Monarch Behavioral Health, PLLC

12/26/2025

All month you held it together. Now you can’t seem to get off the couch.

Once the last gift is opened and the last guest leaves, many people feel a strange emptiness. The pressure, planning, and people-pleasing are over…and your body notices how tired it is.

This “post-holiday crash” isn’t laziness. It’s your nervous system coming down from weeks of emotional and sensory overload.

But remember: you’re allowed to slow down after the holidays, not just before them.

Do you usually feel more relieved or more drained after the holidays end?

12/24/2025

No big plans tonight? That might be just what you need.

Not every holiday has to be big and busy to be meaningful. Sometimes it’s the small things that steady us: a calm drive home, a favorite mug, a video call with someone who gets you, a few deep breaths between everything else.

You’re allowed to celebrate in a way that actually fits your energy this year. Cozy, simple, imperfect moments still count as real joy.

If you’d like more space for this kind of calm in the new year, therapy can help you build it on purpose—not just by accident. 💙

What’s one small, quiet thing you’re grateful for tonight?

12/22/2025

Ever want to turn your brain off during the holidays? Or at least go on a social media cleanse?

December feeds are full of highlight reels: perfect trees, matching pajamas, big announcements, “best year ever” posts. Even when you know it’s curated, it’s easy to compare your real life to someone else’s best moments and feel like you’re falling short.

That quiet, sinking feeling isn’t superficial. Comparison can chip away at self-worth and make seasonal anxiety or depression feel heavier.

Your life doesn’t have to be post-ready to be meaningful.

Have you ever had to take a break from social because it was messing with your mood?

If comparison has become a constant background noise, therapy can help you rebuild a calmer, kinder relationship with yourself, both online and offline. 💙

12/20/2025

12/18/2025

You weren’t invited to the conflict. You were invited to fix it.

Every family has roles. If yours is “the calm one” or “the one who keeps the peace,” you may spend holidays mediating tension you didn’t create.

That constant smoothing-over takes a toll. Even if “all” you’re doing is laughing things off, changing the subject, or comforting everyone else. Being understanding doesn’t mean you have to absorb every emotion in the room. You’re allowed to step out of the referee role and let your own feelings matter too.

Have you ever left a family gathering more emotionally exhausted than anyone else?

Therapy can help you recognize these roles, set gentler boundaries, and stop carrying more than your share. 💙 If you’d like to talk, we’re here.

12/15/2025

When you think about this past year, does your mind jump straight to what you didn’t do? Chances are, you’d never judge a friend’s year as harshly as you judge your own.

As the year ends, it’s easy to measure yourself by promotions, productivity, or milestones—and to ignore everything you carried quietly.

If your inner voice sounds more like a critic than a coach, that’s not motivation. That’s anxiety, dressed up as “standards.” You deserve a way of reflecting that includes self-respect, not just self-doubt.

What’s one thing you rarely give yourself credit for?

12/11/2025

That “tantrum in aisle 7” wasn’t defiance. It was a nervous system waving a white flag 🏳️

For many kids, especially those who are sensitive, anxious, or neurodivergent, December can be overstimulating. What looks like “acting out” may actually be a nervous system on overload.

When we understand the “why” behind the meltdown, we can respond with support instead of shame.

Our child and adolescent therapists can help you understand your child’s triggers and build calmer routines this season 💙

Have you noticed your child getting more overwhelmed in busy stores or loud events?

12/10/2025

New site, same heart! We refreshed our website to make it simpler to find the support you need. Explore at monarchbehavioral.net

12/09/2025

How do you hold it together when one calendar has to stretch between two homes, one child, and everyone’s emotions?

Co-parenting in December can be complicated, logistically and emotionally. Tou may be balancing court orders, travel, new partners, and your child’s feelings… all while managing your own.

💙 But It’s okay if this season doesn’t look “picture perfect.” What matters most is that your child feels loved, safe, and not caught in the middle.

Have you ever felt torn between “keeping the peace” and honoring your own limits?

12/04/2025

When you think about holiday parties, does your chest tighten a little before you’ve even walked in the door?

You rehearse what to say in the car. You walk in, smile, make small talk. From the outside, it looks like you’re doing fine. But inside, your heart is racing. You’re scanning the room, second-guessing every word, counting the minutes until you can leave.

For many people, that’s not “being shy.”

That’s social anxiety – especially loud during December, when the invitations and expectations pile up all at once.

You’re not broken for feeling this way. Your nervous system is just working very hard to keep you safe.

Therapy can help you feel more grounded in rooms that used to feel overwhelming 💙

What’s harder for you: walking into the event, or leaving without overthinking?

12/02/2025

Do you feel like the “default” holiday planner in your family? Then you’re no stranger to feeling like you should “keep everything together.”

But If one dropped detail could “ruin Christmas,” you’re project managing. Not celebrating.

If you’re the one tracking gifts, meals, travel plans, and everyone’s feelings, it’s no wonder you’re exhausted before the 25th even arrives.

This season, remember: you’re allowed to share the load.

You’re allowed to rest before you burn out.

If this season feels heavier than it looks from the outside, talking to a therapist can help you set boundaries and breathe again.

Is there one part of the holidays you secretly wish you could skip?

11/27/2025

Crisp air. Warm socks. A mug that actually stays hot. ☕

Regulation doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes, your nervous system just needs five quiet minutes and a deep exhale.

In a season of overstimulation, those moments of stillness are a gift.

What’s your go-to fall moment of calm?

If peace feels out of reach, we can help you build it from the inside out.