January can feel like the longest month of the year. The holidays are over, routines return abruptly, the days are dark in the morning, and the weather often keeps us indoors and isolated. For many people, January brings a dip in mood, energy, and motivation - paying off the holiday expenses and already feeling guilt for being behind in our good intentions aka New Year Resolutions. If you find yourself feeling low right now, you’re not alone—and nothing is “wrong” with you.

As parents, you want our child(ren) to be happy, confident, and emotionally healthy—but sometimes kids struggle or experience life in ways they can’t easily explain. Big feelings, behaviour changes, anxiety, or challenges at school can leave parents wondering: How can I help my child when they don’t have the words to tell me what’s wrong?

This is where play therapy can be incredibly powerful.

Do you feel discouraged about not making progress in therapy? Do you feel tired and overwhelmed after sessions, as if you need to hurry to your next task? Or did you have a breakthrough in a session but can’t recall it later? Here are five things to do right after a therapy session to benefit from it and care for yourself. Including a FREE Session Reflection Handout.

When our experiences start feeling overwhelming, confusing, or at times even ‘wrong’ , after taking some deep breaths, one of the first things we can do is: identify the emotion. Using the Feelings Wheel tool helps us identify the emotion when we don’t have the right word, increases self-validation and improves relationships.