Caregivers Corner: A Spotlight on Our New Supportive Therapy Group
Cherry Tree Counselling is excited to announce a community partnership with Aligned in Kindness (AiK) grounded in our shared values of community building and advocacy support. Our collaboration with AiK began during the pandemic when so many of us struggled with excessive and unprecedented caregiving pressures. We are proud to host this new Caregivers Group - an inclusive space open to all caregivers seeking support and connection. Facilitated by Carol and Marielle, two compassionate and skilled mental health professionals, this group offers support, strategies and a resting place for caregivers. When we find true community, we can find the strength to carry on through life’s obstacles and challenges. We hope you can join us for this unique opportunity.
Raise your hand if you identify as a caregiver!
Cherry Tree Counselling is unrolling a brand new online caregiver group called Caregivers Corner. In the spirit of collaboration and community, we’ve partnered up with Aligned in Kindness, another local group counselling practice, to bring you this fresh new offering.
Caring for a loved one is not easy.
Who cares for the caregivers?
The role of caregiver is a complex, unpaid position that is often misunderstood and comes with some big emotions. Having a safe place to talk about our experiences, to learn from peers with similar challenges and to gain coping tools is important for our mental wellness. Caregivers know that burnout is a risk that comes with the responsibility of serving in this role. Learning prevention strategies for burnout can be one way to stay well in doing this work.
At Caregivers Corner, we want to hear how you are doing and support you in moving through the stress, pressures, and burnout so that you can get back to the things that matter most to you!
What does caregiver burnout look like?
Caring for a loved one is an act of compassion that often comes with profound emotional rewards. However…
The responsibilities and challenges that accompany caregiving can sometimes lead to a silent struggle that many caregivers face - burnout. In the midst of selflessly providing support, caregivers may find themselves experiencing any number of the following symptoms, issues, and challenges:
Why is a support group like this so important?
Caregivers Corner is about community and connection.
You are not alone in the caregiving experience, however, you may not know other folks in your shoes. Your feelings are valid (all of them)! This group matters because we are a space that brings caregivers together to normalize how difficult this role can be and build capacity to care - a job that can feel never-ending and very lonely. This group is also a virtual space to play and reset (we practice gentle mindful movement) because we all need to take breaks in order to keep on meeting the demands of a busy life.
Who will this group impact?
This group will make a difference for you as the caregiver as well as your loved ones.
Think about the ‘ripple effect’ concept: when we invest in ourselves, it isn’t selfish. Rather, it is a gift that not only we can enjoy but the people around us! We can caregiver with greater capacity, deeper self-compassion, and an understanding that chasing our goals is just as important as showing up for others.
In fact, taking care of ourselves first is ESSENTIAL! You deserve care, support, and practical strategies to keep yourself feeling well.
How can caregivers benefit?
Learn how to take purposeful steps toward embracing life’s “tough stuff”.
Caregivers will increase their knowledge and skills for self-compassion work (burnout prevention). They will clarify and learn how to align their values and goals as well as improve how they find balance and rest in their lives. Caregivers will experience a safe space to share, learn, and connect through mutual support and community building. They will learn how to practice gentle trauma-informed movement and try meditation.
Meet Your Facilitators!
Marielle Tye (left) and Carol Feddema Spivak (right).
Marielle Tye, BA, BSW, MSW, RSW
Marielle is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She has a Master of Social Work, specializing in Health and Mental Health. Marielle has eight years of experience in individual and group psychotherapy, as well as in comprehensive clinical case management and private therapy.
Carol Feddema Spivak, MSW, RSW
Carol is a registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. She has a Master of Social Work at King’s University at Western. Carol has over twenty years of social work experience with diverse populations in a variety of settings and roles including the child welfare sector, the health care system and in private practice.
How does this group speak to the work done in Aligned in Kindness?
Carol and Marielle are enthusiastic about working with caregivers.
In 2021, they started Aligned in Kindness as a response to the lack of creative programming for caregivers that uses newer evidence-based therapy tools. They seek to run educational therapy groups for caregivers with counselling practices like ours, to break down barriers for accessing quality and compassionate therapeutic care!
Aligned in Kindness values accessibility, flexibility, and safe spaces. Their caregiver group is also run flexibly. They give choices around exercises and want to hear from participants on what they want to focus on most during our time together. They are also deeply rooted in self-compassion work: learning to have concern for our own suffering.
Marielle and Carol’s group centers on this theme and supports participants to learn to turn towards versus away from emotional discomfort, so we can focus on meeting our needs and goals even when things feel difficult. Our group understands that safety is defined by each individual. We operate from a trauma-informed lens and align with anti-racist, anti-oppressive practice. We hope for participants to feel truly seen and accepted when they come each week, and we understand that this may not exist elsewhere for them!
What you need to know about the group:
Caregivers Corner is a 4-week psycho-educational group for self-identified caregivers.
Together, we will create a safe and supportive weekly community where we can connect, reflect, and reset intentionally.
Caregivers Corner offers mindfulness and gentle movement practices for stress reduction, psycho-education for skill building in self-compassion and values-based action work, and peer support to soften the caregiving experience.
GROUP DETAILS:
Dates: Tuesday, February 13th - Tuesday, March 5th
Time: 6pm-8pm EST
Platform: Zoom
Cost: $300 (works out to $75 per 2-hour session)
Early Bird Pricing! Book by February 2nd and pay just $240 (a savings of $60!).
*all fees are +HST. Please note that this group is open to residents in Ontario, Canada only.
**Consideration for curious participants: This is not an educational group for skills on how to caregive. We know you know how to do this! This is a group for you to discover that you are not alone in the caregiver experience, and you have permission to put your needs first.
Join us and feel deeply supported in a community that truly gets it!
If you’re interested in seeing whether online therapy is a good fit for you, we offer free 15 minute consultations.
Connect with us and let’s talk about how we can help you.
