am sure, associated with the „best“ way to support poorly oriented or disoriented elderly people.
Receive, dear Naomi, my cordial greetings, with all my heart, I send you my best thoughts.

 

Claudine Zurcher

Practitioner and Teacher in Validation° by Naomi Feil

Dear Mrs Feil!

Thank you for everything!!!! 

– Andrea from Germany

Naomi has had an incredible impact on the field of dementia and senior care.  Her steadfast approach to educating those of us who didn’t understand or know how to interact with seniors who had challenges connecting with those of us that love and care for them is incredibly moving.

– Nicole Bergquist

Dear Mrs. De Klerk,

We received the touching message from Mrs. Naomi Feil and we would like to respond with some words of support even though it is very difficult given the sensitive moment.

However, we think it is important to thank both you and you mother, Mrs. Naomi Feil, and to point out our appreciation for all the work she has done in this field.

As a distant retirement home from your place, we did not feel the many kilometres of difference between us (Brissago, Switzerland) and you. Instead, we have perceived the constant presence of Mrs. Naomi Feil’s hand and her influence on our medical structure is still present today.

Because of this we thank her very much for all good teachings and we promise that the institute Casa San Giorgio will carry forward his method as the values that characterize the Validation approach.

Hoping to have made you smile with our simple words, we wish your entire family a time of pure sharing and serenity.

With gratitude and great respect, – Miodrag Jankovic

Dear Naomi,

How sad to hear this sad news.
I wanted to say thank you.
Thank you for the meaning you brought to my work.
Thank you for the esteem that this brings to the people supported.
Thank you for the bonds that this creates between caregivers and elderly people.
Be sure that Validation resonates with many caregivers and that Validation will continue to be transmitted.

– Laetitia Teacher Geneva

Not anymore and not yet
We're stuck in between.
The old has become empty,
it sounds hollow,
does little to make us vibrate.

words,
Songs,
gestures,
movements,
thought building,
they no longer affect us,
and that's why we are not affected.
Something is happening to us
but not in us.

We are waiting.
We are thinking about.
We are uncertain.
We suspect.

The new thing isn't here yet.
It was cautiously suggested.
We see it in inner images.
We know it's coming,
because we are putting aside the old.

It doesn't have a name yet.
The old words don't fit.
Our ideas are still too narrow.
Paths are not yet clear and paved.
Even the approaches are running against blockages.
And the price of waiting challenges us.

To stand here
In this no-more and not-yet,
is a form of belief
and the solutions of the past
no longer approved,
is an expression of trust,
that everything goes on,
that there is a point
towards which we stream,
that there is a power
that controls development.
I don't want to shy away from change.
I want to let it go
to be able to embrace new things again.
And I want to let go of that too,
in constant development
towards my origin,
to the perfection from which I come
and to which I shall go.
( Ulrich Schaffer)…….. changed by me for you, dear Naomi.

Dear Naomi!

We send you a smile to your room:

A smile that we captured from a child playing,

in a person who learned contentment,

with someone who endured hardships with calmness,

in one who leans towards a sick person,

with someone who lovingly comforts you

and someone to whom someone has said: You don’t have to be afraid.

You are not alone, we are with you with good thoughts…

 

With these lines we would like to thank you lovingly for the gift of your validation.

Validation has enriched our lives incredibly. We experience many wonderful moments from the disoriented people we meet.

We will carry on Validation with joy and keep you in our hearts.

 

Maria Heidegger and Hanspeter Maurer

Salvezza
Good morning Naomi,
I want to thank you with all my heart for the richness you have brought into my life.
His teachings have been like a powerful beacon along a shadowy road.
And if I found the courage to become a teacher of this wonderful Method, it is thanks to the constant thought that I have always kept fixed on her.
She is in my heart.

– Annalisa Calisti

Dearest Naomi,

My life changed 10 years ago when I saw the video clip of how you connected with Gladys Wilson.  At that moment I knew I had to learn Validation to compliment my work of touch that I was doing with people who were living with dementia.

