Greetings!
It took experiencing both sides of the care-giving/care-receiving equation to understand just how disruptive this common predicament can be to one's life flow. As a therapist who works with couples, I've heard wonderful stories of supportive partners who worked collaboratively to provide care for another (like a parent or adult child). I've heard, too, how caregiving, and being cared for, can foment loneliness in one or both carers as they strive to work together providing care for a third or fourth person.
I would never wish to be a catalyst that separates two people who depend on each other for love and support. Nor would I ever want to disturb the unique rhythm between life partners; it's too beautiful and rare a dance to disrupt. But, I would hope that my caregiver would respect my wishes while possessing the wisdom to respect their own lives, relationships.
This balance is not easily achieved but the wisdom I have gained over the past year as your president — and the information I've gained from IE-CAMFT's many training opportunities — has been indispensable, helping me to expand the foundations of wisdom and knowledge I have to draw from. I love also that these trainings are available ON DEMAND*.
Being part of IE-CAMFT is important to me. It makes me feel that I'm part of a bigger picture, and that keeps me hopeful!
Warmly,
Paul Velen, MS, LMFT
*ON DEMAND are Presentations/CEU opportunities available at
http://ie-camft.org. And, peruse our
ON DEMAND Library; more offerings will be available soon. But don't delay, while these opportunities are currently free of charge for members, this may change soon. Questions? Don't hesitate to reach out at
iecamft@gmail.com.
