She looked calm. Capable. But when I asked what she needed—she couldn’t answer. Not because she didn’t care. Because she didn’t remember how to.

If you’re the one keeping everything afloat—managing meds, moods, meals, and meaning—you might not realize what’s been lost. Not your partner. You.

This episode is about what happens when caregiving stops being something you do… and quietly becomes who you are. It’s not about blame. It’s about awareness. Because once you can name what’s happening, you can begin to change it.

– What “role engulfment” actually is—and why it’s not just burnout – How care partners disappear inside the job and lose access to their own needs – Why even small decisions can feel impossible when you’re emotionally fogged – One shift that can help you start coming back to yourself – A story that reveals the real turning point—not just for you, but for your relationship

If this hit home—there’s a story I want you to read. It’s called Are You Lisa or Elena? Two care partners. Same diagnosis. Very different outcomes. Find out which one is yours: https://lifeaphasiaacademy.co/f/lisa-or-elena

More Resources: Speak up for yourself after stroke—Take It Back: https://lifeaphasiaacademy.co/f/take-it-back Learn why aphasia progress never really stops (and how to spot it): https://dolifespeechpathology.com/f/neuroplasticity Explore care partner tools, mindset shifts, and coaching: https://lifeaphasiaacademy.co/care-partner-resources Curious about therapy or coaching support? Learn about our services: https://dolifespeechpathology.com Want help learning how to be a care partner and maintain yourself? Check out the LIFE Aphasia Collective: https://dolifespeechpathology.co/collective Watch more content on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LIFESpeechPathology/videos Prefer audio? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/listen-for-life-aphasia-podcast/id1621948384

You’re not failing. You’re adapting. But you don’t have to disappear in the process. There’s a way back to you.

I didn’t expect a movie to call me out—but one line stopped me cold.

If you’re a stroke care partner lying awake at night, looping through your to-do list, bracing for tomorrow before today is even over—this might be the reset you didn’t know you needed.

In this episode, I share the moment that hit me hard, what it taught me about mental clutter, and the 5-minute routine that’s helped me finally sleep again. No fixing. No faking. Just one tiny shift that changes everything.

• What “taking out the trash” really means for care partners
• Why mental overload mimics burnout and impacts your memory
• The nighttime routine I use to stop solving problems in my sleep
• What happens when you don’t give your brain closure (hello, Monkey Brain)
• A simple paper + timer practice that works—even when you're maxed out

If this hit home—there’s a story I want you to read. https://lifeaphasiaacademy.co/f/lisa-or-elena

More Resources:

Speak up for yourself after stroke—Take It Back: https://lifeaphasiaacademy.co/f/take-it-back

Wondering if progress is still possible? 3 Reasons Aphasia Progress Never Stops: https://dolifespeechpathology.com/f/neuroplasticity

Want help learning how to be a care partner and maintain yourself? Start here: https://lifeaphasiaacademy.co/care-partner-resources

Need support or expert therapy guidance? Learn about LIFE Speech Pathology® services: https://dolifespeechpathology.com

Looking for a community that truly gets it? Join the LIFE Aphasia Collective: https://dolifespeechpathology.co/collective

Browse more videos on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LIFESpeechPathology/videos

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/listen-for-life-aphasia-podcast/id1621948384

You’re not failing. You’re adapting.

If your spouse or loved one survived a right hemisphere stroke and now feels… different—you’re not imagining it. In this heartfelt Q&A, Genevieve answers real questions from care partners grappling with subtle but life-altering changes: blank stares, flat affect, lost affection, impulsive speech, and “he’s totally fine” denial. If you’ve ever wondered is this the stroke… or just who they are now?—this episode will bring clarity, validation, and next steps.

This episode is for care partners who are feeling emotionally alone in the aftermath of a stroke that didn’t affect speech—but changed everything else.

• “Why does my spouse seem flat and expressionless now?”
• “She used to be warm and affectionate… now she feels distant. What changed?”
• “My husband takes everything literally now—no jokes, no sarcasm. Why?”
• “He swears he’s fine, but I can see he’s not. How do I make him aware?”
• “My dad only shaves half his face now—how do I help him notice?”
• “What’s the deal with memory? Is it memory loss or something else?”

