Ivy Young-Bell

You may be the person everyone depends on, the one who keeps the family together, handles the crisis, makes the appointments, checks in on everyone, and rarely gets asked what you need. Over time, constantly caring for others can leave you feeling exhausted, resentful, guilty, anxious, or disconnected from yourself. I work with adults and teens who have taken on caretaker roles within their families and relationships, including those navigating aging parents, changing family dynamics, cultural expectations, illness, or the pressure to always be the “strong one.” Therapy can be a space to explore where these patterns began.

I specialize in working with people who have spent so much time caring for others that they have lost touch with their own needs. You may feel responsible for keeping your family together, managing a parent’s health, supporting everyone emotionally, or being the person others always turn to. Therapy can help you understand these patterns together.

I know that being the person others rely on can become such a familiar role that it is hard to imagine who you are outside of it. I bring lived experience into my work with clients who are tired of always being the strong one and are ready to begin making room for themselves, too.