Eustress is good for you when engaging in activities such as exercises, preparing for a speaking engagement, or any public performance. Eustress is good for you when going to a theme park to ride your favorite roller coaster, it is all linked to positive activities.


With all that’s going on in our country, our economy, the world, and on social media, it feels like so many of us are under a great deal of stress. Caring for elderly or aging parents can be particularly stress-inducing. We know chronic stress can be as unhealthy as smoking a quarter of a pack a day. What are stress management strategies that people use to become “Stress-Proof? What are some great tweaks, hacks, and tips that help reduce or even eliminate stress when caring for our aging parents? In this interview series, we are talking to authors, and mental health experts, who can share their strategies for reducing or eliminating stress. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kimberly Parker.

Kimberly Parker is a Licensed Therapist and holistic health coach, who is a group practice owner. Kimberly’s area of expertise is in PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Personality Disorders, Somatic Disorders, and eating disorders. Kimberly assists clients with healing their various parts of self with evidence-based treatment models such as EMDR & Brainspotting Therapy. Kimberly has also worked in the field of geriatrics for 5 years as well.


Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to know how you got from “there to here.” Inspire us with your backstory!

I was a very quiet child and I loved reading, I remember going through the library Rolodex searching for books. I would sit on the floor of the library aisle and read. At my house, we had a set of encyclopedias, and I would just read through them, it took me to a place of happiness. I love searching for knowledge and I know it made me who I am today. I have been blessed to meet mentors that helped guide me and I believe God placed them there to help.

What lessons would you share with yourself if you had the opportunity to meet your younger self?

I would tell Kimberly never to doubt what you are sensing and that her dreams have meaning that she cannot ignore.

One of my favorite songs is called “Never Surrender” By Stan Bush so I would relay these lyrics to my younger self.

None of us are able to experience success without support along the way. Is there a particular person for whom you are grateful because of the support they gave you to grow you from “there to here?” Can you share that story and why you are grateful for them?

My good friend who was my tutor many years ago has helped me tremendously. We have been friends for almost 10 years, he is successful in his field and highly intelligent. When you surround yourself with intelligent people, indeed, you learn so much and the fact that he lives his life based on the Holy Scriptures shows the fruit bared. I have so many stories of why I am grateful. It is rare today to find people who like the classics of Shakespeare, Art such as Renoir, and listening to classical music such as Bach. When we go to the international store to purchase exotic fruits and vegetables, we have great discussions about ideas.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think it might help people?

I am working on events to spread mental health awareness and creating groups to address various life and mental health concerns. I am focusing on assisting children with self-esteem issues and women who’ve been domestic violence victims. I want to start involving myself in speaking engagements. The more people are aware that there is zero shame in therapy, the stigma around mental health will decrease.

Ok, thank you for sharing your inspired life. Let’s now talk about stress. How would you define stress?

Stress is a biological response utilizing the chemical hormone known as cortisol. In some cases, stress is good when working on goals and even engaging in exercise. Stress can also be detrimental, and it can come from overworking tragic events, and even situations that take place at home. When one has too much cortisol studies have shown that it causes the brain’s hippocampus to shrink, neuropathways are affected, mental health issues arise, and physical health issues.

In the Western world, humans typically have their shelter, food, and survival needs met. So what has led to this chronic stress? Why are so many of us always stressed out?

I believe it has to do with the mentality to win in life that one must work non-stop. I believe the impulse control of most of the western world has been affected by the duration one spends on the internet. Lack of sleep and wanting to be in the know via the media. Improper nutrition and lack of exercise are linked to stress. Even though the Maslow Hierarchy of needs is met for most people in the west, there are other factors intertwined. What you eat affects your mental health, so “do you have access to affordable and healthy food?”. The environment “Where you live is it even safe to be outside or do you have to be hypervigilant?”. “Is the environment in which you dwell in areas of more pollution than others?”. “Does one have access to transportation.” “Is the educational system in which you dwell providing high-level, subpar, or low academic provisions?”. These are questions and factors that must be taken into consideration as it is stress-inducing depending on your answers.

What are some of the physical manifestations of being under a lot of stress? How does the human body react to stress?