I studied Validation and was so amazed by the results, that I continued studying, and became a Validation teacher.

I have been sharing Validation all over the world, but most recently I have begun teaching reflexologists who have totally embraced Validation. There will soon be many more holistic practitioners globally who will learn and use Validation.

Your method, compassion, and ideas are truly spreading around the world and will continue to grow and grow.
Thank you so much for giving all of us this incredible gift to help older people with cognitive impairment.  Your work has and will continue to change the way the world relates to people with dementia.

With much love and appreciation,

– Oran Aviv

Hands-on Dementia

Dear Naomi,
I have read that you have palliative care. I want to thank you and Vicky for inspiring me. You never stoppes giving information. Even the you tubes with you and Vicky During Corona. As gentle clown I use validation for 15 years now. My father had Alzheimer and my mother is 80 and for 3th time now cancer but Still Alive and positive. I give lessons About dementia to care givers for 5 years. Always show your book and you tube to inspire Them. Thank you for Being who you are. Great respect. Validation Will still be here and you Will always be in

Our memories!! 

– Geert Baetens
 Belgium

Dear Naomi-
I will be thinking of you often. I was so saddened to hear about your news of metastatic cancer. I am glad you have family and others by your side right now. Wishing you much peace and comfort at this time. You have touched so many people’s lives, it is incredible what you have accomplished. I met you thru Country Meadows, when it was first becoming a Validation training center. I feel so fortunate to have had a chance to learn from you.  Your lifelong dedication to serving and bettering the lives for  older adults has left such an impact worldwide. Even though it has been years since I saw you or received validation training- I still look upon the information and experiences from that time as some of the most important I have had. Thank you for all of your advocacy and love for the elderly. You have been such a gift to so many. Sending love to you and your family.
– Kara Ray

Dear Naomi,
 
I have just recently heard of your illness. I hope that you are able to find comfort in your days.
 
I wanted to express my gratitude for all of your groundbreaking work in validation. Your book was one of the most powerful ones I read in my journey for a more expansive understanding of how we can support people living with dementia, and I quote you often.
 
I am pleased that the institute is doing so well with Vicki’s guidance and was happy to have been able to participate in the online event a few months ago.
 
I am holding you in my thoughts and in my heart, and hoping you find comfort and satisfaction in your days, and know how much you have helped to change the world for so many people.
 
Warmly,
– Al

Dear Naomi, 

 
Thank you for sharing your journey of validation with us and showing us how to apply it to those living with dementia. Thank you for demonstrating compassion and empathy in your work…an example that will remain as your legacy. Prayers for you as you walk this part of life’s journey. 
 
– Roberta Breninghouse,
Chère Naomi,

Je vis à Toulouse en France et il y a 20 ans j’ai commencé à travailler au service des personnes âgées à leur domicile pour nourrir ma famille et je me disais alors en attendant mieux.
Et puis la vie en a décidé autrement quand j’ai rencontré et accompagné tout de suite 3 personnes du grand âge et sur chacune d’elles avait été posé un diagnostic de type Alzheimer. Je me suis sentie si démunie face à leur détresse, leur colère, leur tristesse que j’ai cherché comment faire pour accompagner une telle désespérance!
On m’a alors parlé de vous et vous êtes entrée dans ma vie un jour de 2007 en France, à Salies de Béarn, lors d’une de vos journées d’études en France. J’étais venue trouver de l’aide et vous avez donné du sens à mon travail, vous avez éclairé ma route en changeant mon regard sur eux, sur moi et donné aussi du sens à ma vie, au fait de m’être retrouvée au service des personnes un jour, par nécessité.
Le chemin a été long, 10 ans, pour arriver jusqu’à devenir Teacher en 2017 et enseigner dans l’équipe de formateurs de Kathia Munsch.
A chaque fois que je dis lors des formations “non ils ne font pas, ils ne disent pas n’importe quoi ce qu’ils font a du sens pour eux même si cela n’en a pas pour vous”, en parlant de ces comportements si troublants des grands vieillards, j’ai une immense gratitude pour vous pour votre audace, pour votre curiosité, votre immense humanité que vous nous avez transmis en héritage. Héritage que j’aime à appeler “Fantasy therapie” parce que quand on rejoint l’autre là où il est on entre dans une terre nouvelle pleine de fantaisie où la joie à nouveau est possible.
Lots of blessings and love
Catherine
Je sais que votre français est excellent j’espère de tout cœur que vous pourrez me lire. Sur la photo prise à Paris un jour vous êtes assise entre Vicki et moi et c’était en soi pour moi une grande joie! Et puis la première formation qui m’a vue devenir Teacher inoubliable!
Dear Naomi!
 
