Therapy for Caregivers
Is The Pressure Of Caregiving Leading To Overwhelming Stress?
Are you caring for an ill, aging, or disabled loved one?
On top of the emotional demands of caregiving, are you overwhelmed by physical exhaustion and the build-up of daily responsibilities?
Has it been difficult to carve out space for you?
Caregiving can involve a lot of pain. Aspects of grief are inevitable when caring for someone whose health is in decline, but a lot of the stress comes from feeling depleted, alone, and unsupported. Especially if other responsibilities like work and caring for children are on the to-do list, it can sometimes feel impossible to juggle caregiving demands.
Yet, a lot of people in your position feel like they should automatically know how to handle the stress and that it’s not okay to ask for help. Feelings of guilt are incredibly common, particularly when it comes to prioritizing your need for self-care. You may believe that in order to do the best job possible for your loved one, your entire life needs to revolve around them.
Therapy can help challenge some of the guilt and expectations that you may be experiencing as a caregiver. As you learn to make more room for your needs in the counseling process, you can strike a sense of balance that will allow you to feel grounded and confident as a caregiver.
Caregiver Stress And Burnout Is Often Unacknowledged In Our Culture
The impact of caregiving stress goes pretty unrecognized by our society. Despite the fact that many of us will fall into the role of caregiver at some point in our lives—whether we’re nursing a family member through a long-term illness or managing our parents’ transition into older age—there are not a lot of resources and support for the burnout that is commonly experienced.
Instead, many of us feel like caregiving is just something we have to do. There can be an expectation, felt by women in particular, that caregiving is automatically our responsibility and is something that should come naturally. Especially for those in the “sandwich generation”—individuals who are simultaneously caring for growing children and aging parents—we can develop the belief that we just have to white-knuckle through this stressful period of life.
For a lot of my clients, caregiving burnout becomes so overwhelming that they seek counseling for the first time ever. Together, we work toward letting go of the belief that it’s not okay to ask for help. Through this process, we can get you from operating in survival mode to feeling more functional, balanced, and capable of managing stress.
My Practice Specializes In Counseling For Caregivers
I am passionate about working with individuals in therapy who are struggling with the stress, anxiety, and burnout of being a caregiver. With my experience working in a rehab facility and at a hospital, I know firsthand how much grief and pressure caregivers take on in the process of advocating for the people they love.
My counseling services are tailored to each person’s unique needs. As I learn more about what you want to get out of therapy, we can enhance your coping toolkit, help you establish healthy boundaries, and build a sense of community and connection among fellow caregivers. All in all, I want to help you foster self-care at this particularly stressful moment in your life.
What To Expect
A big aspect of therapy for caregivers is exploring grief. If you are caring for someone who is sick, aging, or disabled, it’s understandable that you may be grieving who your loved one used to be and who you used to be. You probably had different plans for what your future looked like together, and it can feel uncomfortable and overwhelming to change course. In our work together, we can figure out what a new normal looks like and how to make it both manageable and fulfilling.
I also want to use this time to help you slow down and recognize how much you have accomplished already. You may feel so inundated by caregiving demands that you can’t actually see the space it’s taken up in your life, and you may feel like no one is affirming your experience. We can incorporate mindfulness skills for acute moments of stress and to help you challenge unhelpful beliefs. Additionally, we can explore caregiver support groups that make you feel less alone and misunderstood.
Being a caregiver is hard, and we are never quite prepared for how it will impact our lives. Counseling during this difficult time can help you cope with the present while also preparing you to step into the future.
Common Questions About Therapy For Caregivers
My caregiver responsibilities already take up so much of my time—how will I make room in my schedule for therapy?
I completely understand how overwhelming the idea of therapy might sound right now, and that it’s probably difficult to think of doing something for you when your loved one needs your attention. Yet, therapy is an opportunity to learn why it’s okay for you to take care of yourself. And in fact, you will probably show up in your role the way you want as you learn to strike a meaningful balance between your needs and the needs of your loved one.
My goal as a therapist is to help you feel like you have more space in your life, not less. Let’s work together to figure out how we can make your stress and responsibilities feel more manageable.
Won’t talking to a therapist just make me feel worse?
It’s true that a therapist cannot magically undo your pain. And I know how scary it can be to explore your grief.
That said, my clients who are caregivers for loved ones often find this process to be extremely helpful. Many don’t have neutral or supportive places in their lives where they can feel fully safe to express their emotions out of a fear they will be judged. As a therapist, my job is to create a treatment plan and move at a pace that works for you, honoring the specific goals you have for overcoming caregiver stress and burnout.
Will I be judged for seeking therapy?
I understand that many caregivers feel like they should be able to handle the stress on their own and that there can be a stigma about therapy.
That there is no shame in seeking support. Counseling does not signal weakness; it demonstrates that you want to grow and show up as the caregiver you’d like to be. There probably aren’t many places in your life where you can feel free to be completely open and honest about your experience right now, but therapy is a safe haven that is centered around your truth.
Caregiving Happens In Community—And So Does Healing
If you’re a caregiver for a sick, aging, or disabled loved one, counseling can help you manage overwhelm and achieve a sense of balance. For more information contact me or schedule a free consultation.
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