The Caregivers Podcast

Do You Owe Your Parents Care If They Hurt You? w/ Dr. Joshua Coleman

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. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPJlPGJ_v4I] Support Our Guest: ▶️ Rules of Estrangement: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622584/rules-of-estrangement-by-joshua-coleman-phd/ ▶️ https://www.drjoshuacoleman.com [https://www.drjoshuacoleman.com] Connect With Us: ▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast [https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast] Subscribe 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 [https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c] 🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665]

Self-care: The Impact of Endometriosis w/ Dr. Laura Katz

In this week's episode,  Dr. Mark is joined by clinical health and rehabilitation psychologist Dr. Laura Katz (co-founder of Endometriosis 360 and assistant professor at McMaster University) for a deeply honest conversation about endometriosis. Endometriosis affects roughly 1 in 10 women and girls of reproductive age, yet it is frequently minimized as "bad cramps" or a minor period issue. Dr. Katz breaks down the systemic load of living with this chronic condition, the psychological toll of multi-year diagnostic delays, and how the unpredictability of flare-ups reshapes intimacy, work, parenting, and everyday life. Referenced Video: https://www.tiktok.com/@brutamerica/video/7646491172503948558  Recommended Reading Mentioned in this Episode: ▶️ "The Way Out" by Alan Gordon Support Our Guest: ▶️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlaurakatz/ ▶️ Endometriosis 360: https://endometriosis360.ca/ Connect With Us: ▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast [https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast] Subscribe 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 [https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c] 🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665]

Caregiving Killed Our Marriage w/ Kate Washington

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. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94YqftLcWUA] 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: @washingtonkate Connect With Us: ▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast [https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast] Subscribe 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 [https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c] 🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665]

The Complete Guide to Hospice Care w/ Les Harp

In this weeks episode, Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with hospice nurse, clinical educator, and content creator Les Harp (@thathospiceguy). After unexpectedly becoming a caregiver and losing two wives to cancer, Les turned his profound personal grief into a life mission to educate families and healthcare professionals about the reality of end-of-life care. In this deeply moving and honest conversation, Dr. Mark and Les dismantle the biggest myths surrounding hospice, discuss how to handle shifting goals of care, and explore the heavy emotional toll - including anticipatory grief and burnout - carried by family caregivers. Whether your family is currently navigating an end-of-life diagnosis or you simply want to understand this inevitable stage of life with more humanity and less fear, this episode is for you. Click here to watch a video of this episode. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iouaN_Emug] Support Our Guest: ▶️ TikTok: that.hospice.guy ▶️ IG: that_hospice_guy ▶️ YouTube: ThatHospiceGuy ▶️ Facebook: That Hospice Guy (https://www.facebook.com/p/That-Hospice-Guy-61584427606316/) Connect With Us: ▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast [https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast] Subscribe 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. Listen: 🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c [https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c] 🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665]

"Promise Me You’ll Never Put Me in a Home”: When Families Face Long-Term Care w/ Janice Martin

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. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng72wWHz4nU] 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/3P1lCi1 Connect With Us: ▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast [https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast] Subscribe 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 [https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c] 🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665]