New Year: Rest, Reflection, and Maybe Resolutions A new year and the end of the holiday intensity has arrived. For decades, I worked in retail so January holds a special place in my heart. Less crowds, no more holiday music, and...
Home for the Holidays: The conflict of expectations vs. reality Are you going or have you already been home for the holidays? Maybe the family is coming to you. Either way, holidays often elicit mixed feelings. A retired psychologist happen to sit...
The big holiday month is here. If you have discovered a family secret that impacts you, the holiday season presents an extra challenge. Will you be able to fake happiness or act polite with people close to you that have...
The holidays are upon us. This year, as opposed to last year, the landscape has changed. Vaccinations are more accessible, travel options have expanded, and more event spaces are open. There will be more freedom of movement. We can get...
Mother's Day Gratitude and Grief Depending on your relationship with your mother, Mother's Day may bring authentic feelings of gratitude, more complicated feelings, or both. If your mother is absent from your life, grief is likely to be experienced too. Growing up,...
You've made it through Thanksgiving. Now Christmas and Hanukkah which has an intense focus on merriment, joy, and family togetherness. If you're celebrating and you're grieving, it's really hard. You want to be happy, but you aren't feeling it. At least...
Give yourself the gift of gratitude this season. I know this is a prevalent message at this time of year, but you really can rewire your brain from naturally negative to jolly. Studies have shown that, for healthy people and...
The holiday season is upon us. For adoptees, this time can be challenging. Advertisements are all around us that send messages about the importance of family and of being grateful. There are worse messages to bombarded with to be sure,...
Winter is coming. Season change and the holidays. Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) generally show up around the end of October and stick around until spring. The darker days and cold weather may cause depression and anxiety which lasts...
Alleviate the depression, anxiety, or perfectionism that may visit this holiday season by volunteering. Get out of our head (or bed) and get into the community. Volunteering offers an opportunity to take a break from holiday “shoulds” such as, “I should bake cookies...