Creative Therapy with Brendan Kelso
From Happy Healthy Caregiver by Elizabeth Miller Featured on The Whole Care Network
March 11, 2026 · 57 min · Season 9 · Episode 223
About this episode
Brendan Kelso shares his experiences as a caregiver for his mother with Alzheimer's and his son with ASD, discussing the role of creativity and therapeutic writing in his life.
Meet sandwich generation caregiver Brendan Kelso, who shares his journey caring for his mom with Alzheimer’s while also supporting his son with ASD. Brendan discusses embracing vulnerability and how therapeutic writing—even just 15 minutes a day—helps him process the messy parts of life and the mental traffic that shows up at night when sleep feels impossible. You’ll learn how creativity weaves through Brendan’s caregiving life—from thrifting books with his son to run an eBay bookstore, to adapting extended plays into child-friendly experiences, to writing a debut mystery-thriller inspired by his mother’s Alzheimer’s journey, and even transforming her former tiny home into a brick-and-mortar bookstore. We also dive into the importance of saying no, accessing California caregiver support, and finding meaningful ways to adapt when life doesn’t go as planned. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod223 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth…
People in this episode
Host: Elizabeth Miller
Guest: Brendan Kelso
Topics covered
- caregiving
- Alzheimer's
- ASD
- creative therapy
- mental health
- vulnerability
Keywords
- caregiver
- Alzheimer's
- ASD
- therapeutic writing
- creativity
- mental health
- vulnerability
- support
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Whole Care Network
Products: Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal
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