- The Book -
STEPPING STONES FOR CAREGIVERS
Navigating the Mental and Emotional Trauma of Caregiving
Stepping Stones for Caregivers is a thoughtful starting place for anyone walking the path of caregiving. Whether you're brand new to the role or have been carrying it for years, this book offers gentle guidance, encouragement, and space to reflect. Through short readings and journaling prompts, Karen Leeman invites caregivers to pause, breathe, and reconnect with their own well-being—something often lost in the demands of caring for others.
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Written from experience and rooted in compassion, this book is a quiet companion for the journey ahead.
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ABOUT THE BOOK
Today, there are approximately fifty-three million informal, family caregivers in the United States. These caregivers, often with little to no training, serve a vital role—functioning as the backbone of the medical industry.
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While rewarding, caregiving also takes a mental and emotional toll. The demands of caregiving—combined with career, family, and everyday life—often result in caregiver fatigue, loneliness, grief, and depression.
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Stepping Stones for Caregivers offers a unique perspective for nourishing the soul of the caregiver. The inner being—identity, self-love, self-care, self-worth—is often diminished under the weight of caregiving responsibilities. This book provides ten core principles to help restore and support that inner being.
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Written by a caregiver for caregivers, these ten principles are impactful, accessible, and non-time-consuming practices to help navigate the emotional and mental trauma associated with caregiving.
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In Stepping Stones for Caregivers, you will learn how to:
• Transform thought patterns
• Regain your unique identity
• Foster gratitude and self-compassion
• Release emotional baggage
• Embrace the natural flow of life
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This book amplifies the positive aspects of caregiving while recognizing the often-unspoken challenges caregivers face. Let these stepping stones offer you stability, peace, and a return to your sense of self—shared from one caregiver to another with compassion and hope.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author, writer, and educator, Karen Leeman is passionate about helping informal caregivers navigate the mental and emotional trauma instinctive to caregiving.
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After years of feeling unfulfilled by traditional, well-meaning advice like "get enough sleep" or "make time to exercise," Karen found herself searching for something deeper: lasting inner peace and contentment through self-love and self-compassion.
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Her experience led to the founding of Caregiver2Caregiver, a community devoted to the inner well-being of informal caregivers. Karen believes caregivers must be rooted and grounded in their own self-worth—because true care begins within.
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After a twenty-year career in the professional business world, Karen also founded Resonate Skincare, a plant-based skincare brand created to nourish both skin and soul. The Rejuvenate Series offers a complete five-product routine, designed to deliver tangible moments of self-care in the midst of a demanding life.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK
"Stepping Stones for Caregivers is an incredibly uplifting and positive guide to the journey of caregiving. The book offers a refreshing and empowering perspective on the challenges caregivers face, providing practical advice and emotional support every step of the way. With its compassionate approach, it serves as a beacon of hope and encouragement for those navigating the complexities of caregiving."
— Brian M. Gorsich, Board of Trustee, Greater Illinois Market, National MS Society; Chair, Central Illinois Community Council, National MS Society
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"I was honored to be one of the first to read Stepping Stones for Caregivers by Karen Leeman. I found it uplifting, encouraging, and incredibly positive. The techniques Karen suggests can be used in many areas of life. Each chapter addresses positive ways to approach caregiving and self-care. I strongly encourage anyone in a caregiving position to read this book and apply these stepping stones—whether you're caring for a young child, a person with disabilities or chronic illness, or especially our elderly parents and grandparents.
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In fact, I wish I’d had this book when I was a very young woman caring for my dying mother. This book would have undoubtedly helped me handle that painful time in my life with much more love and grace.
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The truth is, we will all be in a caregiving situation at one or more times in our lives. Keep this book on hand—and remember to care for yourself along the way."
— Erin Parkin-Woods, Owner, White Buffalo II