17 December 2021
Seasons
And the season has begun.
It is a season of lights, warm spicey drinks, dark nights and the possibility of flurries…
It is the season of people coming together, celebrations, festive meals and familiar songs… Songs sung to touch our souls and songs sung to save the world.
It is the season of memories, old friends and stories of times past. It is a reminder of what we had once and what we have now.
The season can sometimes feel like a tiny snowball… tumbling down the side of a familiar mountain, picking up speed and size… and can often feel distressing.
This season may feel overwhelming, lonely and sad… especially for those who have left behind families and friends in order to settle in this new country… holding onto hope of a new life and a dream of something better.
This season has begun as it always does; with pressures to celebrate, join in and gift giving. For those with families around the globe, there may be a feeling of separateness, distance and turmoil. There may also be some of the familiar associations which act as painful reminders of what may now be lost and no longer nearby. What is left is a deep ache, anchored to memories which are clung to, for life and breath.
Client case example
A client contacted WPF therapy when they felt that they could no longer manage their feelings of loneliness and sadness. The client had moved to the UK earlier this year to study and had found it difficult to be apart from their family, but their studies and new life had been absorbing and distracting.
However, as the festive season approached, they found themselves increasingly filled with memories and thoughts of their family and friends. Travel restrictions prevented a reunion, and they were increasingly filled with feelings of intense anxiety and a sense of isolation. This had taken them by surprise as they had made plans over the festive season to meet up with colleagues and newfound friends. Beneath these feelings they were also aware of something else, a deep feeling of longing to be at home, in familiar surroundings and an acute awareness of separation.
We often try to stay attached to these memories while pushing through the despair of recent loss, loneliness, pain…
If you would like to speak to someone about the way you have been feeling, contact WPF Therapy for 12 sessions of Time Limited Therapy. WPF also offer Longer Term Therapy and Group Therapy. Contact WPF at: therapy@wpf.org.uk
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