Blessings on the Caregiver Path

A special series of retreats for Caregivers

Soul Care of the Self - Caregiver Support Group

This Support Group is designed to create a sacred space for caregivers who are currently providing care for others and are in need of opportunities for renewal and healing. Join us as we uncover and explore the many blessings of the Long Goodbye that are inherently present in caring for loved ones. As we reflect on the various stories shared among participants, validation, spiritual nourishment, and information are offered to empower caregivers present in the group. Techniques for self-care and uplifting spiritual exercises are included in each session to enhance the experience of those in attendance.

Soul Care for the Caregiver -

Sacred Grieving as Self-Care & Compassion

The concept of grieving loss as a journey allows human beings to understand the healing process in stages, with accompanying tasks, and with needs that are both universal and unique. Yet, there are many faces to grief and innumerable ways of expressing it. And, the experience of caregiving for loved ones and clients involves its own dimensions of engaging with the landscape of loss and the numerous ways it can impact our identities, abilities, and ways of connecting with ourselves and others in definitive ways.

The reality of caregiving, the myriad emotions it creates, and the constant demands it requires offer us an opportunity to recognize our feelings and reflect upon our experiences with validation. Moreover, processing this all through a lens of grief can empower individuals to access necessary healing in order move forward in empowered ways on their journey while still tending to loved ones or clients as caregivers.

This session invites participants into the grief work that is intrinsic to caregiving. As we gather together, we will engage in opportunities for storytelling and listening, meditation and journaling, among other meaningful exercises. Various educational and self-care resources will be offered to uplift participants on their journey as they consider their respective circumstances in light of the sacred tasks inherent to grieving while caregiving. And, in solidarity with other caregivers, take steps toward openness to the powerful transformation that losses and intentional grief work can lead us to, both within our caregiving roles and our daily lives.

Caregiving & the Love Languages: Caregiving and Understanding and Creating Meaning

The reality of caregiving in this era is one that often includes exhaustive to-do lists, never-ending appointments and adjustments, and striving to meet ever-changing demands. And, it’s more than obvious that the experience of this is not conducive to the critical time needed for personal reflection upon the meaning of our exchanges with those for whom we are caregiving. In this caregiver-affirming program, we will explore the innovative concept of the five love languages as described by Gary Chapman and how it can be applied to us as individuals as well as the relationships we encounter as caregivers for loved ones or patients. We will also consider the groundbreaking work that Chapman and co-authors, Deborah Barr and Ed Shaw, have created in connecting the world of love languages to the demanding realities of caregiving, especially for those with dementia and other life-limiting conditions. By weaving in various concepts and creative exercises from their text, Keeping Love Alive As Memories Fade: The Five Love Languages and the Alzheimer’s Journey, you will be invited to expand in understanding your own personal love language, that of the person you are caring for, and also what related possibilities exist for deeper meaning and renewal in your life and caregiving.

As we gather together, we will engage in opportunities for storytelling and listening, meditation, and journaling among other spiritual-oriented exercises. Information about the love languages and diverse opportunities for their integration will be introduced to empower you as you reflect upon your respective circumstances in light of caregiving with love. This offering will provide a safe, sacred space for you to re-envision your daily tasks, multi-faceted lives, and inherent desire to be loving in your current caregiver situation and within your ongoing journey ahead.

Uncovering the Blessings of the Long Goodbye: A Retreat Day for Caregivers

Come and spend some intentional time being reaffirmed and supported as a caregiver for someone with a long-term illness or condition in sacred community with fellow caregivers.

This retreat utilizes a lens for understanding and naming the spiritual dimension of the caregiver role and its myriad experiences, and is tailored to uplift participants who may or may not provide hands-on care for their loved one, but who are involved in their lives. Topics that will be explored are intrinsic to the caregiver journey, especially the necessity of self-care and compassion, burnout, family dynamics, grief, and the often-conflicting emotions that accompany this reality.

Throughout the program, participants will be invited to engage in storytelling, prayer/meditation, writing, and other exercises that validate the caregiver's experience and provide therapeutic tools for the ongoing commitment of caregiving. The morning session will envelop the themes of caregiver grief, healing, and hope within each participant’s current circumstances, while the afternoon session will concentrate on caregiver endurance and renewal. Resources will be offered related to what is examined.