Category: Holidays

January and February are often busy months in our counseling office, and this year is no exception. A combination of Seasonal Affective Disorder, the post-holiday blues, and the doldrums of West Michigan winter can cause understandable feelings of depression and sadness. I myself have experienced this phenomenon regularly for most of my adult life and unconsciously looked for ways to brighten up these months and give myself a boost in mood — some of my solutions worked well, others not so much. And while Bachelor Mondays can be a psychologically rich diversion… allow me to present to you an alternative balm to the soul that can warm up even the coldest and darkest of January/February evenings: Valentine’s Day.

Now, hear me out. I am aware that Valentine’s Day is a polarizing holiday. “It’s too commercial!” you might say, as you notice the rising prices of greeting cards and heart shaped candy. “It’s elitist and demoralizing!” you may cry as ...

What it is about the holiday season that brings with it some of the most complex emotions? Beginning as early as November, we hear Christmas music on the radio, blithely heralding in the season, and the smell of confections permeate the air, and yet what isn’t to love about yuletide? With all the messages
of good cheer and “to all a good night,” and “God bless us everyone,” it can be confusing when we can’t access holly jolly feelings.
It’s less confusing for therapists on the other side of these conversations.
As you process mixed feelings about the holidays, it can be helpful to keep some of the following in mind. Holidays represent a great deal more than celebration and fun. They represent a change in the season, the passage of time, tradition and ritual, as well as opportunities for relational conflict. These can all significantly impact our mental health for a number of reasons:
Rituals in December represent another ...