As the Christmas season approaches, many of us eagerly anticipate the joy, warmth and celebrations the festive period brings. But for some, this time of year is marked by stress, sadness and hardship. At icap, we understand how complex Christmas can be, especially for those in our Irish community who may be struggling.

Our Clinical Manager shares the reality many face:

“As we approach Christmas, there are a lot of factors to be considered within the counselling space here at icap. While Christmas can be a joyous and festive time for a lot of people, it can also be a difficult time for others.

The pressure to be in the ‘Christmas Spirit’ and the expectations portrayed on Christmas ads to have an idealised family Christmas to spend money, can all play a part in making this time of the year very difficult to manage for a lot of people.

It is also one of the times of the year when the absence and memories of those who are no longer with us, or who we are separated from, often comes into sharp focus.

The change in rhythm and loss of routine over Christmas can also be a difficult thing to manage and spending long periods of time with family and significant others, doesn’t always make for the most comfortable of times.

This is all while still factoring in the pressures of life, financial difficulties and the ever-changing environment and geo-political factors that are having such an impact on our everyday lives.

So, with all of this in mind, it is a time of the year when our therapists at icap work closely with our clients to help them manage, cope, survive and maybe even thrive through what can be a dark (not just weather wise) time of the year.

We pride our selves on being a beacon for all of our clients, to be alongside them, whatever they are going through, and to be on the other side of the festive period to help support them into the new year.”

It’s during this period that icap’s team of dedicated therapists works closely with our clients, offering culturally sensitive counselling and therapy to help them manage, cope and even find moments of hope in a challenging time.