Are you a caretaker? Did you know that caretaker's burnout is a real thing?
I became a caretaker for my husband eight years ago when he began to struggle with mental illness. My siblings and I became caretakers for my mom one year ago, when she moved in assisted living.
My name is Carole Leathem and I am a certified mental health coach, professional life coach and a spiritual formation coach. I'm also a speaker, award winning author, and most importantly a daughter of God. You can get to know me better on my website. Click
HERE
The most important lesson I have learned over these past years as a caretaker is we must take care of ourselves or we can't care for someone else. We need community to feel seen, encouraged, and most importantly realize we are not alone!
To help meet these needs for myself and others, I am launching a group coaching program. I'm excited to announce the first group will launch in February 2024.
I'm personally aware the caretaker's journey means that sometime our capacity for commitment can be a struggle, so:
- We will meet every other week (start date to be determined by group). The cost for this introductory group will be $129 per person. I'm only making this offer available to my mailing list and the attendees at a conference I'm speaking at in January.
* The group will consist of 4/90 minutes sessions - February through March - every other week * Each group will be limited to 12 people on zoom
* Yes, there is an application process. Why? Knowing a little about your story and needs will help the group achieve success for everyone.
Each of our four sessions will offer biblical and practical teaching, time to ask questions and share, encouragement, community, and laughter.
Life as a caretaker can be hard. I have discovered four core values that we need to strengthen in our daily lives:
- Spiritual - What is our foundation? Where does our strength come from? Where is God in this journey?
- Mental - When my thoughts turn dark and I say to myself, I didn't sign up for this, its time for a mental adjustment.
- Physical - Why is it important to rest, exercise, eat right, and take break when we are caretakers?
- Emotional - How can we lean into the many different emotions we feel daily as a caretaker and not be overwhelmed? Can we find true joy in the midst of painful circumstances? YES!
We must take care of ourselves or we can't effectively care for someone else!
(((((HUGS)))))
Carole
