The holiday season is a season of giving. You likely pour out your time, energy, money, and support to a host of loved ones and activities meant to fulfill the annual promise of goodwill and merriment. Yet, you, like so many others, may feel challenged to achieve and maintain a healthy mental balance through all of the feasting and fun.

How well do you draw healthy boundaries with family, especially around the holidays?

Tradition and the marketing blitz from Halloween through the first of January are very clear: gathering, giving, and goodwill are the reasons for the season… whether you like it or not!

Giving from the heart brings happiness. That’s a universal truth.

One of the underlying qualities that motivates us to give is kindness—a quality that takes an active interest in the welfare of others.

The holidays are here and we may need some strategies to help us through at times.

Why? Because right on the heels of the warm, cozy seasonal feelings come performance anxiety, overblown expectations, and… people.

The next six weeks will likely be packed full of interacting, engaging, giving, partying, visiting, and hosting friends and family.

Love on the brain? It’s true! While there’s lots of talk about love as a matter of the heart, it turns out our brain is the real cupid. Those arrows that we imagine piercing our hearts with affection are actually a healthy dose of neurochemicals.

Of course, not many rom-coms will tell you that!

By Kassie Soni, MA

Good communication is the foundation of healthy and happy relationships. At times, though, some things get lost in translation. To improve your communication, recognize that each of us has a dominant love language. Becoming fluent in your partner’s love language is the ideal path toward understanding, growth, and evolution.

Are you trying online dating for the first time? Chances are you’re curious about what to expect.

Maybe you’ve run out of dating options in your local social circles. Or maybe your friends have tried to set you up with too many of their weird roommates or odd cousins, and now you’re ready to expand your dating options.

By Sylvia Beligotti, MA

Life transitions can be daunting, no matter what point of life you’re in.

Whether you’re preparing for a big move, going off to college, getting married, changing jobs, or becoming an empty nester—these transitions are certainly a big life adjustment. However, it is possible to approach them, along with the accompanying emotions, with grace and creativity.

When you have children, going through a divorce can feel ten times more difficult. A divorce can have serious, lasting effects on kids if it isn’t handled the right way.

Thankfully, you can prepare your kids for the process and assure them that everything is going to be okay.

If you’ve never considered the benefits of having a counselor by your side while dealing with divorce, it’s time to give it some thought!

Going through a divorce is difficult, no matter what. Whether it’s an amicable and smooth process or a long, drawn-out court battle, it’s not easy.