One good piece of advice for dealing with the stress of the holidays is to avoid being alone by connecting to a community of supportive people. We ask mental health professionals like yourself: Are you taking this advice in addition to giving it?

The Holiday Season is Tough on Mental Health Providers

We know the holiday season is tough on clients due to factors such as negative family dynamics, the loss of a daily routine, financial pressures, etc., but it is also a very tough time for those in the mental health profession. Do any of these feel familiar?

• Increased workload: because of holiday stress, some clients need more frequent support from their therapists. This can lead to back-to-back client sessions.
• Heightened client emotionality: more of your sessions consist of clients who are very upset. All this places heavy demands on your own emotional coping skills.
• Loss of your usual stress relievers: the increased workload may result in you missing the outlets you depend on, such as exercise, movies, long walks, reading a book, and other forms of necessary “down time”.
• You are not immune: like your patients, you’re susceptible to stress and illness, and you may also be dealing with your own losses of family or friends during the year.
• Your own family demands: finally, just like your patients, you’ve got your own family dynamics to deal with, your own dinner, gift-giving, and travel plans to attend to.

Your Own Support Community

Have you wondered what self-care strategies others in the field have developed to deal with holiday demands and burnout? How do helping professionals cope with stress during this time?

As a mental health professional, you know perhaps more than most how healing it is when others validate your feelings and have shared your experiences.

Come join us during Safer Society’s “Safe Haven,” an online support session where mental health professionals can decompress and share their own best practices for working with clients around the holidays. Learn ways to take care of yourself while you’re busy taking care of others. Find ways to become more resilient now and throughout the year. Connect with your peers and meet new professionals in the field.

We’re positive that you’ll get that stress-relieving deep breath and a smile while you commune with your colleagues.  

We look forward to welcoming you.

Find out more about this Safe Haven support session from Safer Society!