Therapy for Mental Health Caregivers in Seattle

Therapy Also Available Across WA

Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from supporting an adult loved one with mental illness? I provide individual and family therapy specifically for family members and caregivers navigating the challenges of supporting someone with chronic mental health conditions, so you can give better support while protecting your own well-being.

Please note: My practice focuses on supporting caregivers of loved ones with mental health challenges. I do not provide therapy for caregiving related to aging, dementia, or eldercare.

Are You Drowning While Trying to Be There For Someone You Love?

You're carrying an enormous emotional load that most people can't understand. Your loved one is struggling with mental illness, and you're trying to be everything - advocate, support system, crisis manager, and emotional rock. Meanwhile, you're completely exhausted and starting to lose yourself in the process.

The weight of mental health caregiving affects every aspect of your life:

  • Feeling guilty when you need time for yourself or feel frustrated with your loved one

  • Constantly worrying about their safety and wondering if you're doing enough to help

  • Arguing with family members who don't understand the severity of the situation

  • Losing sleep because you're always on high alert for the next crisis or episode

You're not selfish for feeling overwhelmed, and you're not responsible for fixing everything. Supporting someone with mental illness is incredibly difficult work that requires its own specialized support and skills. You deserve help navigating this challenging journey.

What is Counseling For Mental Health Caregivers?

Counseling for caregivers involves supporting a family member or loved one who lives with chronic or serious mental illness. This might include helping them navigate treatment systems, managing crises, providing emotional support during difficult episodes, and advocating for their needs with providers.

You're part of a much larger community facing similar challenges. Millions of family members provide mental health support to their loved ones, often without adequate resources or understanding from others. This type of caregiving comes with unique stresses that require specialized support.

Common challenges mental health caregivers face include:

  • Navigating complex treatment systems and insurance barriers

  • Managing crisis situations and knowing when to seek emergency help

  • Setting boundaries while still providing necessary support

  • Dealing with their own stress, anxiety, and secondary trauma

  • Balancing caregiving responsibilities with work, other relationships, and self-care

You can learn more about mental health caregiving support here.

Why Choose Michelle Solomon for Caregiver Support?

I spent over eight years working in inpatient psychiatric units, which means I've been there during families' scariest moments. I've sat with parents whose adult children were in psychosis, spouses dealing with their partner's first manic episode, and siblings trying to figure out how to help without enabling.

What I noticed during all those years was heartbreaking: there were services for people in crisis, but their families were left to figure everything out alone. That's why I decided to specialize in counseling for caregivers in my private practice.

I know the mental health system inside and out - what resources actually exist, which ones work, and how to get around the barriers when the system fails you. More importantly, I understand the unique stress you're under because I've watched hundreds of families navigate exactly what you're dealing with.

Here's how I work with families: I offer both individual counseling for caregivers and family counseling sessions. But my family sessions are specifically for family members and caregivers only - not including the person with mental illness. This lets you speak honestly about your challenges and get your whole family on the same page about how to help, while your loved one gets their own separate support.

Benefits of Caregiver Support Therapy

Healthy Boundaries

Figure out how to be supportive without enabling, and when it's okay to say no.

Your Own Well-Being

Develop strategies for managing your stress so you don't burn out completely.

System Navigation

Get insider knowledge about treatment options, insurance battles, and resources that actually work.

Therapy for Caregiver Stress Helps Families Find Balance

Without support, most families in your situation get more overwhelmed over time. Caregivers often develop their own anxiety and depression. Family relationships get strained. Sometimes, families even become estranged because the stress becomes too much to handle.

But here's what I've seen happen when families get the right support: You learn to work as a team instead of against each other. You discover communication strategies that actually help your loved one instead of triggering them. You figure out how to set boundaries that feel loving, not cruel. And most importantly, you learn that taking care of yourself isn't selfish - it makes you a better support person.

Many of my clients tell me that counseling did more than help them cope better - it actually improved their relationship with their loved one because they learned more effective ways to help.

Ready to Get Some Support?

You've been carrying this load alone for too long. Whether you need individual counseling to process your own stress or family sessions to get everyone working together better, I'm here to help. I work with families throughout Seattle and across Washington State.

As Featured in The Seattle Times

In my feature with The Seattle Times, I share practical ways caregivers can protect their own well-being while supporting loved ones. I encourage you to read it for some more helpful insights.

Our Therapy Process

Step 1: Assessment

  • We'll talk about your specific situation, what's been hardest for you, and what your loved one is struggling with. No judgment, just understanding.

Step 2: Build Your Toolkit

  • Together we'll work on communication techniques that actually work, ways to set boundaries that don't feel mean, and crisis plans so you know what to do when things get scary.

Step 3: Ongoing Support

  • We'll work on managing your own stress, problem-solve new challenges that arise, and increase your confidence in navigating ongoing mental health challenges with your loved one.

FAQs

  • This can be very nuanced, not knowing the severity of your loved one’s mental health concerns.

    If they aren’t in immediate crisis and are open to accepting and hearing feedback, it’s important to find the balance of identifying what their their needs are with how much capacity you have to help them. It can be useful to think about how their symptoms or stressors could be reduced or managed and what they want to do about it. Your loved one may be more likely to make changes if you can express your empathy and understanding and explore what they think would help them feel better.

    If they are in immediate crisis, such as having suicidal thoughts or harm to self, homicidal thoughts, experiencing delusions or hearing voices, or dealing with a manic or depressive episode, this may be the case where you need to utilize a crisis line or go to the ER for a higher level of care, especially if they cannot keep themselves safe at home. Please see my resources page for crisis information.

  • Carrying the weight of caring for a family member with mental illness is extremely challenging. You’re likely burned out and exhausted, with little time for yourself or your own needs.

    It’s important to keep checking in with yourself and know what you have the bandwidth for. I find that some individuals and families want to exhaust their options and try setting more boundaries and use new communication strategies before they walk away, while others may have a different threshold entirely.

    There is no right or wrong answer, and if you need to do this, it’s very likely this is the best choice for you and your own mental health. It’s not an easy decision to make, but it’s also okay that you may have thought about this. It doesn’t make you a bad person or any less caring or supportive.

  • You’ve probably heard the saying, “You can’t take care of anyone else unless you first take care of yourself?” While it’s easier said than done, I’d start by asking yourself to reflect how you are taking care of yourself or what it would look like to start.

    Do you need to get more sleep, catch up with friends, or even make it to that yoga class you haven’t been to in months? Just as much as you are helping your family member, it’s crucial to make sure you are checking in with your own stressors and the impact their mental illness is having on you.

    Seeking a therapist that understands what your loved one is going through and how to support you as a caregiver can be a game-changer. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for a free consult call, and I’d love to hear from you!

    • Depression.

    • Withdrawal.

    • Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness.

    • Negative emotions.

    • Physical fatigue.

    • Sleep deprivation or sleep disorders.

    • Abuse of care receiver(s)

    • Neglect of care receiver(s)

    If you are feeling any of these, Please reach out. We can work together and find a better solution

Here is a powerful talk from Patricia Smith that explores compassion fatigue, the hidden toll of caregiving on both mind and body. Discover how to recognize the symptoms and take steps toward healing.