Therapy for individuals and families in Athens, Decatur, Madison, and Huntsville, AL
If you are providing care for aging parents, you are probably experiencing tension and sadness related to the different status of your relationship. They used to be responsible for you and now you are responsible for them. You may also be experiencing strain if you have siblings who are not contributing equally to your parents' care. You may also be having difficulty with your spouse related to the increased time you are now devoting to you parents. This used to be "marital time." You may have difficulty managing your caregiving with you role at work as well as your social roles.
During counseling you can learn to experience caregiving as an opportunity for personal growth. There are often benefits to new challenges. You can learn to develop a balance between caregiving and your other roles. We can develop time management strategies that will help you with your new role responsibilities. I will give you information about the emotional, physical and spiritual impact of your parent's aging. We will discuss valuable books and internet resources about the process of aging including degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. I can also provide you with a list of physicians who can help you to gain a greater understanding of your parents medications, potential side effects and medical treatment goals. We will talk about unfinished emotional family business that may complicate your care for your aging parent. As your parent's condition changes, I will help you to develop communication skills and boundaries that can help your relationship to remain harmonious. We will identify coping strategies to help you effectively talk about the inevitable loss of your parents. All of this will help you to develop an awareness of your own aging process.
If you have any questions or want more information about caregiver counseling, please feel free to call me at any time at 256-431-5060.