Surviving Caregiving

My Story

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I began caring for my 

mom full-time after her condition escalated and she needed full-time care. Little did I know the toll it would take on my life psychologically, physically, and spiritually. I experienced feelings of helplessness, despair, frustration, and anger on a level that sent me into survival mode. Me, an Energy Medicine Practitioner and  Wellness Coach for fifteen years had to regroup, seek counseling, and learn new survival skills. The task of caring for a loved one, especially a parent with Alzheimer's/Dementia will challenge you in ways you've never imagined and will become one of the most profound journeys you will ever take.

So what did I do to regroup...I went on a retreat.

 

I had been facilitating wellness retreats for over eight years on Women's Empowerment and Flow Living. The retreat I attended was not specific, it was a getaway retreat, just to get away. When I arrived I slept for two days straight, the remaining four days I was a beach bum. It was amazing and what I needed at the moment however, when I got back home everything was pretty much the same. I immediately went to work on me. I took off a year and a half to devote time to mom and my own wellbeing.

 

A major outcome was creating this retreat. I knew immediately that I needed to create a space for other caregivers who needed shelter, understanding, healing, and coping tools for their journey and Surviving Caregiving was born. I felt called to do this, it has become imperative to connect with other souls on this path, because if I, someone who had amazing tools and training in stress management could be shaken and thrown off-kilter, I could only imagine what others without tools are experiencing and it terrified me. 

 

My team and I put together a10 day, all-inclusive getaway retreat with focused group and individual therapeutic discussion sessions. Other sessions include sleep therapy, art therapy, stress management activities, and... plenty of LIME time.  Also included are 3 individual post-retreat video sessions and, 6 on-going monthly group video sessions. 

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For a complete list of retreat inclusions, check here.

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