‘Hope for the Holidays’ Workshop on Dec. 12th at NOVO: 6 Steps to Skip the Year-End Stress

For some families, the holiday season falls far short of the idealized images created by artist Norman Rockwell. Instead of connection and celebration, they experience an uptick in stress and conflict.

In response to that sobering reality, on Thursday, December 12th, a pair of local counselors will lead a workshop that identifies ways to cope with holiday stress and even find the “fun” in our collective “dysfunction.”

“Hope for the Holidays: 6 Steps to Skip the Year-End Stress” is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at NOVO: Renewing Joy in Life, 104 S. Second Ave. in St. Charles.

Becky Gosain and Amy Schillinger will lead individuals in an interactive workshop that covers those six steps.

Participants will discover how to use their inner resources by “tapping in,” an introductory EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) technique; learn beginning mindfulness for stress management; get tips on creating healthy family memories; engage in activities centering on artistic expression; learn how to identify and address holiday stressors; and establish clear and realistic expectations for the holidays.

Attendees will learn what exacerbates stress and examine where their holiday expectations come from and why they can be harmful.

“New Year’s resolutions are a traditional time when people seek to turn over a new leaf, but for many people it would be so healthy to move up the timeframe a bit,” says Gosain. “One of the most important skills to develop is the ability to say ‘no’ and another is learning to recognize those times when you should ask for help.”

Since 1998, Gosain has been a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. She has been serving the mental health community since 1994 in a variety of settings, including a community mental health center, specialized foster care, an inpatient psychiatric hospital and employment as a behavior therapist by the parents of an autistic child.

Throughout her career, she has worked with children, adolescents, adults and families.

Since 2005, Schillinger has brought a creative, sensitive approach to helping individuals, couples and families through conflicts and other painful aspects of their lives. Applying a three-prong process that encompasses mental, physical and spiritual needs, her specialties include relationship issues, depressions/anxiety and trauma. She also teaches mindfulness for stress management.

In October, Gosain made a presentation, sponsored by the Geneva Library Foundation, that was subtitled “Norman Rockwell Holidays: How Realistic Are They Anyway?”

Both are on staff at NOVO: Renewing Joy in Life, whose counselors and therapists help people achieve their goals and get back on the right track. In addition to its office location of 104 S. Second Ave. in St. Charles, NOVO is online at www.getbrainchange.com or www.novocounsel.com.

Pre-registration for the event is required, and the fee is $15. To register, call 630-297-3617. For more information about NOVO: Renewing Joy in Life, visit www.getbrainchange.com. Also: www.facebook.com/NOVOCounsel.