You need a break.

And, we've got a way for you to get a break from stress and worry without leaving your house.

Our summer school of caregiving classes happens virtually, which means you connect with support and understanding from the comfort of your computer or tablet. Our instructors are also family caregivers so we get what the rigors of caregiving can be like. Our classes provide a virtual and convenient break from the caregiving day. During your one-hour virtual class, you'll connect live with your instructor and other students who also care (or cared) for a family member.

Each course costs $9. You save with our coupons when you take two or more classes:

2 classes: Save 5% (Each class costs $8.55). Use coupon code 2 (it's just 2) at check-out to save 5%.

3 classes: Save 10% (Each class costs $8.10). Use coupon code 3 (it's just 3) at check-out to save 10%.

4 classes: Save 15% (Each class costs $7.65). Use coupon code 4 (it's just 4) at check-out to save 15%.

5 classes or more: Save 29% (Each class costs $7.2). Use coupon code 5 (it's just 5) at check-out to save 20%.

You'll find our catalog of courses, below. (Check back regularly as we may add more.) You can purchase your classes at the bottom of this post. If you'd like purchase several classes, click to buy your first class. You'll then be directed to the shopping cart; just click to keep shopping to add another class.

You'll also find a calendar of courses at the bottom of the post to help you select the classes that fit your interest and schedule. Do you see a class you'd like to take but can't make the scheduled time? Send Denise an email and we'll do our best to add the class at another time.

Our courses include:

After Caregiving Ends: Your Next Step
Date and time: Wednesday, August 16, at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT, 5 p.m. MT, 4 p.m. PT).
Instructor: Denise M. Brown
After caregiving ends because of your caree's death, you can feel surrounded by a void. You miss your caree and you miss the purpose caregiving gave your day. The void can feel so great that you can't find your next step.
In this class, we'll figure out what next looks like for you and how you can take that next step.

Break from Silence: Create Your 4-Minute Caregiving Story
Date and time: Monday, August 14, at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT, 6 p.m. MT, 5 p.m. PT). This class is limited to 10 students.
Instructor: Denise M. Brown
You have an incredible story to tell. You may stay silent, though, because you haven't found the right audience who truly understands what it's like. In the class, you'll find a story you can tell in four minutes that any audience will find compelling and gripping. You'll learn how to begin and end your story and add only the most important details. You'll then join in a virtual performance to tell that four-minute story. (Our virtual performance will be scheduled for a later day and time.)

Break from Too Much: Announce Your "Enough"
Date and time: Tuesday, August 15, at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT, 1 p.m. MT, Noon PT).
Instructor: Denise M. Brown
You wonder if you’re doing or being enough in a caregiving situation, which can lead you to do too much. When you do too much for too long, you burn out. And, then you really feeling guilty. You also navigate relationships with family members and health care professionals which can feel like dysfunctional land mines. At the end of our hour together, you'll be able to say "good-bye" to what adds too much to your day so you can be enough in your day.

The Family Caregiver's Stress
Date and time: Thursday, August 10, at Noon ET (11 a.m. CT, 10 a.m. MT, 9 a.m. PT)
Instructor: Denise M. Brown
Caring for a family member or friend is stressful. We believe caregiving stress is an epidemic in our communities. To raise awareness of caregiving stress, we’ve asked family caregivers to rate their stress level and indicate the source(s) of their stress in our simple caregiving stress survey. In this class, you'll learn the current results of our ongoing survey and gain insights into what’s needed to minimize the stress.

Free From Frustration: Step Up to Stand Up
Date and time: Monday, August 14, at 1 p.m. ET (Noon CT, 11 a.m. MT, 10 a.m. PT).
Instructor: Denise M. Brown
You'll hear family members and friends offer suggestions which don't apply to your situation or ideas which would be impossible to implement. All these well-meaning but unrealistic will wear you out and bring your down. In this class, you'll create the responses you can use to shut down the "you should's." At the end of our one hour together, you'll feel empowered and energized to stand up for yourself.

