The holidays can be a wonderful time of the year. And they can also be an incredibly stressful, grief-stricken time of the year. As we are go into this December break, we are sharing some coping mechanisms to help keep you regulated and make the most of the time off.

Oftentimes, people will talk about someone being “irrational” or being “too emotional” in a way that discounts the purpose and function of emotions. We might also do this to ourselves. But there are problems with being in both emotion mind and logic mind.

Thanksgiving can be a welcome time of togetherness, belonging, gratitude, and love. Yet, for many of us, it can be a stressful period of navigating broken relationships, that hard-headed family member, and those topics that have been swept under the rug only to pop up when the entire gang is around the table.

Oftentimes, I talk to clients about taking action steps and not waiting until they feel like doing it, especially as short-term relief can triumph over long-term gains for most of us. Just because you don’t feel like doing something doesn’t mean that you are not motivated to do it!

Urge surfing is a technique that can help you manage unwanted behaviour by learning to ride it out, like a surfer riding a big wave safely to shore.

Silence in therapy can be just as rewarding for both the therapist and client. At first, silence in the therapy session seems unnatural, whether the conversation takes place virtually or in person. We are not accustomed to silence when speaking with people.

Ironic process theory refers to the process by which suppressing thoughts (e.g., intrusive thoughts, anxious thoughts, urges to drink) can lead to such thoughts emerging with vengeance. This theory posits that there are two cognitive processes at play here.