Therapist Advice on Surviving Holiday Grief with Family | Stay Mentally Dope

Therapist Advice on Surviving Holiday Grief with Family | Stay Mentally Dope

From Stay Mentally Dope by Charmaine Beasley, LPC-S & Jasmine Bishop, LPC-S

December 17, 2025 · 48 min

About this episode

The episode discusses coping with holiday grief and family dynamics during Christmas time.

For some people Christmas time with the family does not bring joy but it can bring grief and anxiety …..that manifests as bubble guts and headaches. The movie ‘Almost Christmas’ was not an exception. We see this family having to return back home for the first time since their mother and matriarch of the family has passed; they are not all coping well, past issues have not been addressed, and some of them do not get along. Does this sound like your family? We are discussing this in this episode and all discussing tips for getting through Christmas time with these feelings. Join your two favorite black therapists as we dive into grief, sibling rivalries, hyperindependence, substance abuse, insecurities, accountability all in the black family at Christmas time. Time stamps: 00:00 intro01:57 Overview of the movie04:50 Avoiding grief until you have to (or until the holidays) makes grief harder07:56 When the person who died had the role of bringing the family together11:55 Acceptance that things look different nowEveryone grieves differently- within reason (accountability)25:05 Having boundaries with family (how to create a boundary)32:35 conflict can be healing36:36 New and old…

People in this episode

Hosts: Charmaine Beasley, Jasmine Bishop

Topics covered

  • holiday grief
  • family dynamics
  • mental health
  • sibling rivalries
  • substance abuse
  • boundaries

Keywords

  • holiday grief
  • family
  • mental health
  • Christmas
  • boundaries
  • sibling rivalry
  • substance abuse

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Almost Christmas, Living Single

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