Can my siblings and I come together to plan a parent’s care?

Family sessions are available to help families communicate, divide responsibilities, and make decisions with less conflict.

Caregiver Support

Caregiver Burnout & Support Counseling in Downers Grove, IL

Name: Affirm Behavioral Health, PLLC
Address: 5120 Main St., Suite 105, Downers Grove, IL, 60515, US
Telephone: (708) 990-1174
Price range: $75 – $225

Caring for a parent with dementia, a spouse in cancer treatment, or a child with a serious illness is love in action. It is also exhausting, isolating, and often invisible. Therapy gives you a place where you are the one being cared for.

Request a Free Consultation (708) 990-1174

A therapist taking notes while listening to a client during a counseling session

Signs of caregiver burnout

Exhaustion, trouble sleeping, and frequent illness
Irritability or resentment toward the person you care for, followed by guilt
Anxiety about what comes next and whether you are doing enough
Grief for the person they used to be, even while they are still here
Withdrawing from friends and activities because there is no time or energy
Neglecting your own health appointments
Using alcohol or food to get through the day

Caregiver fatigue is real, and it is treatable

Long-term caregiving carries a documented psychological cost: higher rates of depression, anxiety, and physical illness. Caregivers frequently tell me they feel they aren’t allowed to struggle because someone else is sicker. In therapy we set that rule aside. Your well-being matters, both for its own sake and because the person you care for needs you to last.

What caregiver counseling includes

With advanced training in oncology social work and years inside medical settings, I understand the systems you are navigating and the emotions they stir up.

Permission and tools to rest without guilt
Boundaries with the care recipient, siblings, and other family members
Grief and ambiguous loss while a loved one is still living
Decision-making support around care levels, facilities, and end-of-life wishes
Anxiety, depression, and burnout treatment tailored to a caregiver’s schedule
Family sessions to distribute responsibility and reduce conflict
Connection to respite, community, and practical resources

Care that fits around caregiving

Afternoon and evening appointments, Saturday availability, and secure telehealth across Illinois mean you can get support during a nap, from the hospital parking lot, or after bedtime. Short-term, focused work is available when a longer commitment isn’t realistic.

Frequently asked

Questions about caregiver support therapy

Yes. Biweekly sessions, brief check-ins, and short-term focused work are all possible. Telehealth removes travel time entirely, and we can build a cadence that is sustainable for you.

Why clients choose Affirm Behavioral Health

Dual-specialty care for mental health and substance use, with medical insight most therapists don’t offer.

Christine Stryjewski is both a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor, with advanced oncology social work training and years of experience in medical care. That means anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, and medical stress can be treated together in one coordinated plan.

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