Stress has been known to cause memory issues, bodily system failure over time, and mental health issues, and some people have been severely stressed that it has caused a psychotic break. The shrinkage of your hippocampus is due to the ongoing production of the stress hormone cortisol. Autoimmune diseases have been linked to stress and overall, the human body starts to decline. Stress affects the heart as a result there is a high chance of a heart attack or a stroke. You can reverse these side effects with proper nutrition, exercise, therapy, and having your primary care physician monitor your health.

Is stress necessarily a bad thing? Can stress ever be good for us?

Eustress is good for you when engaging in activities such as exercises, preparing for a speaking engagement, or any public performance. Eustress is good for you when going to a theme park to ride your favorite roller coaster, it is all linked to positive activities.

Let’s now focus more on the stress of caring for elderly or aging parents. This feels intuitive, but it is helpful to spell it out to address it. Can you help articulate a few reasons why caring for our aging parents can be so stressful?

Being a caregiver can cause “Caregiver Burnout” because you are attending to your daily life task and now your parents. It also depends on the level of care your parents need to stay in their home or at your residence. Your parents may need nursing assistance, which can be expensive, or some insurance offsets the cost. Caregivers must change their daily schedule to accommodate their parents. It can cause a financial strain if our parents do not have insurance in place (life, long-term care, and health insurance) for services. I do not believe in putting one’s parents in a nursing facility, so researching for resources from preventative measures should start now.

Can you share with our readers your “5 Things You Can Do To Reduce Stress When Caring For Your Elderly Or Aging Parents”? If you can, please share a story or example for each.

In the past, I have worked at All Inclusive Adult Day Care Programs and in hospital settings. I worked with the Geriatric population. When an elderly family member becomes ill it changes one’s family dynamics. There are programs and community resources that a caregiver can use to reduce stress. Researching Adult Day Care Programs in your area, Adult Respite allows caregivers to have a break away from that role, calling your aging adult insurance to see if services are available such as in-home nursing to assist with “ Adult Daily Living Skills ‘. The American Society on Aging is a great resource. I suggest for those elderly adults who need assistance with daily tasks that family members (safety proof the home). This can be accomplished with the use of durable medical equipment, fall-proofing the home by securing any area rugs, using clear edge bumpers for furniture, life alert devices, a portable grabber, and proper lighting in the various rooms in the home. I would even have a Nest Camera in the home and a Ring Doorbell which a family member has access to since the geriatric population is more vulnerable when it comes to societal mishaps.

Caregivers should attend online groups or even in person. I have seen hospitals and organizations such as the American Society on Aging provide and assist those caregivers in finding resources. What most caregivers stress out about is the safety of their loved one and how they are going to juggle those tasks along with their daily life

Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that have inspired you to live with more joy in life?

Books: “ The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz”, “The Daily Stoic By Ryan Holiday” & How Not To Die By Dr.Michael Greger.”

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

There needs to be more aware of what we eat affects our mental health. You will be surprised how changing your lifestyle will improve your mood. I would have a podcast and invite various guests to speak on this subject matter.

What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?

Instagram: Healthy_Mind_Counseling

TikTok: traumatherapistkin

Website: www.heathymindcounseligandnutrition.com

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

Author(s)

  • Savio P. Clemente

    TEDx Speaker, Media Journalist, Board Certified Wellness Coach, Best-Selling Author & Cancer Survivor

    Savio P. Clemente, TEDx speaker and Stage 3 cancer survivor, infuses transformative insights into every article. His journey battling cancer fuels a mission to empower survivors and industry leaders towards living a truly healthy, wealthy, and wise lifestyle. As a Board-Certified Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC, ACC), Savio guides readers to embrace self-discovery and rewrite narratives by loving their inner stranger, as outlined in his acclaimed TEDx talk: "7 Minutes to Wellness: How to Love Your Inner Stranger." Through his best-selling book and impactful work as a media journalist — covering inspirational stories of resilience and exploring wellness trends — Savio has collaborated with notable celebrities and TV personalities, bringing his insights to diverse audiences and touching countless lives. His philosophy, "to know thyself is to heal thyself," resonates in every piece.