Caregiver Compass: Because Caring for Yourself Matters, Too
- Sunshine Staff
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
Being a caregiver is one of the most meaningful roles a person can have. Whether you're supporting an aging parent, caring for a spouse through illness, helping a child with a disability, or walking alongside a friend facing mental or physical health challenges, caregiving is an act of love.
But even the strongest caregivers need support.
Caregiving can be rewarding, but it can also be emotionally and physically exhausting. Many caregivers find themselves feeling overwhelmed, anxious, isolated, grieving the changes in their relationships, or guilty for taking time to care for themselves. Over time, these feelings can lead to chronic stress and burnout.
At Sunshine Community Health Center, we believe caregivers deserve care, too. That's why our Behavioral Health Integrated Care team is offering Caregiver Compass, a free, therapist-led, eight-week online support group designed to help caregivers find balance, strength, and direction.
Why Caregiver Support Matters
Family caregivers play an essential role in our healthcare system, especially in rural Alaska where formal support services may be limited.
According to the 2025 AARP/National Alliance for Caregiving Report:
1 in 4 adults is currently providing unpaid care to a family member or friend.
There are approximately 63 million family caregivers across the United States.
An estimated 22,000 to 23,000 adults in the Mat-Su Valley are currently providing unpaid care to someone they love.
Caregivers are more likely to experience chronic stress, depression, social isolation, and burnout. Supporting caregivers doesn't just improve their well-being—it also improves outcomes for the people they care for and strengthens the health of the entire community.
What Is Caregiver Compass?
Caregiver Compass is an 8-week therapist-led behavioral health group created specifically for adult caregivers of:
Aging parents
Spouses or partners
Children with disabilities
Individuals living with chronic illness
People with dementia
Individuals experiencing mental illness
Anyone with long-term caregiving responsibilities
The group provides a safe, confidential, and supportive environment where participants can connect with others who understand the unique challenges of caregiving while learning practical skills they can use in everyday life.
Sessions incorporate evidence-based approaches including:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Mindfulness
Self-Compassion
Somatic Regulation
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Solution-Focused Therapy
Brief Interpersonal Processing
Psychoeducation
Peer Support
What You'll Learn
Throughout the eight weeks, participants will build practical tools to:
Manage stress and prevent burnout
Improve communication with family and loved ones
Set healthy boundaries
Cope with grief, guilt, and changing family roles
Build resilience
Reconnect with their own identity and well-being
Find encouragement from others who understand the caregiving journey
Each session includes education, guided activities, group discussion, reflection, and take-home tools that can be applied immediately. Participation is always voluntary, and everyone is encouraged to share only what feels comfortable.
What to Expect Each Week
Each Friday, participants will explore a new topic designed to strengthen both emotional wellness and practical caregiving skills.
The weekly themes include:
Week 1: Understanding caregiver stress — You Can't Pour From an Empty Cup
Week 2: Understanding how stress affects the nervous system — Stress Lives in the Body
Week 3: Navigating caregiver guilt, grief, role changes, and loss of identity
Week 4: Setting healthy boundaries without guilt
Week 5: Managing relationships under pressure, including marriage, siblings, family conflict, isolation, resentment, and changing friendships
Week 6: Rediscovering your identity beyond caregiving
Week 7: Building resilience through self-compassion, hope, flexible thinking, and stress recovery
Week 8: Reflecting on growth and creating a path forward
Supporting the Whole Person
Caregiver Compass reflects Sunshine Community Health Center's commitment to integrated care by promoting prevention, supporting chronic disease management, strengthening family support systems, improving quality of life, and reducing fragmentation of care through coordinated behavioral health services.
Healthy caregivers are essential to healthy communities. When caregivers receive the support they need, families are stronger, individuals living with chronic illness or disability receive better care, and communities become more resilient.
Join Us
You spend so much time caring for others.
Now it's time to invest in yourself.
Caregiver Compass
Fridays at 12:00 PM
September 4 – October 23
Online via Zoom
If you're caring for someone you love, you don't have to carry it all alone.
To learn more or register, call 907-733-9292. Space is limited.
Sunshine Community Health Center
1-907-376-2273 (CARE)
*This article was written with the support of AI*
