Nearly *one in five adults in the United States live with a mental illness....that's a lot of loved ones living with a mental illness as well.
Finding out a loved one is living with mental illness can bring on a vast spectrum of feelings from sadness, fear, anxiety and panic........to a sense of relief. And that's just the beginning.
Providing support and enhanced coping strategies, my goal is to play up clients’ strengths and shore up weaknesses in an effort to better manage personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family concerns, marriage issues and the hassles of daily life. We all go through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties in the past, seeking out extra support when you need it is fundamental to self-care.
Whether you are experiencing:
challenges navigating through your loved ones symptoms
unresolved childhood issues
grief and loss
anxiety, depression
relationship troubles
emotional dysregulation and upheaval
stress management, work or life transitions, difficulties maintaining boundaries
and anything else you might be going through
it's important to remember your own needs and that healing can happen. Seeking support can decrease stress, increase hope and establish realistic expectations/limits that can contribute towards strengthening the relationship and healing.
There is strength in sharing experiences.
Supporting the needs of those living with mental illness, as well as their loved one, has been my life’s passion and research. As an advocate fighting stigma and promoting needs of those with mental illness, I am a member and volunteer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and have lead Marin NAMI Family Support groups. As a guest lecturer at Dominican University of California on the subject of The Impact on Siblings on Those Living with Severe Mental Illness, I have found that too often stigma and the public’s lack of knowledge regarding mental illness demands a louder voice of reason, empathy, hope and sincere, accurate information.
To find out more about therapeutic support, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Resources include:
The Impact on Siblings of Those Living with Severe Mental Illness, J. Couture, MA MFTI
When Madness Comes Home: Help and Hope for Families of the Mentally Ill, Victoria Secunda
*National Institute of Mental Health