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Thank you for your wisdom, your knowledge and your humanity!
You showed me a way how it is possible to communicate with old people without taking away their dignity. Thank you, dear Naomi!
You will stay my teacher forever!
 
Hildegard Nachum from Austria
Dear Naomi,
 
Thank you for your life’s work. I am sorry to hear that you are very unwell.
 
I promise to continue validating, I am a dementia consultant and have been using validation for over 15 years after I came across your work.
 
It’s so sad to think that none of us can ever live forever, but please know Naomi that ideas can live forever, this way a part of you will be there. Even as I write my 3 step validation strategy in each of my recommendation reports. That idea is carried. Your love is carried in that message.
 
Lots of love. You’ve truly lived a meaningful life.
Love Amy Ewens (adelaide South Australia) 
Thank You Naomi
I send this to thank you for your amazing contribution to dementia care and to assure you that your methods will live on.  I also wish you the same peace you have given others during your personal cancer struggle. God bless you.

Be Blessed!
Peggy

Dearest Naomi

I’m a registered Therapeutic Reflexologist residing in South Africa.
 
I thank you for your dedication and persistence spreading the word of the Validation Method.
 
You have opened my eyes and created a window to the world of those who are misunderstood as they had no “voice” but your Validation Method have changed that… You are a pioneer leaving an undying legacy… THANK YOU!!
 
I’m saddened about your diagnosis…
Trust that your positive attitude will provide strength and calm during this challenging time.
 
Again my gratitude has no end.
 
Elda Landsberg
South Africa
Dear Naomi,

I participated in a Validation course at the Savyon Association in Kfar Saba, Israel and use this method when volunteering with people living with dementia in the community. It is very helpful and empowering. My only regret is that I was not exposed to it sooner. Your work has been a blessing for the world, and will continue long after your life on earth. May your coming days be comfortable and surrounded by loved ones.

Shoshana Zucker

Dear Mrs. Feil,

Having read about the bad news you received, I would like to thank you in the name of the Diakonissen Speyer and of all the old people who can experience loving care because we learned so much from you.

We think of you and pray for you.

Be blessed and protected on your last journey!

Sincerely,

Diakonissen Speyer

Dear Naomi, I am deeply sad. What you have created is incredible. During my training I was able to get to know the validation methods as a dementia companion. I also use them. I have read all the books. I wish you a lot of strength and all the best. Greetings Sandra

Translation:
Liebe Naomi bin tiefst traurig. Was du erschaffen hast unglaublich. Ich habe dürfen während mein Ausbildung das Validierungs Methoden kennen lernen als demenzbegleiter verwende ich auch .habe Alle bücher gelesen.Ich wünsche dir viel Kraft alles gute.lg Sandra