• Right hemisphere stroke often impacts personality, not language.
• Emotional disconnect, sarcasm misfires, and blank stares are common—but misunderstood—stroke effects.
• Survivors may not realize their behavior has changed. It’s not denial—it’s a breakdown in self-awareness.
• These shifts are real, and they can be worked with. But first, care partners need to stop taking them personally.
• Small strategies and honest conversations can rebuild connection—but education is key.

There’s a short story I want you to read. It’s called “Are You Lisa or Elena?” One stayed stuck. One found her way back. ➡️ Read it here

You might be surprised which one you are.

If this episode helped you feel seen, share it with a friend or fellow care partner who needs it. Don’t forget to subscribe to Listen for LIFE and leave a review—your story helps others find theirs.

💭 “I feel like I’m talking to a wall. I see the struggle, but he doesn’t. How do you help someone who doesn’t even realize they need help?”

When a stroke survivor doesn’t recognize their own deficits—whether it’s missed objects, risky decisions, or emotional distance—it can feel like denial. But this isn’t stubbornness. It’s something deeper: a neurological change called anosognosia.

In this episode, we unpack the emotional and relational weight care partners carry when their loved one just can’t see what’s wrong.

• Why self-awareness is often disrupted after a right hemisphere stroke—and what that looks like in daily life
• The difference between denial and anosognosia (and why it matters for your sanity)
• How to use practical, gentle strategies to encourage awareness without confrontation

🛑 This is Part 4 of our 5-part Right Hemisphere Stroke Series: 🔹 Go back to Episode 138 to learn how stroke affects how survivors process information 🔹 Listen to Episode 140 for insights on emotions, relationships, and social cues 🔹 Check out Episode 141 to explore personality and behavior changes after stroke 🔹 Stay tuned for next week’s episode—we’re answering your top questions about right hemisphere stroke

Are You Lisa or Elena? There’s a story I want you to read—it’s short, but powerful. It’s called Are You Lisa or Elena? And the truth is... most care partners are living one of these stories. I want you to find out which one is yours. ➡️ https://lifeaphasiaacademy.co/f/are-you-lisa-or-elena

🎧 Listen now to understand stroke awareness challenges & what you can do. 🔔 If this episode helped you, please share it with another care partner.

🔔 If this episode helped you, please share it with another care partner!If your loved one’s personality feels different after a stroke, you’re not imagining it. Right hemisphere strokes can affect emotional awareness, social judgment, and self-control—leading to blunt speech, impulsivity, and a seeming lack of empathy.

It’s not a personality choice—it’s a brain function change. But for care partners, it doesn’t always feel that way.

🎧 In this episode, we cover: ✔️ Why right hemisphere stroke can cause personality changes ✔️ How to separate the stroke from the person (so it doesn’t feel personal) ✔️ Why self-awareness is affected—and how to gently encourage it ✔️ Concrete strategies for handling impulsivity, emotional disconnect, and social struggles

🛑 This is Part 3 of our 4-part Right Hemisphere Stroke Series! 🔹 Go back to Episode 138 to learn about how right hemisphere stroke changes how survivors process information. 🔹 Listen to Episode 140 to hear about emotions, relationships, and why social cues feel different. 🔹 Stay tuned for Episode 144, where we’ll explore life from the survivor’s perspective—what it actually feels like to navigate the world after a right hemisphere stroke.

When your world feels out of control, the first step is building a support system.

We’ve found that when care partners have strong support, everything changes. They move from overwhelmed and reactive to in control and proactive—and that shift helps them not just care for their loved one, but promote real recovery.

That’s why we created First Steps to LIFE Beyond Aphasia: Build Your Support Map—a 90-minute course designed to help you get out of survival mode and reclaim balance in your life.

✅ Learn how to rebuild your support network—so you’re not doing this alone. ✅ Find stability so you have the energy to learn about stroke & adaptation. ✅ Shift from feeling lost to feeling confident & in control.

📌 Learn more and enroll today → https://dolifespeechpathology/first-steps

🎧 Listen now to understand personality changes after stroke & what you can do.

