with Becky Shipkosky

By Kim Nelson, MA, with Becky Shipkosky. Nearly one in five American adults is an unpaid caregiver for another adult with a mental or physical health condition (AARP, 2020). If you’re reading this post, you’re likely within these ranks. There’s a good chance you have a full-time job or are a parent to youngsters in addition to your caregiver role. Let’s start by acknowledging that this is a lot.

By Kimberly Nelson, MA, with Becky Shipkosky Have you ever felt alone in the world? Isolated? If you have, can you think back to the state of your mental health at that time? Now, try to think of a time when you had a strong support network—maybe a job with the very best co-workers, your crew of friends in high school or college, or an especially cohesive group of roommates.

By Kim Nelson, MA, with Becky Shipkosky Let’s say you’re a person with a mental health diagnosis—maybe it’s bipolar, or schizophrenia, or perhaps a personality disorder. There’s a good chance that your contact with mental health providers has felt “top-down” or prescriptive, as opposed to collaborative.