‘Tis the season to be jolly, right? But it’s hard to enjoy festivities when your mind is cluttered with anxious thoughts. You’re struggling with additional pressures. Emotionally drained. Or you may be dealing with SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder.

It’s more than the winter blues; SAD is an actual depression where the onset occurs during the fall or winter months. While dealing with the holidays can be a chore itself, wrestling with seasonal depression can add a whole other layer to our stress.

Sis, we got to reclaim our mind this holiday and as we head into the New Year.

That’s why today we’re talking to Licensed Professional Counselor Shantai L. McCray of Life's Work Counseling and Consulting, right here in Raytown. Shantai shares her path into this field of service, having a passion to help others. Shantai and I delve into how making the choice to see a therapist can be difficult but is a decision that can change the course of our life for the better. Shantai’s goal is to help clients discover the patterns that leave them feeling stuck or overwhelmed. Her work leads people to uncover the tools they already possess to get on track, which allows us to heal.

And that’s a win.

While we focus on seasonal depression, the convo goes even further. Shantai speaks on the role of trauma and how therapy helps us recognize it. We also get into something a lot of us battle - ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts). Another gem? Shantai weighs in on the importance of being still; sharing how simple rest helps us have a better outlook and gain clarity. (That’s a bonus because with 2022 around the corner, having an uncluttered mind for a clear vision onward is necessary work.)

So let’s gear up to reclaim our mind this holiday season and in the year to come.