Caring for Yourself While Supporting Someone with a Mental Illness or Trauma History: A Conversation with Dr. Michelle Sherman

Loving and supporting someone with a mental illness or history of trauma can be incredibly challenging. It’s a delicate balance between offering care, setting healthy boundaries, and taking care of your own emotional needs. Yet, the experience of loved ones is often overlooked. So, how can we best support our loved ones while also prioritizing our own well-being? In this episode of Speaking of Mental Health, Michelle is joined by Dr. Michelle Sherman, a clinical psychologist and Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Sherman is an expert in couples and family psychology and has dedicated her 30+ year career to supporting families navigating mental illness and trauma. She offers invaluable insights into how loved ones can effectively manage caregiving, set healthy boundaries, and avoid compassion fatigue — all while taking care of themselves. Drawing from her extensive experience and insights from her new book, Loving Someone with a Mental Illness or History of Trauma, Dr. Sherman shares actionable strategies for finding the delicate balance between supporting others and prioritizing your own mental health. In this episode, we discuss: The emotional challenges of supporting someone who's struggling with a mental health condition or history of trauma How to set healthy boundaries and prioritize your own well-being while supporting someone else Practical ways to manage compassion fatigue and avoid burnout How to communicate effectively in sensitive situations while also honoring your own emotional needs The concept of anosognosia — when someone with a mental illness is unaware of or denies their condition — and how it can impact caregiving Join us for an insightful conversation with Dr. Michelle Sherman, and gain actionable insights into how you can take care of yourself while still supporting your loved ones.