The Caregivers Podcast

What happens when an estranged parent becomes sick, dependent, or close to death?In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark Ropeleski speaks with Dr. Joshua Coleman, clinical psychologist and author of The Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict, about family estrangement, caregiving, guilt, boundaries, and end-of-life decisions.They discuss why adult children cut ties with parents, how abuse, neglect, divorce, mental illness, addiction, and old family roles can shape estrangement, and what happens when caregiving responsibilities suddenly return during illness or terminal decline.This conversation is for caregivers, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and families facing difficult questions like:Do I owe care to a parent who hurt me?Can I help without reopening the relationship?How do siblings make decisions when they remember the family differently?Is reconciliation possible near the end of life?How do I set boundaries without being consumed by guilt?If you are navigating caregiving, estrangement, hospice, aging parents, or complicated family dynamics, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how to make decisions you can live with later.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Support Our Guest:▶️ Rules of Estrangement: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622584/rules-of-estrangement-by-joshua-coleman-phd/▶️ https://www.drjoshuacoleman.comConnect With Us:▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcastSubscribe to The Caregivers Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. If you find these conversations helpful, please leave a review or share this episode with a fellow caregiver.🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c 🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

In this week's episode, Dr. Mark sits down for a deeply moving, brutally honest conversation with returning guest Kate Washington. Kate is a writer and former caregiver whose reality was completely upended when her former husband was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, shifting their dynamic from equal partners to nurse and patient.Kate opens up about the invisible mental load of caregiving, the erosion of physical and emotional intimacy, and the free-floating resentment that surfaces when your life is no longer your own. She also shares the immense guilt and social anxiety she faced when choosing to step away from her marriage years after the initial crisis passed—not out of selfishness, but as an act of survival.If you have ever felt completely invisible, isolated, or burnt out while looking after a loved one, this episode is a powerful reminder that you are not carrying this weight alone.Click here to watch a video of this episode. About Our Guest:Kate Washington is the author of Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout In America (Beacon Press, 2021) and a frequent speaker on the systemic challenges facing family caregivers. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, HuffPost, Eater, and many other publications. Her second book, Midstream: A Life Remade in 50 Swims, is forthcoming July 7, 2026. She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and lives in Sacramento with her two daughters, one very friendly dog, and one very unfriendly cat.Support Our Guest: ▶️ Website: https://www.kawashington.com/▶️ Pre-Order Kate's new book, Midstream: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/816937/midstream-by-kate-washington/▶️ Buy Kate's book, Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America:https://www.kawashington.com/already-toast▶️ X: @washingtonkateConnect With Us:▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcastSubscribe to The Caregivers Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. If you find these conversations helpful, please leave a review or share this episode with a fellow caregiver.🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c 🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, host Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with senior living expert Janice Martin to unpack the hidden traps families fall into during this challenging stage. From navigating the guilt of a "never put me in a home" promise to managing intense sibling friction over inheritance versus care costs, this conversation brings to light the realities families are often afraid to say out loud. We also explore the practical side of senior housing: baseline costs, level-of-care price thresholds, resident rights regarding personal habits, intimacy in care facilities, and how to recognize the tipping point of true caregiver burnout.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Support Our Guest:▶️ Book a call, buy a book, & more: https://stan.store/seniorliaison▶️ The Complete Guide To Assisted Living: https://amzn.to/4u3Cnb4▶️ The Journey To Assisted Living: Expectation vs. Reality: https://amzn.to/3P1lCi1Connect With Us:▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcastSubscribe to The Caregivers Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. If you find these conversations helpful, please leave a review or share this episode with a fellow caregiver.🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c 🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

Are you a family caregiver who feels trapped by unfair family dynamics? In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark Ropeleski welcomes author Amy Vasterling to discuss how family conditioning can strip away a caregiver’s identity. Amy shares insights from her book, Know, explaining why boundaries are often treated as betrayal in enmeshed families and how caregivers can reclaim their inner truth.The conversation dives deep into the difference between The Model (social and family control) and The Knowing (our innate truth). Amy and Dr. Mark explore the unique challenges faced by Highly Sensitive People (HSP) in caregiving roles, the hidden control within enabling behaviors like worry and guilt, and practical strategies for navigating siblings who refuse to share the load. If you have ever felt like the family scapegoat or struggle with the false moral standard of total sacrifice, this episode provides the language and tools you need to find safety and choice again. Click here to watch a video of this episode. About Our GuestAmy Vasterling is an author and researcher who helps individuals reclaim their inner truth from social and family conditioning. Her book, Know: Where the Status Quo Ends and You Come to Life, offers a handhold for those navigating complex emotional systems.Support Amy▶️"Know": https://mybook.to/knowbyamyvasterling▶️ https://linktr.ee/amyvasterling▶️ https://amyvasterling.comConnect With Us▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcastSubscribe to The Caregivers Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. If you find these conversations helpful, please leave a review or share this episode with a fellow caregiver.🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c 🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

