Hi ,
December is often talked about as a reflective month—but let’s be honest, no one is slowing down right now. This season is full-on for so many of us. For me, it currently looks like racing between kids’ basketball playoffs, holiday parties, teacher gifts, Christmas prep, baking, decorating, and trying to keep everyone fed and on time. Reflection?
That usually doesn’t happen until that quiet pocket after Christmas and before New Year’s, when the world finally seems to exhale.
But that little in-between space—those gentle, quieter days—is where the real opportunity lives. It’s when we can finally ask ourselves:
How am I really doing? What did this year hold? What am I ready to release? And what do I want to carry into the next one?
At Authentic Connections Counseling Center, we love this season not because it’s calm (it rarely is!), but because it eventually gives us all a moment to reconnect with what truly matters.
What surprised you this year? What stretched you? What intentions feel supportive for 2026—more peace, more boundaries, more joy, more connection?
Wherever you find yourself—whether you’re in the middle of holiday chaos or waiting for that post-Christmas stillness—we’re here to walk with you into the new year with clarity, compassion, and a
renewed sense of possibility.
Here’s to a month of soft landings, meaningful moments, and the fresh start waiting just around the corner.
Warmly,
Dawn Gabriel, MA, LPC
CEO and Founder of Authentic Connections Counseling
