When Everyone Else Is “Merry,” You’re Exhausted

The holidays can stir up more than cheer. For many, they bring up grief, family tension, loneliness, or the deep exhaustion of trying to hold everything together. If you’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed while everyone else seems joyful, you’re not alone—and it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. It means you’re human.

This is often when my highly sensitive and empathetic clients reach a turning point. They realize they don’t want to go through another season pretending they’re fine while running on empty.

Therapy Helps You Navigate the Emotional Load of the Holidays

Starting therapy now gives you tools to navigate difficult conversations, old triggers, and boundary challenges while they’re actually happening.

Instead of waiting until the holidays are over, and you’re already depleted, therapy can help you:

  • Recognize what’s yours to carry and what’s not

  • Practice real-time boundary setting with family

  • Manage guilt, perfectionism, and people-pleasing

  • Make space for rest, calm, and authenticity

It’s not about fixing yourself - it’s about giving yourself support while you’re in the middle of the storm.

You Don’t Have to Wait for “Next Year You”

Many people wait for January to “finally start therapy.” But what if the most loving thing you could do for yourself this year was to start now?

Therapy during the holidays isn’t about adding one more thing to your to-do list. It’s about taking something heavy off your shoulders—so you can breathe again, think clearly, and maybe even find small moments of genuine peace.

A Gentle Invitation

If the thought of navigating another holiday season alone feels daunting, this is your sign that you don’t have to.
Together, we can build the tools and boundaries you need to feel more at ease—both now and into the new year.

You deserve rest, clarity, and support right now.

Schedule a free consultation with Christina Sheehan, LPC, LMHC and give yourself the gift of a gentler holiday season.

Christina Sheehan, LPC, LMHC
Inner Life Psychotherapy — Radical, Transformative Counseling for Highly Sensitive Women
Telehealth in Oregon & Washington
503-470-3128 │ 🌐 www.innerlifetherapy.com

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Don’t Wait Until the New Year: Why Now Is the Best Time to Begin Therapy

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Self-Care Boundaries to Prevent Burnout for Highly Sensitive Women