Navigating the Caregiver Journey

Navigating the Caregiver Journey

From Emotion Well by Johanna Dunlevy - Wellness Manager

August 4, 2025 · 48 min

About this episode

Melody Vachal shares her experiences and practical advice for caregivers on managing self-care while supporting others.

Are you a caregiver struggling with attending to your own self-care needs? In this episode of EFR’s Emotion Well Podcast, Melody Vachal, Amazon best-selling author, speaker, and caregiving advocate, shares her experiences on both sides of the caregiving journey—having spent many years as a primary caregiver to her son with special needs and then having to be the recipient of care after a serious car accident. She gives practical advice on how to carve out the mental, emotional, and physical spaces needed so caregivers can show up as the best versions of themselves to the people who rely on them. You can connect with Melody through her website , or on her LinkedIn or Facebook pages. Click here to learn more about or purchase her book, Still, I Rise . EFR offers our clients a variety of services, including Counseling, Life Coaching, and Child and Eldercare Resources. If your company would like to partner with us to offer these services to your employees, visit efr.org/employers to learn more. Donate to EFR. 1 in 3 Iowans needing mental health care cannot afford it. Your gift enables us to offer counseling to anyone in need regardless of their ability to pay. Thank you for helping…

People in this episode

Guest: Melody Vachal

Topics covered

  • caregiving
  • self-care
  • mental health
  • emotional well-being

Keywords

  • caregiver journey
  • self-care needs
  • mental spaces
  • emotional spaces
  • physical spaces

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Still, I Rise

Books & works: Navigating the Caregiver Journey, Emotion Well Podcast, Still, I Rise

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