Caregivers’ Healing Workshop

Many parents of children with rare diseases give everything to their families, often putting their own needs aside. Recognizing the physical and emotional toll this long-term caregiving can take, we partnered with the Action for Love Social Welfare Foundation to hold a two-day, one-night Caregivers’ Healing Workshop at the TFRD Welfare Center from October 25 to 26. Over the course of the workshop, participants gradually rediscovered joy, meaning, and new colors in their lives.

The workshop opened in the Healing Garden, where participants found a quiet place to sit and slowly settle in. Under the facilitator’s guidance, the 31 participants closed their eyes and imagined themselves as seeds carried from afar, reflecting on what had brought them there and the kind of flower they hoped to become. Professor Yu-Fen Chien then guided a session on self-care, reassuring everyone that their shared caregiving journeys created a safe space for openness and trust. Using pastels, some participants illustrated the emotional paths they had traveled since their loved one’s diagnosis. Professor Chien gently reminded them, “Pain is never wasted - it is transformed.”

In the afternoon, Associate Professor Shu-Ching Hu invited the participants into a “Garden of Inner Energy,” using songs to guide them in finding ways to recharge and reconnect with their inner resources and strength. As the music unfolded, people naturally began to hum along, and the room gradually filled with sharing and gentle interaction. This was followed by a quiet meditation led by Instructor Pao-Kuei Yeh, who softly guided everyone into stillness before transitioning into a mandala coloring activity. The calm, rhythmic act of coloring helped many participants unknowingly set aside the burdens and worries of caregiving, even if only for a short while.

During dinner, conversation flowed easily as Rare Crafts artisan Hsin-Yi Lin led a lighthearted cocktail-making activity. Some participants stayed up late talking, while others put their arms around one another and sang together. The atmosphere was warm, relaxed, and filled with a sense of genuine connection. 

On the morning of the second day, Associate Professor Hu welcomed everyone into the new day with an 18-form Tai Chi practice under the morning sun. After breakfast, Ms. Wei-Ting Hsu - herself a rare-disease caregiver and the founder of Luminous Wonderland - shared the painful journey of caring for her younger brother, who lived with a mitochondrial disorder. Through more than a decade of inner work and adjustment, she gradually emerged from the grief of his passing and became a floral artist dedicated to helping others heal.

Her session, which incorporated reflective cards, invited participants to explore “my relationship with this caregiving journey.” Some drew images of withered trees, reflecting how long they had been weighed down by unrelenting challenges. Others received cards that prompted them to confront how they had gradually lost the ability to care for themselves - or for others - as they once had. Ms. Hsu then guided everyone through a hands-on floral therapy activity, helping each person create an arrangement symbolizing healing and new beginnings.

Over the course of these two days, some participants finally gave voice to years of suppressed frustration and unspoken grievances, while others shared how deeply misunderstood and alone they had felt. Yet by the end, everyone experienced genuine and affirming support. In this brief pause from their caregiving roles surrounded by art, meditation, music, Tai Chi, reflective dialogue, and floral design, they cried and laughed, embraced their vulnerability, and found the courage to share their hearts.

Translator: Hector Mao (MS)
Reviewer: Giancarlo Rotolo (MS)