With Halloween just around the corner, I got to thinking about why I, as a therapist, love this holiday so much.
I love it because, let’s face it, seeing my Facebook and Instagram feeds flooded with kids in their costumes is adorable.
I also love it because the roots of the holiday lie in the ancient Pagan festival Samhain in which the Celts would light bonfires and wear costumes to both placate and scare off the malevolent spirits and ghosts that were be walking the Earth (given that the veils between worlds were thinner at that time of year).
Imagine that, an ancient party to placate and protect – pretty interesting!
But mostly I love Halloween because of a modern-day concept it champions – costuming and letting yourself be a different character for one night – is, to my mind as a therapist, therapeutic and something we could all stand to learn and benefit from more.
Keep reading about what I see as the “therapeutic” aspect of Halloween and, when we weave this more into our lives, how we can benefit psychologically.
Beyond that, there is the state of the world outside of our California borders: A horrific massacre just to our East in Las Vegas, hurricanes and tropical storms devastating our Southern friends, a President picking fights with Puerto Rico and non-violent NFL protesters… The list goes on.
In times like these, it can feel like the world is ending.
The challenge of our personal lives coupled with the challenge of what’s unfolding on a local, state, national, and global scale can, at times, simply feel overwhelming.
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths.”
― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
If you’ve been struggling in these past few weeks, you’re not alone.
Feeling sad, scared, overwhelmed, and anxious about what’s happening in the world are all appropriate responses to what’s unfolding.
And yet, it’s really hard to feel this way, isn’t it?
That’s why I wanted to give you a small gift today. It’s a 20-some page e-book called, “A Little Guide For Life’s Tough Times.”
“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”
― Haruki Murakami
Normally I sell it here on my website and on Amazon, but, in order to get it into as many hands as possible, in order to (in some very small way!) support as many folks as I can who may be suffering right now, I wanted to give it to you as a free gift.
Do You Feel Shakier Inside Than Your Life Looks on the Outside?
A quiz to help you understand why you might feel less stable beneath the surface despite working so hard to build a good life.
START THE QUIZ
This little book is the sum of what I’ve learned as a psychotherapist shepherding people through tragedies, crises, transitions, Dark Nights of the Soul (not to mention going through these times myself).
“Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.”
― Mary Oliver
If you’re feeling lost, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, if you’re feeling devastated, if you’re feeling afraid for the state of the world, I think that, in this little book, you’ll find some solid ground a bit of a light to illuminate the darkness.
No matter who you are and where you are in the world right now, I truly hope it feels helpful to you and that you will get the support you need from it.
Here’s to healing relational trauma and creating thriving lives on solid foundations.
Warmly,
Annie
