Caregiver therapy: How do I find it?

When I was at my wits end while caring for my late husband, I "Googled" local caregiver support groups in my area, and was fortunate to find one, that I started attending 4 1/2 years ago now in person and when Covid hit, they went on Zoom. Thankfully we're back in person with still the Zoom option if someone can't make it in person.
And although my husband has been dead for well over 2 years now, because this group was such a life saver for me, I continue to go to now be of help to others.
NO ONE can understand what a caregiver goes through better than another caregiver, and while there's a place and a time for a therapist or a counselor, unless they themselves have been a caregiver they can only help but so much.
I wish you the best in finding a local caregivers support.

Bumping up. I hope you get some good suggestions, GB.

If you go to the Psychology Today website, they maintain a list of therapists. You can see their area of specialty .

You can contact your nearest teaching hospital and talk to someone in their geriatric department. They almost certainly have a social worker who specializes.

You can call local hospices. Their social worker may do private practice or may be able to refer you to folks who do.

Best of luck!

I found great help with my Support Group.
there are many that meet in person as well as on line (kinda like this one)
Finding a good Support Group is sort of like a good pair of shoes. You have to try it first and see how it feels. If you don't "click" after the first few meetings look for another.
Try your local Senior Center or Senior Services they have many clients and families of clients that they deal with daily. They might know of Therapists that specifically know what Caregiving is like. May Senior Centers also have Social Workers that might point you in the right direction if you are looking for 1 on 1 therapy rather than a Support Group.

There are two great sites that I used to find a therapist specializing in caregiving. Psychology Today has a ‘find a therapist’ feature: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists. Just plug in your needs (insurance, male/female, caregiving, etc…) and a list will pop up. If cost is an issue, there is another really great site, Open Path Collective: https://openpathcollective.org/. This is a group of therapists offering care on a sliding fee scale. Best of luck to you!

Contact the Helpline at Alz.org

They will be able to send you a list of support groups in your area. They are an amazing resource and we're a huge help for me.

My mom attends a weekly respite program at our Senior Center & they offer a free caregiver support group. If there's a local senior center nearby you could check if they offer CG groups

Try to find a Licensed Social Worker in private practice as a therapist. They often are best at this life transitions work and they often have the best ideas for resources. And yes, unless your own doc has someone they know in this work, you are basically down to google. Sure do wish you the best. Don't think that the first one, if not right for you, is the one you must stick with.

I would access online the numbers of any Licensed Social Workers in private practice in your area, call the office and ask. Many of them do private counseling and have elder care experience or can refer you to places that do. Call your local counsel on aging as well. I sure wish you luck.

Good Morning,

Dr. Natali offers YouTube videos and also on Careblazers.com

Basically she is a psychologist (geriatrician) who worked in the hospital sector and was not impressed with the protocol for the small amount of time that was spent with the patient and/or family.

I alternate, scan, between this forum and the "short" videos that Dr. Natali provides keeping us updated. At the present moment she is offering a free "caregiving" online video, you can go online and sign up and watch--it is time-sensitive I think 4 days.

Occupational Therapist Teepa Snow wrote a Caregiver's Guide with the stages of all kinds of Dementia. She, too, offers YouTube videos. She is fabulous.

Most of us don't have the time to Zoom in and participate at a designated time but with the technology you can find what you need at your fingertips. Now if you are seeking "in-person" support oftentimes Assisted Livings offer Caregivers Support groups. Usually they are sponsored by an Elder Attorney. Again, with the Post-Pandemic, Co-vid still lingering and the regular flu season, me personally, I will stay away because I don't want to get sick and make mother ill.

If all else fails, join a local Y, throw your suit on and get some exercise. You can build a network of support.

Happy New Year!

Ireland