The holidays have this reputation for being sparkly and joyful… but if you’re grieving, it can feel like you’re watching the season happen from behind glass. Everyone else seems to be celebrating, while you’re trying to make sense of a heart that suddenly feels heavier this time of year.
Why the Holidays Can Intensify Grief
Grief has a way of sneaking up on us, but the holidays can turn the volume way up.
Here’s why:
1. Traditions bring up memories.
Rituals, smells, songs, and old routines can remind you of what’s missing.
2. There’s pressure to "be happy."
That expectation alone can make sadness or longing feel even more out of place.
3. Family dynamics shift.
A missing seat at the table is a physical reminder of loss.
4. You’re tired.
The season can be overwhelming even without grief. Add emotional pain to the mix, and it’s a lot for one nervous system to carry.
And grief doesn’t just look like sadness — it can show up as irritability, numbness, guilt, restlessness, loneliness, or feeling like you’re “going through the motions.” All of it is normal.
What Therapy Can Offer During This Season
Therapy doesn’t take grief away — but it can make the load feel a little more holdable.
A space to say the things you’re not saying out loud.
Sometimes the heaviest parts of grief are the parts we don’t talk about.
Tools to navigate the emotional waves.
Whether it’s coping strategies, grounding, or learning to set boundaries around holiday plans, therapy can give you practical support.
A chance to honour your person.
Talking about memories, rituals, and the impact that person had can bring meaning and connection back into the process.
Permission to grieve in your own way.
Therapy offers a non-judgmental place to figure out what you need — not what others expect from you.
If You're Feeling the Weight This Year
You’re not doing it wrong. You’re not falling behind.
Grief is simply the love that doesn’t know where to go yet — and the holidays tend to stir it up.
If you’re finding this season particularly hard, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Therapy can be a soft landing place to sort through the pain, honour your grief, and find small pockets of steadiness again.
Trail of Growth Psychotherapy is here to support you through this season and beyond.
Kristena Disalvo
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