049 SelfWork: Honoring Your Rituals And You During The Holidays

You can hear the pressures beginning to mount in people’s voices, as we all approach the holiday season. Dr. Margaret offers her own personal story of her parents’ deaths the week before Christmas of 2007, and how giving herself options was key in balancing the meaning of rituals with her grief. Rituals can be incredibly healing when they bring exuberance, depth and joy, not when they’re burdens to be carried out dutifully — or maybe even resentfully.

The listener email today is from someone who wants to reveal vague memories she has of past abuse, but is unclear how to begin talking it with her therapist. Dr. Margaret gives practical and helpful advice about how that process can happen in a supportive way, for a topic that’s very difficult to reveal.

Important links:

The audiobook version of The Courage To Heal, a self-help guide to recovery from sexual abuse.

You can hear more about mental health and many other topics by listening to my podcast, SelfWork with Dr. Margaret Rutherford. Subscribe to my website and receive one weekly newsletter including my weekly blog post and podcast! If you’d like to join my FaceBook closed group, then click here and answer the membership questions! Welcome!

My new book entitled Perfectly Hidden Depression has arrived and you can order here! Its message is specifically for those with a struggle with strong perfectionism which acts to mask underlying emotional pain. But the many self-help techniques described can be used by everyone who chooses to begin to address emotions long hidden away that are clouding and sabotaging your current life.

And there’s a new way to send me a message! You can record by clicking below and ask your question or make a comment. You’ll have 90 seconds to do so and that time goes quickly. By recording, you’re giving SelfWork (and me) permission to use your voice on the podcast. I’ll look forward to hearing from you!