During the festive season, the therapeutic relationship can be a crucial support system. A counsellor can provide a safe space to explore and process emotions tied to the challenges of this time.
It’s no exaggeration to say this is the time of year when therapy can make the most profound difference, whatever the client brings to their appointments. A good counsellor can help clients cope with such things as:
- family dynamics ranging from awkward to extremely difficult with potentially explosive interactions
- the increased sense of loneliness that can come with the emphasis on happy togetherness, which can feel forced onto clients for whom Christmas has never or rarely been anything but painful, sometimes dating back to childhood or damaging relationships as adults
- the many societal pressures associated with the holidays, such as the drive to spend money (which can impact those struggling, who may get into debt) and to drink alcohol (making it a perilous time for recovering alcoholics)
Integrating mindfulness and coping strategies in sessions can empower clients to navigate the season more effectively, fostering resilience and emotional wellbeing. Therapists can collaborate with their clients to set realistic expectations and boundaries, promoting self-care during the holidays.
Utilising the therapeutic relationship to establish a sense of validation and understanding can be especially beneficial during a season that can too often amplify the personal struggles detailed above, and more besides. Exploring past experiences and family histories tied to Christmas can offer valuable insights, allowing clients to reframe their perspectives and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
It’s important to know you’re not alone in how you feel sad or depressed, and that you are understood without judgement. A good therapist will not only help you with validation but also with gentle challenges intended to deepen your understanding and break through your barriers to making a Christmas happen that’s right for you, be it a stay at home and see no one holiday to rest and unwind, or the one where you decide to tell an abusive parent what you think of them before shutting down to interacting with them forever.
Whatever your experiences of Christmas, be they ho ho ho or no no no, get in touch with Xander of xph therapy to assist you in laying to rest old ghosts like Jacob Marley in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Marley, you may already know, was weighed down by ‘the chains [he] forged in life’. Whether you think you’re responsible for any metaphorical chains you carry or someone else imposed them on you, such as ex-lovers or estranged parents, you don’t need to carry those burdens without help to get rid of them.
xph therapy offers integrative counselling, which means working with multiple therapy types, including CBT, psychotherapeutic and person-centred to develop a therapeutic pathway just for you, whatever outcome you’re hoping to achieve. Get in touch in a variety of ways. See the contact page for more info.