Married and Caregiving: Keeping it Together
Date and time: Thursday, August 10, at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT, Noon MT, 11 a.m. PT).
Instructor: Lisa Riggi
Every marriage experiences challenges and rough spots throughout the years. However, when a family member (parent, sibling, aunt, cousin, etc.) becomes ill and needs our assistance as a family caregiver, the added stress on the marriage relationship can become overwhelming. The two most important ingredients in a healthy marriage is communication and intimacy. Keeping those areas strong... or learning ways to strengthen them, means improving the marital relationship. We will unover ways to break unhealthy behaviors, practice better communication skills and discover ways to improve your emotional and sexual intimacy.

When Is It Okay to Cry: Choosing Radical Acceptance
Date and Time: Wednesday, August 9, at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT, 6 p.m. MT, 5 p.m. PT)
Instructor: Andrew Koch
During the journey of care, tears can become frequent visitors. It is essential to always welcome these moments of release. Sometimes we lose sight of the bigger picture. By identifying how (T)trauma influences forgiveness and healing we can uncover the mystery of radical acceptance by using three self-compassion exercises.

When You Can't Take Anymore -- Break and Pray!
Date and time: Friday, August 11, at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT, 5 p.m. M T, 4 p.m. PT)
Instructor: Christopher-Charles Chaney
Sometimes it’s hard to find, hear, see or touch God when we are drowning in caregiving stress. Did you know our communication with God through prayer could lower blood pressure, improve sleep, provide energy, curve stress and essentially bring much-needed calm to caregiving chaos? Prayer is the living word of God spoken from our lips. God’s word is alive, operative, energetic, effective, and it sharper than any two-edged sword. Join us as we take a break to meditate and pray for your role as a caregiver, as well as your health, healing, emotions and so much more.

Meet Your Instructors

Christopher-Charles Chaney

Christopher-Charles, national speaker, award-winning author, and CEO of The Family CareLIVING Program℠, knows firsthand the benefits and challenges of being a family caregiver. It was his love and struggles as a former caregiver for his beloved mother that inspired him to write his first award-winning caregiving book. The Family CareLIVING Program℠, a division of the Christopher-Charles Chaney, Inc., offers workshops, webinars, wellness fairs, CEUs, and caregiving artwork. Christopher-Charles is widely sought after by corporations, faith-based organizations, and the media because of his magnetic personality, candid caregiving testimony, and practical advice. In short, Christopher-Charles Chaney is quickly becoming a recognizable face and voice for family caregivers. Visit www.CHANEYspeaks.com for more information.

Andrew Koch

Andrew is graduate student at Naropa University studying Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling. He specializes in supporting student caregivers. His mission is to help support the physical, functional, energetic, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, and transpersonal wellness of caregivers and their carees. Andrew has been a caregiving educator for four years. He has a special interest in supporting individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and Progressive Motor Neuron Diseases.

Lisa Riggi

Since 1976, Lisa has been a hands-on family caregiver by witnessing her parents who were family caregivers. She has been a working family caregiver for most of those years, including her own virtual assistant business for 10 years. In August of 2016 she found Caregiving.com and connected with its founder, Denise Brown. Lisa quickly registered to become a Certified Caregiving Consultant as well as a Certified Caregiving Educator. With these certifications in hand, she created The Serene Harbor as a place where family caregivers can find peace amongst the chaos. Her focus has been helping families of Veterans as well as married couples who are in family caregiving situations. For more information about Lisa's work, visit TheSereneHarbor.com.

Denise Brown
Denise launched Caregiving.com in 1996 and continues as the site’s sole employee, managing the site’s content, technology, community, campaigns, volunteers and social media. Because of her vision, Caregiving.com became the first website to add online caregiving support groups, daily caregiving chats and blogs written by family caregivers. Through its blogs posts, podcasts and video chats, Caregiving.com holds one of the largest online libraries of caregiving stories. Denise also hosts a Twitter chat for family caregivers (#carechat) every Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET. In March 2011, Denise launched CareGifters, an initiative which funds caregiving solutions, one family caregiver at a time. Through CareGifters, Denise raises money to send money to family caregivers in need. Denise began working with family caregivers in 1990 and regularly speaks about the family caregiver experience. Her insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, US News & World Report, USA Today, SmartMoney.com, Time magazine and Chicago Tribune. Her books, including The Caregiving Years, Six Stages to a Meaningful Journey and Take Comfort, Reflections of Hope for Caregivers, provide insights, inspirations and information to those who care for family members. She currently tries her best to care for her parents.