What mental health or counselling supports are available to you as a carer?

Carer support is comprised of many things – and can include mental health support when you (and your family) need it most.

Being a carer is very rewarding, whether you’re a foster carer, caring for an elderly loved one, or someone with a disability, but it can sometimes be mentally fatiguing, especially if you don’t access the right support. As we explained in a recent article, accessing resources and support like respite is so important for carers as it can help to reduce feelings of overwhelm, isolation, stress, and exhaustion.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

the importance of mental health support for carers;
the different types of mental health and counselling support services available to carers;
how you can access these supports;
tips for overcoming barriers to accessing support; and
additional resources.

If you’re a carer, or are thinking about becoming a carer, and want to know more about the mental health and wellbeing supports that are available to you, keep reading.

Benefits of mental health support for carers

Having adequate mental health support is so important for carers. Caring for somebody can be physically and emotionally demanding; whether that’s your own child(ren), a foster child, parent or loved one.

Not only is carer support important for carers, themselves, but it can also positively impact the person receiving the care. When carers prioritise their own wellbeing, it improves the quality of care that they’re able to provide. Here are some of the reasons why it’s important for carers to receive quality mental health support.

It reduces emotional strain

Carers sometimes deal with a range of feelings including frustration, grief, isolation, and uncertainty. Over time, these feelings can become emotionally taxing. Especially if they aren’t addressed.

Mental health services are a type of carer support that can provide you with tools to manage those negative feelings, including stress, anxiety and exhaustion, and build coping strategies and resilience.

It prevents burnout

Burnout can occur because of emotional strain or when a carer consistently puts the needs of the person they’re caring for before their own. Thus, resulting in exhaustion. Carer burnout can present itself in many ways, including:

Fatigue and exhaustion
Changes in appetite
Changes in sleeping patterns
Feelings of helplessness
Social withdrawal
Changes to physical wellbeing
Decreased motivation.

Mental health guidance is a form of carer support that can help carers reframe their thoughts and feelings to better manage stress and coping strategies. This may include acknowledging limitations and setting boundaries, being open to talking about their feelings, improving communication techniques, asking for help, connecting with others, and more.

Reduces feelings of isolation

Mental health support can help to increase feelings of one-to-one or group connection for carers who might experience feelings of isolation.

This type of support can help individuals (or families) who care for others to express their feelings and receive emotional support or guidance from a professional or other people (i.e. in support groups) who might be experiencing similar challenges.

Increases self-care

When carers access regular mental health support, they can experience a positive increase in their wellbeing. With the right tools and resources, carers may begin to feel empowered to set boundaries, seek help, and find respite to improve their capacity to care. Some other ways that mental health support can benefit carers include:

it reduces the risk of burnout
it encourages carers to prioritise their time and wellbeing
it can increase self-esteem and confidence.

Types of counselling supports and how to access them

Having good mental health and wellbeing is an important part of being a carer. Mental health and counselling services can be offered in person, over the phone or virtually. They can also be delivered individually, amongst couples, or with families.

Carer Gateway

Carer Gateway¹ is a free resource for unpaid carers in Australia. It’s offered by the Australian Government for anybody who cares for another person (i.e. foster and kinship carers, people caring for someone with a disability or medical condition, people caring for people experiencing a mental illness, or people caring for someone who is frail due to age).

The types of services offered through Carer Gateway include counselling, coaching, respite care, and peer support groups. Support can be delivered in-person one-on-one, in-person group settings, or over the phone.

Anglicare mental health and counselling support services

Whether you’re caring for an elderly family member or a foster child, Anglicare Southern Queensland offers a range of mental health and counselling services for people experiencing family and relationship challenges, drug and alcohol issues, and challenges with domestic and family violence.

If you’re a carer, or are currently connected to Anglicare, and would like to learn more about the counselling services available in your region, please get in touch with our friendly team today by submitting our online counselling form on our counselling webpage or calling 1300 114 397.

Other supports and counselling services

There are plenty of other counselling services that can assist carers who might be seeking help for their mental health and wellbeing. The Queensland Government have a page on their website dedicated to the types of support available to a wide range of carers.²

Additionally, if you speak to your GP, they’ll be able to connect you with relevant support services to meet your individual needs.

Accessing support

If you’re a carer and you’re interested in accessing mental health and counselling support, there are several ways you can do so.

For starters, if you’re already linked with a care provider, we suggest reaching out to them directly to see if they offer any mental health or counselling support to their carers. Alternatively, they might be able to refer you to their network of support agencies.

Additionally, you may wish to chat with your GP who might be able to refer you to specialist counselling or therapy services to meet your individual mental health care needs and circumstances.

Finally, you may also want to check out some of the free available resources available to carers, including Carer Gateway and the support services listed on the Queensland Government Carer Support website. Their details have been linked in the resources list at the bottom of this article.

Tips for overcoming barriers to accessing support

For people seeking carer support, there are some reasons/ barriers that can make the process challenging. This might be due to time and cost restraints, lack of access to support (particularly in small or rural areas), cultural limitations, difficulties navigating complex systems, stigma and more.

One of the most important things to consider, especially when it comes to your own health care, is that it’s important to advocate for yourself and if you can’t, try to find a provider or someone who is willing to do so for you. At the end of the day, only you know your own health better than anyone else.

Here are some of our other tips for overcoming barriers when accessing support as a carer.

Utilise respite and take some time for self-care. You can do this by discussing your respite options with your care provider
Educate yourself about mental health to combat stigma and become more aware of the options available to you
Advocate for clear communication from your health care provider
Seek professional support and ask questions
Explore the supports available to you such as local groups or government funded programs. If you live in areas where physical support is a big constraint, understand what virtual options are available to you
Explore the free or low-cost options available to you
Join carer support groups to tap into the wealth of knowledge of other carers
Learn to recognise the signs of carer burnout so that you can respond quickly.

Additional resources

It’s important to remember that you’re not alone. There’s always support available to help you through whatever challenges you might be experiencing.

There are plenty of additional resources available for carers. That includes in person, online, or over the phone.

Here are some more resources and services for carers who want to improve their mental health:

Wellways Australia which is a national resource comprised of counselling, planning and assistance, and financial packages for carers³
Carers Queensland – a peak body representing and advocating on behalf of Queensland carers⁴
Arafmi QLD – support for mental health carers in Queenslanders and a peak body for unpaid mental health carers.⁵

If you need emergency or crisis support, please contact Triple 0, immediately. Alternatively, you may wish to contact:

Lifeline for 24/7 crisis support on 13 11 14
Beyond Blue for 24/7 crisis support on 1300 224 636.

Additional information and support for Anglicare carers

Carers of elderly people

If you’re providing care to an elderly person, learn more about our respite care services and their funding options by visiting our Respite Care Services webpage. These services allow you to take some time to rest while being reassured that your loved one is in safe and compassionate hands.

If you’re caring for someone living with dementia, we provide a free six-week program designed to help you and your loved one who might be living with dementia. Through this program, you’ll gain support and access to other services, discover the benefits of respite, navigate the system, connect with other carers, and more. Find out more here.

Foster or kinship carers

For foster and kinship carers, please learn more about our Carer Support Services, comprised of foster care payments, preparing for your role, ongoing support and our carer benefits program by clicking the link to our Carer Support Services webpage.