christmas support groups
For adult children with (or estranged from) dysfunctional family
Christmas can be a difficult time of year when family relationships are complicated. You might be dreading family gatherings, struggling with expectations and guilt, or preparing to spend Christmas without your family altogether.
Perhaps every year you hope things will be different, only to find yourself falling into familiar patterns, putting other people's needs first or feeling disappointed by how things turn out.
Whether you're spending Christmas with family, are estranged from your family or are still figuring out what feels right for you, you don't have to navigate it alone.
I'm offering two online group sessions to help you prepare for Christmas and reflect on your experiences afterwards. These groups provide a supportive space to connect with others who understand, share experiences and explore practical ways of approaching family relationships and the festive season.
You can attend either group individually or join both for support before and after Christmas.
I am offering two online groups to support adult children who are estranged or are navigating tricky family dynamics during the festive period.
before christmas
1: PLAN + PREPARE
Tuesday 24th Nov at 6-8pm GMT
after christmas
2: CONNECT + REFLECT
Tuesday 29th Dec at 6-8pm GMT
these groups are for you if…
You dread making plans with family or spending time with them over the Christmas period.
You have difficult family relationships and find yourself navigating criticism, emotional neglect, conflict or overbearing behaviour.
You're an adult child of a narcissistic, emotionally immature or alcohol dependent parent, and Christmas brings up complicated feelings about your family.
You find yourself hoping Christmas will be different each year, only to end up feeling disappointed, hurt or resentful.
You're tired of putting other people's needs first, trying to keep everyone happy and feeling pressured to get everything right.
You're considering setting boundaries, reducing contact or maintaining no contact with family and would like support in navigating this during the festive season.
You're estranged from your family and spending Christmas without them or facing the absence of someone who would usually be part of your celebrations.
You'd like to feel less alone during the Christmas period, connect with others who understand and find practical ways to cope so you get what you need.
PLAN + PREPARE Christmas support group:
Tuesday 24th November at 6-8pm GMT via Zoom
Christmas can bring pressure to spend time with family, keep everyone happy and put your own feelings aside. If family relationships are difficult, it can help to think ahead rather than wait until you're in the middle of a challenging situation.
Plan and Prepare is an opportunity to consider what Christmas might bring up for you, what you need and how you'd like to approach the festive season.
Together, we'll explore:
What you're anticipating or feeling anxious about as Christmas approaches.
Family expectations, familiar roles and the pressure to keep others happy.
Setting boundaries, navigating difficult interactions and managing guilt.
Making decisions about family contact that feel right for you.
Preparing for Christmas without family, including feelings of loneliness, grief or missing what you wish you had.
Creating a realistic plan for looking after yourself and making space for what matters to you.
You'll leave with an opportunity to think through your plans, identify what support you might need and feel more prepared for the festive season ahead.
£40 (or £30 early bird if booked before Nov 1st).
CONNECT + REFLECT Christmas support group:
Tuesday 29th December at 6-8pm GMT via Zoom
Christmas might not have turned out as you expected. Perhaps some things went better than you anticipated, while other moments were difficult. You might feel relieved that it's over, disappointed by how things went, or have mixed feelings about decisions you made.
Connect and Reflect offers a space to look back on your Christmas experience alongside others who understand the complexities of family relationships.
Together, we'll explore:
How Christmas was for you and what feelings have come up afterwards.
What went well, what felt difficult and what surprised you.
Whether you were able to honour your needs and maintain the boundaries you wanted.
What you've learnt about yourself and your family relationships.
What you'd like to acknowledge, feel proud of or do differently next time.
What you want to carry forward into the year ahead.
This isn't about judging yourself for how Christmas went or feeling that you should have handled things differently. It's an opportunity to recognise what you've navigated, learn from your experience and consider what might help you in the future.
£40 (or £30 early bird if booked before Nov 1st).
what to expect: group structure
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We'll begin by checking in with how you're feeling about Christmas, whether you're preparing for the festive season or reflecting on how it's been. You'll have an opportunity to share what you'd like to get from the session and anything in particular you'd appreciate support or input from others with.
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We'll open up the conversation to share experiences, perspectives and practical ideas for navigating Christmas with or without family. Whether you're planning for the challenges ahead or reflecting on what has already happened, we'll explore family dynamics, boundaries and expectations, what has or hasn't worked for you, and what you might want to approach differently in the future.
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We'll finish by checking in with how you're feeling at the end of the session and reflecting on what you'd like to take away. This might be a new perspective, something you've learnt about yourself, a practical step you'd like to try or something you'd like to let go of as you move forward.
the christmas groups are:
A therapist-led support group to plan and prepare for Christmas, with or without your family of origin.
An opportunity to reflect on previous challenges at Christmas and how to approach things differently without relying on family members to change.
A place to explore practical strategies for managing boundaries, expectations, guilt and difficult family interactions.
A chance to think about what you want from Christmas and make choices that take your own needs into account.
A camera on event to help create connection and safety within the small group and group participation is encouraged to help you get the most out of it.
A supportive space to share your feelings about Christmas (fear, dread, resentment etc) and connect with others who understand that Christmas can be complicated when family relationships are difficult.
the christmas groups are not:
A therapy group. We won't be processing feelings, exploring past experiences in depth or working therapeutically with unresolved issues.
To blame and complain about family members. The focus will be on you, your feelings, needs and how you can approach Christmas differently this year to protect yourself and minimise disappointment.
Telling you what to do. There is no expectation to spend Christmas with family, go no contact, forgive anyone or reconcile. You get to decide what is best for you.
About creating the perfect Christmas. The aim is to help you prepare for Christmas realistically with the family you have (or haven’t) rather than meet idealised expectations of what it ‘should’ look like.
A crisis support service. This group isn't suitable for people who are currently in crisis or experiencing mental health issues which may be destabilised by talking about the topics raised or require a higher level of individual support.
Meet Harriet
Harriet Gleeson is a relational-developmental integrative psychotherapist who has been working in private practice for the past five years, offering online individual and group therapy, workshops and talks. She specialises in supporting adult children of dysfunctional family systems to understand how their childhood has shaped their adult relationships, while creating opportunities for reparative relational experiences by healing unmet developmental needs.
Support from a therapist who gets it
Alongside her professional experience, Harriet brings an understanding of the complexities of family relationships from her own life. Harriet is estranged from her family of origin and has limited contact with extended family, giving her a personal understanding of the challenges that can arise when navigating complex family relationships and estrangement, particularly around Christmas.
feedback from other groups
“Do it! This is such a wonderful opportunity to belong to a supportive, compassionate group and learn a lot about yourself in the process.”
“I joined because I wanted a feeling of connection and belonging in a safe space. I feel like I gained this in ways that I couldn't imagine before starting the group. I am so glad I signed up.”
plan + prepare: christmas support group
A therapist-led online support group for adult children seeking support to plan and prepare for Christmas with or without dysfunctional family members
Tuesday 24th November at 6-8pm BST
£40 (or £30 early bird until 1st Nov)
Only 8 spaces available
connect + reflect: christmas support group
A therapist-led online support group for adult children of dysfunctional families to connect and reflect on Christmas
Tuesday 24th November at 6-8pm UK time
£40 (or £30 early bird until 1st Nov)
Only 8 spaces available