Strong in 5: Mental Health Support During the Holiday Season

The holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But for a lot of people, they bring something more complicated — grief for someone who is no longer here, family dynamics that feel heavy, isolation in a season centered on togetherness, or simply the weight of getting through days that feel harder than they look from the outside. If that is where you are this season, you are not alone. And there is nothing wrong with you. In this episode of Strong in 5, Kristen Lee Picard — associate clinical social worker and Reiki Master teacher specializing in emotional wellness and mental health support — opens with something personal: the Christmas she spent completely alone, without power, without her community, and without the familiar sounds and smells that make the season feel like itself. From that place of honesty, she walks through five ways to take care of your mental health during the holidays and how to reach out for support when you need it.