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Caregiver Therapy NY

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Being a CDPAP caregiver is emotionally and psychologically demanding. This article is about how managing your mental health allows you to become a better caregiver because it boosts your productivity, prevents you from getting burnt-out, and strengthens your relationship with your sick or elderly loved one.

Common Issues That Caregivers May Experience

Here are a few of the many psychological and mental issues that caregivers run into:

  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • Balancing your schedule
  • Balancing work and family commitments with your duties as a caregiver
  • Depression
  • Fear
  • Grief
  • Guilt
  • Loneliness
  • Physical strain
  • Stress

All of these problems underline the importance of attending to your personal needs while you care for a family member or friend.

Why do caregivers need to take care of themselves?

The following are among the main reasons for why caregivers should take care of themselves:

  • Preventing Caregiver Burnout: Stress, anxiety, depression, and a lack of work-to-life balance can all burnout a caregiver. Addressing these problems, meanwhile, enables caregivers to stay fresh, energized, and motivated.
  • Doing a Better Job: It goes without saying that a happier, mentally-content, and purpose-driven caregiver can offer better care to their patients.
  • Attaining a Happier Life: It can be very easy for caregivers to feel depressed, guilty, and lonely when they spend a great deal of time going to hospitals and worrying about the health of their sick loved ones. Those who successfully manage these emotions and make room for joyful activities in their schedules will have a happier and more positive life.

It is important to note that there isn't a specific or single way for caregivers to look after their own needs. A lot of what you do will depend on your personal circumstances and concerns.

How can caregivers take care of themselves?

Below are some of the main methods that caregivers rely on to handle their psychological and emotional problems.

Self Care

Self care may entail a variety of aspects and strategies, such as the following:

  • Ask for help when you need it. For example, someone could assist you with preparing meals for your loved one or spending certain nights with them. 
  • Make time to exercise. Even a 20 to 30 minute daily workout can regulate your brain's hormone and chemical-production, which crucially minimizes stress, depression, and other negative emotions.
  • Get enough sleep, especially since mental issues can impact the quality of your sleep. Just as importantly, the right amount of sleep can make you more productive.
  • Educate yourself and do research on how caregiving influences your psychology.
  • Set goals for the sick family member or friend that you're caring for and yourself. For instance, determine how many nights you will sleep at your loved one's residence and the number of times you want to exercise per week.

On occasions, engaging in social activities can be as effective as reaching your health-related goals.

Meeting Friends

Attaining the right work-to-life balance is critical for your psychological and mental health. Furthermore, a positive mentality makes you a better caregiver and improves your relationship with your sick or elderly loved one.

Support Groups

Joining a support group comes with the following benefits:

  • You learn new ways on how to manage your time and mentality from more experienced caregivers.
  • Attendees might make new friends that they can relate to and potentially rely on.
  • If you are a new caregiver, you may gain a better perspective on what your duties will entail and what you can expect in the future.

Therapy

Stress, anger, anxiety, and a lack of sleep can lead to other health problems, such as heart disease and abnormal weight gain/loss.

Seeing a professional therapist lets you identify and control these psychological issues before they lead to more serious medical conditions. You could also learn new techniques for managing stress, improving your sleep quality, and handling negative emotions by attending therapy sessions.

Above all, you will gain guidance from another health care professional (the therapist) who thoroughly understands the challenges that workers in the industry face.

5 Caregiver Therapists in New York

If you’re a caregiver and live in New York, you may want to consider the following therapy providers:

David Weidenborner

David Weidenborner is a licensed mental health counselor and a team member at Open Book Counseling. This professional has over 5 years of experience in the field, and he combines a variety of approaches based on what suits the patient's specific needs best.

David Weidenborner mainly works with anxiety, depression, and trauma patients, alongside those that struggle with personal relationships. All of this makes him ideal for caregivers.

Atlas

Atlas is a firm that focuses on achieving long-term psychological well-being through deploying advanced and individualized therapeutic techniques.

The main areas that Atlas's professionals specialize in are therapy sessions for professionals, addressing relationship issues, and improving family dynamics.

Mark Beauregard

This provider's expertise can be incredibly valuable to caregivers and their families. Mark Beauregard offers a therapeutic method that revolves around the individual and their relationships with those who are close to them.

More specifically, he combines humor and compassion to create a wholesome approach that encompasses all aspects of a caregiver's life.

Agnes Selinger

Agnes Selinger makes use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat anxiety and depression, two issues that caregivers commonly deal with. She works with patients that require ongoing checkups and substantial treatments multiple times per week.

This specialist also offers 15-minute consultations for free, which allow caregivers to ask questions and determine if their services are right for them.

Katherine Pettick-Perez

What makes Katherine Pettick-Perez unique is that her therapeutic methods are aligned with the patient's goals. That is to say that, as your objectives and personal circumstances change, so will the structure of your treatments. Above all, this provider has experience in working with patients from different professional and familial backgrounds, which makes her services particularly beneficial to caregivers.

This list of therapists and psychologists in New York is a good place for caregivers to start looking for options.

You want to keep in mind that managing your emotions, sleep quality, and psychological well-being can boost your productivity and drastically improve your life, as well as that of your sick or elderly loved one.