“I’m well and strong & young, young enough to go to the front. If I can’t be a solider, I’ll help soldiers.” -Clara Barton

Caregivers live to give and to help others in ways that range from the intimate to the large-scale. Whether they are heroes, teachers, parents, mentors, nurses or best friends, they are nurturing, selfless at their core and driven to attend to the needs of others. At times they give so much that it makes their own lives difficult. But typically, they find more satisfaction than most of us when focused on people and causes outside themselves.

Caregivers are superb listeners and very solution oriented as well; and whether they are teaching, active in community service, raising children or caring for aging parents and patients, this is a family of archetypes with generosity at its center.

The Teacher

Confident as they are curious, archetypal teachers are excellent listeners who are also willing to admit when they don’t know something. Seldom shy or at a loss for words, many succeed at teaching because they are charismatic.

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The Parent

Parents are reliable, compassionate, stern but yielding, and very organized, with an unsurpassed ability to listen without imposing their own point of view too quickly.

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The Rescuer

Rescuers are courageous and selfless, throwing themselves into dangerous situations because they genuinely want and need to help, not for fame or glory.

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The BFF

BFFs are the people you know you can turn to at the worst and best of times. They are there when the going gets tough and ready for fun when the living is easy.

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The Mentor

Unselfishly open to those hungry to learn, great Mentors give confidence to those who need it.

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The Nurse

Nurses are able to stay calm and function in emergencies. They have strong powers of endurance as well, so that they can continue giving care over long periods of time.

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The Victim

Whether enslaved or codependent, Caregivers who go too far will end up Victims, not just of the people for whom they are caring but of their own guilt and feelings of inadequacy.

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The Codependent

Caregivers can become ensnared in situations beyond their control and wrongly take responsibility when things go badly.

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The Slave

Caring for someone else can have a dark side. When Caregivers give too much they lose track of themselves in service to others.

Learn more about the Slave