Table 1 Session content of Family Dignity Intervention (FDI)

1. Brief framing session

• FDI question framework provided to patient-family dyad for reflection

• Therapist gauges the focus of therapy from the standpoint of the patient with input by the family caregiver in preparation for the intervention interview

2. Intervention interview session

• Recorded interview with patient-family dyad using the FDI question framework, which focuses on the patient’s life experiences in the family context, with caregiver’s responses enriching patient’s narrative

• Therapist follows dyad’s cues, helps them structure and organize their thoughts, connects sequence of events, facilitates disclosure of cherished memories, and encourages expression of appreciation and reconciliation

3. Transcript review session

• Intervention interview is quickly transcribed verbatim and shaped into a coherent narrative by the therapist using a formatted editing process

• Therapist meets with patient-family dyad to review the edited transcript, ensures it conveys the dyad’s overall message, and finalizes editorial revisions

4. Family sharing session

• The final transcript becomes a “legacy” document of the patient-family dyad

• Therapist organizes a family meeting with the dyad and their invited loved ones to an open reading of the legacy document at a private location