This week on The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark sits down with media psychologist Dr. Pamela Rutledge to discuss the "unseen guest" in every caregiving environment: the social media feed. Caregiving already demands immense emotional steadiness, but how do we maintain that clarity when our phones are designed to keep us in a state of hyper-vigilance? We explore the psychological impact of the attention economy, why "doom scrolling" is a double-whammy for caregivers, and how to reclaim your agency in an environment designed to keep you activated.About Our Guest:Dr. Pamela Rutledge (PhD, MBA) is a leading media psychologist who focuses on the intersection of human behavior and digital technology. She helps individuals navigate the complexities of social media, focusing on how we can use these tools to enhance, rather than diminish, our well-being.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Support Our Guest:▶️www.pamelarutledge.com ▶️https://drpam.substack.comAll Things CGP: ▶️https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcastListen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts: 🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c 🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

This week on The Caregivers Podcast, host Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with Dr. Ramona Coelho, a family physician and leading voice in Canada’s MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) debate. Together, they take a deep dive into the clinical and moral shifts occurring within Canada’s healthcare system. Dr. Coelho shares harrowing insights into "Track 2" cases—where patients who are not terminally ill are being approved for MAID—and discusses how social vulnerabilities like poverty, housing insecurity, and loneliness are increasingly becoming drivers for assisted death. Dr. Coelho argues for a return to a medical culture that prioritizes accompaniment and community support, ensuring that care is always the first and primary response to human suffering.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Follow us:▶️All things CGP: https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast

In this episode of the Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark sits down with Krista Carr, CEO of Inclusion Canada, to discuss the complex and often controversial reality of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in Canada.Since its legalization, Canada has recorded over 76,000 MAID deaths. While many see an idealized version of a peaceful end-of-life choice, this conversation explores the "shadow track" of MAID—where death may become easier to access than essential care, housing, or disability supports. Krista Carr highlights the critical distinctions between Track 1 (imminent death) and Track 2 (disability-related) MAID, the lack of robust safeguards, and the ethical concerns raised by the United Nations regarding discrimination against people with disabilities.We dive deep into whether MAID is truly a "free choice" when the alternative is poverty and social isolation, and what the future holds as the program expands toward mental illness and mature minors.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Follow us:▶️ All things CGP: https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast

This week on The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark sits down with returning guest Dr. Dean Tripp, a professor of Psychology, Anesthesiology, and Urology at Queens University.Together, they pull back the curtain on the neuroscience of chronic pain, explaining how it physically alters the brain and why the traditional medical model often fails those in pain. Dr. Tripp introduces the C.A.R.E. Method, a practical framework for caregivers to provide empathy without burning out, and tackles the taboo topic of caregiver resentment.Whether you are living with pain or caring for someone who is, this episode offers a roadmap for moving from a state of learned helplessness back into a loving partnership.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Follow us: ▶️https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark sits down with Elizabeth Miller, founder of Happy Healthy Caregiver, to tackle the question nobody wants to say out loud: When parents age and need care, what do their adult children actually owe them?As a veteran podcaster and sandwich generation caregiver, Elizabeth shares the raw reality of balancing a career and children while managing the declining health of aging parents. We discuss the mudslide of caregiving, the difference between being a caregiver and a care partner, and how to handle the burnout that comes with the impossible squeeze of the sandwich generation.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Support our guest:▶️Book: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/product/journal/▶️Podcast: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/podcast/▶️Newsletter: https://happyhealthycaregiver.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=67480242b62b2c452bd227174&id=36cc22d7fbSocials:▶️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyhealthycaregiver/▶️Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happyhealthycaregiver▶️LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethbmiller/▶️X: https://x.com/HHCaregiver▶️Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HHCaregiver/▶️TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happyhealthycaregiver▶️YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAcYkpMK6I3Y0ep-kyvrZaQFollow us:▶️All things CGP: https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, host Dr. Mark sits down with Cynthia Neilson to discuss the emotional and practical realities of raising a child with a rare heart-lung condition.Cynthia shares her journey from the initial shock of a complex diagnosis at SickKids to the "stress tests" of everyday parenting—navigating medical equipment at bedtime, setting boundaries with school, and eventually empowering her daughter, Clare, to become her own advocate. It is a story of resilience, finding peace in the face of uncertainty, and the vital importance of caregiver communities.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Follow us:▶️https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast

Is caregiving consuming your life, or are you surviving the work? In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark breaks down why the "hero narrative" is breaking caregivers and why 2026 is the year we shift from mindless sacrifice to strategic sustainability.We explore the 10 things that are IN (like boundaries as a clinical skill and energy management) and the 10 things that are officially OUT (like toxic empathy and productivity worship). If you are a professional clinician, a family caregiver, or an advocate, this conversation provides a new framework for protecting your health while caring for others.Click here to watch a video of this episode. Follow us:▶️All things CGP: https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast

Caregivers don’t need more motivation, they need more margin. In this Season 2 premiere, Dr. Mark Ropeleski addresses the "diffusion of energy" that leads to caregiver burnout. If you find yourself saying "yes" to every crisis but "no" to your own well-being, this episode is your permission to simplify.Watch the full video episode:▶️YouTube: https://youtu.be/lzn6qzCgHagFollow us: ▶️https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcastBooks referenced in this episode:📖 Essentialism by Greg McKeown📖 The One Thing by Gary Keller📖 Atomic Habits by James Clear📖 The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg