Helping Through the Holidays

The holidays can be triggering for many individuals. A time that can bring joy and laughter to some may bring tears and sadness to others. The holidays can be triggering for some individuals. How can we help our clients during these times:

1. Help your clients make a plan for the holidays. Identify possible triggers or stressors, coping/adaptive skills, and individuals they can reach out to when feeling triggered.
2. Have your clients identify a "roadmap" of at least 3 things they can look forward to during the upcoming month (these can be small things). Be willing to be creative with identifying these.
3. Teach clients how to set boundaries with unhealthy family members or friends. Teach them how to say "no" to prevent feeling overwhelmed or burnt out.
4. Normalize that it is okay to not always feel happy and excited about the holidays.

Helping connect clients with supports in an important part of preparing for the holidays. Some resources include:

https://mhanational.org/blog/looking-support-during-holidays-check-out-these-free-resources

https://onlinecounselingprograms.com/resources/mental-health-resources-holidays/

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Don't forget to take care of yourself and utilize self care techniques!