Beyond Overwhelm: Finding Balance and Support for Family Caregivers with Stephanie Muskat, Award-Winning Registered Clinical Social Worker and Psychotherapist
How do we manage stress, avoid burnout, and find balance when caring for our loved ones? It's important that we find support for our mental health and ways to improve our own personal well-being. My guest today is Stephanie Muskat. She is an award-winning registered clinical social worker and psychotherapist. She is the founder of Compassion in Caregiving, a private therapy practice and mental health community for all caregivers.
Stephanie has experience working with various diagnoses and prognoses, including dementia (Alzheimer's, frontal temporal, Lewy body, and vascular), traumatic brain injuries, mental health conditions, stroke, spinal cord injury, and more. She supports individuals navigating boundaries, self-care, personal identity, and stress. Compassion in Caregiving provides caregivers with a comprehensive platform to assist in the caregiving process, acknowledging that it's not easy and can be emotionally taxing.
In our conversation, we discuss common challenges faced by caregivers, strategies to overcome them, practical tips for managing stress and burnout, available resources, establishing clear boundaries through difficult conversations, leveraging technology and innovation to support family caregivers, the impact of Stephanie's experience as a young caregiver on her work, and how mental health and therapy can benefit caregivers. We also explore how families can prepare for the transition from caregiving to post-caregiving life, ensuring a smooth transition.
I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Stephanie and appreciate her unique perspective as a mental health professional and psychotherapist. Thank you, Stephanie!
Listen to our episode HERE.
Stephanie shares about:
Her story as a young caregiver and supporting her mom with Frontal Temporal Dementia
The common challenges for family caregivers and overcoming them
How mental health and therapy can support caregivers
The ways we can balance caregiving with other responsibilities
Finding balance in caregiving for our personal well-being
Practical tips for managing stress and avoiding burnout
Resources for family caregivers and accessing them
Tools to have difficult conversations and establish boundaries
The role of technology in supporting caregivers
Success stories of families finding balance and support
Preparing for the transition from caregiving to post-caregiving life
Advocating for self and loved ones in the healthcare system
The ways in which Compassion in caregiving can support caregivers and families
Learn more at www.compassionincaregiving.com
*Connect with Stephanie and listen to her podcast, Caregiver's Compass HERE!
About Stephanie Muskat & Compassion in Caregiving
Compassion in Caregiving is a mental health community that is for all caregivers. We have years of experience working with many diagnoses and prognoses of all types including: dementia (Alzheimer’s, Frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia), traumatic brain injuries (TBI), anoxic brain injuries (ABI), mental health diagnoses, stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injuries, paraplegia, cancer and physical changes impacting overall functioning and quality of life. We also support parents and all individuals looking for support while trying to navigate boundaries, self-care, personal identity and stress.
We offer numerous supports and resources including: psychotherapy, a group support program, a supportive community network for caregivers going through similar experiences and an extensive range of content from experienced professionals and caregivers to assist in the caregiving journey. Compassion in Caregiving provides caregivers with an all-encompassing platform to assist in the caregiving process. Caregiving is not easy. It can be taxing on one’s physical and emotional health and can result in a lost connection with oneself and many aspects of life.
Stephanie is an award-winning registered clinical social worker and psychotherapist. Presently, Stephanie balances her private therapy practice with acute care hospital work, where she practices at a major hospital in the Greater Toronto Area (Ontario, Canada). Her work is primarily focused on caregivers and their aging loved ones.
Stephanie has been featured on numerous television networks and radio stations (including CTV, CP24, Rogers Television) and has presented at numerous universities and public events to raise awareness about mental health and mental health supports. Stephanie has acted as a primary caregiver to several family members and brings her personal experiences to her work with clients. Stephanie resides in Toronto, Ontario with her partner, three little girls, and her Havanese Ringo. Stephanie is the recipient of the 2022 caregiving.com Visionary Award.
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/compassionincaregiving
*This episode is brought to you by Gigi Betty co. A boutique gift shop raising awareness and funds for caregivers and care partners. Show now at www.gigibettyco.com. Use the special code WILLGATHER20 for 20% off your order- Just for our podcast listeners!
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