Love from the City of Joy, Kolkata, India

Dear Naomi,

It was the year 1994 in Woburn, Massachusetts. I just started to volunteer at an Adult DayCare Center for People living with Dementia.
Was struggling to understand their world and was then introduced to your Validation Therapy which till date stays with me and my staff/volunteers at our Daycare center in Kolkata.
Every training that we conduct I take your name and how this therapy is the only one till date that can be translated into practice.
You are in our thoughts, experiences and will stay with us always.
Love, hugs and best wishes from us to you

Nilanjana Maulik
Secretary, ARDSI Calcutta

Liebe Naomi

Nachdem ich vor paar Wochen von meiner Kursleiterin Stephani Maser Ihre traurige Nachricht erhalten habe, ist es mir nun ein großes Bedürfnis Ihnen von Herzen Danke zu sagen.

Ich habe den Anwender 2018/ 2019 bei Stephani gemacht. Diese Ausbildung war für mich alles andere als einfach. Doch ich spürte schon lange, dass Validation absolut das ist, mit dem ich mich beschäftigen möchte und wozu ich mich berufen fühle.

Ich darf meine Mutter seit 9 Jahren begleiten. Vor zwei Jahren war sie sehr mit der Aufarbeitung ihrer Ehe beschäftigt. Ich konnte sie in dieser schwierigen Zeit so gut unterstützen und dieses Thema mit ihr zusammen lösen. Hätte ich damals von Validation keine Ahnung gehabt, wäre ich und meine Mutter mit großer Sicherheit in der Psychatrie gelandet.

Auch im beruflichen kann ich sooooooo viel Gutes bewirken, dank Validation. Ich bekomme so viel von den Klienten und den Angehörigen zurück. Diese Methode ist für mich die Sprache der bedingungslosen Liebe.

Liebe Naomi, ich werde Ihnen versprechen Validation mit ganz viel Herz weiterhin anzuwenden und Ihr Lebenswerk zu verbreiten.

Ich wünsche Ihnen von Herzen alles Liebe , alles Gute und eine gute Reise. Mögen Engel sie begleiten.

TRANSLATION:
Dear Naomi

After receiving your sad news from my course leader Stephani Maser a few weeks ago, I now feel the need to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I made the user at Stephani in 2018/2019. This training was anything but easy for me. But I felt for a long time that validation was absolutely what I wanted to deal with and what I felt called to do.

I have been allowed to accompany my mother for 9 years. Two years ago she was very busy coming to terms with her marriage. I was able to support her so well during this difficult time and solve this issue with her. If I hadn’t known about validation back then, my mother and I would almost certainly have ended up in a psychiatric hospital.

I can also do sooooooo much good in my professional life, thanks to validation. I get so much back from clients and families. For me, this method is the language of unconditional love.

Dear Naomi, I promise you that I will continue to use Validation with all my heart and spread your life’s work.

I wish you all the best, all the best and a pleasant journey. May angels accompany you.

Birgit Merz

With Love from India
Shalom and big hello.
I contacted respected Oran on LinkedIn  and got to know about pious work done by respected Naomi.
I will pray for her happiness and health. Naomi is like an angel. She inspires doctors like me even in far away India.
Oh now a little bit about me.

I am a simple human being first then a qualified medical doctor.

I am a great believer in humanity, science and spirituality. Together these powers can make earth a better place to live.

My aims

 1=Help people with Tuberculosis, Covid-19, HIV/AIDS, depression, anxiety, PTSD, Dementia  drug abuse and infertility . I am also working on reducing the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, sometimes with some organizations sometimes alone. Help to: Pregnant women, Lactating mothers and Anemic women

I work in the community to achieve these goals, as well as write in various newspapers and journals.

2=I also help women who suffer from domestic violence or sexual abuse or men or boys who are survivors of sexual abuse.
Once again thank you, I watched your video on YouTube. It was magical. Just loved it.
Regards
Dr.A.Arif.

Video by Maureen Sirianni

Wachenheim Teacher Meeting

Teachers at Sunrise Senior Living

Video by Amber Ten Brink

Video by Japanese Teachers

Austrian teachers singing

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