"Why does it feel like your loved one has changed emotionally after their stroke? Why do they miss social cues, seem indifferent, or struggle to respond appropriately? And most importantly—how can you navigate these changes without feeling hurt or disconnected?"

After a right hemisphere stroke, survivors often struggle to recognize emotions, pick up on social cues, or respond in the way they used to. It’s not that they don’t care—it’s that their brain is processing relationships and emotions differently now.

In this episode, we’re uncovering: ✔️ Why right hemisphere strokes change emotional responses ✔️ Why care partners often feel hurt, frustrated, or unappreciated ✔️ How to separate the stroke from the person (so it doesn’t feel personal) ✔️ Concrete strategies to adapt, communicate, and reconnect

💡 Feeling overwhelmed as a stroke care partner?

You were thrown into this role without training, without a guide, and without a support system—and now, you’re carrying the weight of recovery on your shoulders.

We’ve found that stroke recovery accelerates when care partners have the right knowledge, tools, and support. But too often, care partners lose themselves in the process—feeling exhausted, disconnected, and unsure of what to do next.

That’s why we created First Steps to LIFE Beyond Aphasia: Build Your Support Map—a 90-minute course designed to help you take care of yourself first.

✅ Understand your own identity shift as a care partner (because recovery changes your life too). ✅ Build a strong support system so you don’t have to do this alone. ✅ Shift from survival mode to feeling confident & in control—for both you and your loved one.

This course will change the way you approach being a stroke care partner—giving you the first, most important step toward balance, clarity, and support.

📌 Learn more and enroll today → https://dolifespeechpathology/first-steps

🎧 Listen now to learn how to navigate emotions & relationships after stroke.

When a parent or loved one experiences aphasia after a stroke, it can be difficult for the entire family—especially children—to understand what’s happening. In this episode, Lisa Samson, an experienced speech-language pathologist and author of Listen with Your Heart: Helping Kids Understand Stroke and Aphasia, shares how families can support children through aphasia recovery. We explore practical ways to explain communication changes to kids, how her book provides an accessible tool for families, and strategies for fostering understanding and connection at home.

🔑 Key Takeaways: ✅ How aphasia impacts the entire family, including children ✅ Why kids need simple, honest explanations about communication changes ✅ The inspiration behind Listen with Your Heart: Helping Kids Understand Stroke and Aphasia and how it helps families ✅ Tips for care partners to encourage connection and understanding

💡 Action Step: Take a moment to talk with your child about aphasia. Use simple language, encourage questions, and reassure them that communication happens in many ways. Consider using picture books or visual aids like Listen with Your Heart to support their understanding. Amazon link: https://a.co/d/eTgK0Aj

📌 Want to maximize recovery? Download our free guide: 3 Key Reasons Aphasia Therapy Never Stops 📌 Care partner support is here! Join our free 5-day email course: Chaos to Clarity

✨ Sponsor Acknowledgment: This episode is brought to you by LIFE Aphasia Academy®, your go-to resource for expert-led education on aphasia, communication strategies, and connection.

"You ask a simple question, and instead of an answer, you get silence—or a response that doesn’t quite make sense. It’s not about hearing loss or forgetting words. The brain is working differently now.

In this episode, we uncover how right hemisphere strokes impact thinking, communication, and emotional expression—and why survivors may struggle to follow conversations, respond appropriately, or recognize social cues. We also explore common personality changes, including impulsivity, reduced self-awareness, and shifts in emotional expression.

If you’re a care partner, you’ll learn concrete strategies to improve communication, reduce frustration, and support your loved one’s recovery.

💡 Recovery is always possible! Download 3 Key Reasons Aphasia Progress Never Stops for practical strategies to support ongoing progress.

📌 Care partners, you’re not alone. Get step-by-step guidance with our free 5-day email course, From Chaos to Clarity—designed to help you find balance and connection.

💙 A Special Thanks to Our Sponsor – LIFE Aphasia Academy® At LIFE Aphasia Academy®, we empower stroke survivors and care partners with the tools they need for communication success.

💡 Next episode: We’ll explore how right hemisphere strokes impact emotions and relationships—and what care partners can do to bridge the gap. Stay tuned!

🎧 Listen now and access stroke recovery resources at LIFE Aphasia Academy®!