As a therapist, I’ve noticed a pattern: summer tends to be slow, but come November, December, and January, my schedule fills up quickly. There’s no “right” or “wrong” time to start or return to therapy—recognizing when you need support is a journey, and finding the right therapist is another. Many people seek therapy when something difficult has happened or continues to happen. While therapy is incredibly helpful in those moments, it can also be a powerful tool for prevention.
Let’s talk about prevention, which means addressing challenges before they escalate. Think of the “big, spooky holiday”—and no, I’m not talking about Halloween, but Thanksgiving. It’s a time spent with family and friends, but for some, it brings anxiety, whether it’s a difficult family member or an uncomfortable conversation at the dinner table. As more holidays follow, the emotional pressure can build with little downtime, leading to heightened stress, anxiety, or even sadness—sometimes without fully understanding why.
In therapy, I emphasize that while we can’t control others, we can work on how we care for ourselves. Together, we’ll build healthy boundaries and learn tools to reduce stress, anxiety, and sadness—common around the holidays. Therapy can help during or after the holidays, but imagine having those tools beforehand—going into the season with a game plan, feeling prepared, and preventing added stress. The holidays should be about joy, connection, and focusing on what truly matters. Therapy can help reduce distress so you can connect with the people and things that mean the most to you.
The skills you learn in therapy aren’t just useful for the holidays—they create a strong foundation for your mental health, helping you thrive in any situation year-round.
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