At the Year’s Turning: A Christmas Message

Dear Clients and Colleagues

As the end of the year approaches, many people notice a particular kind of

tiredness settle in. Not the tiredness that comes from a busy week, but the quieter

exhaustion that follows a long stretch of holding things together. December often

asks us to keep going just as our internal reserves are thinning. If that is how this

season is landing for you, it makes sense.

Christmas can be a time of connection and meaning. It can also bring pressure, old

patterns, and a sense of emotional flatness once the year finally slows. Both

experiences can exist side by side. Whether you mark Christmas, another tradition,

or simply the turning of the year, this period does not need to be performed in any

particular way. It is allowed to be quieter than expected.

One helpful focus over the coming weeks is regulation rather than resolution. This is

not the time to fix everything or make big internal decisions. It is a time to pace

yourself, protect your energy, and notice when your system needs rest rather than

more effort. Small choices matter here. Sleeping enough. Stepping away from

conversations that feel depleting. Being mindful with alcohol. Letting simple

routines hold you when motivation is low. These are not indulgences. They are ways

of supporting your nervous system so it can recover its balance.

In In the Bleak Midwinter, written by the English poet Christina Rossetti in the

nineteenth century, she uses the phrase “a stable place sufficed.” Read outside its

original setting, it captures something important about how people cope under

strain. When conditions are demanding and resources are low, the nervous system

does not benefit from optimisation or pressure. It settles when there is something

predictable, contained, and reliable. Enough structure. Enough safety. Enough rest.

Stability, rather than intensity, is what allows recovery.

If you notice a dip after the festive period, that too is common. The shift from

intensity to quiet can expose feelings that were kept at bay. Nothing has gone

wrong if relief and heaviness arrive together. Giving yourself permission to

experience both can prevent unnecessary self-judgment.

I also want to express my thanks to those I have worked with this year. It continues

to be a privilege to be trusted with people’s inner lives, across a wide range of

personal, relational, and professional contexts, particularly in moments involving

grief, relational strain, sexual wellbeing, identity shifts, and questions of meaning.

This work asks for honesty and courage from clients, and I do not take that lightly.

The same honesty and courage are asked of supervisees, who bring their practice,

uncertainty, responsibility, and professional values into reflective space with care.

That willingness to look closely and think deeply matters.

August 2025 marks twenty years since I began clinical practice. Over that time, my

work has steadily deepened. Alongside practical change and emotional regulation,

there has been a growing emphasis on the quieter inner dimensions of experience.

The places where patterns, meaning, values, and identity intersect. This depth has

become increasingly important as more people seek work that addresses not just

symptoms, but how they live with themselves over time, particularly in complex or

long-standing presentations.

Over the past year in particular, my practice has expanded well beyond Tasmania,

with a growing number of people choosing to work with me online from across

Australia and internationally. This has allowed greater flexibility in how support is

offered, and I currently have increased capacity for new clients as well as clinicians

seeking supervision in 2025.

In terms of availability, I will be away from regular sessions from 24th December

2025 to 3rd January 2026 returning on 5

th January 2026. During this time, I will be largely offline so I can rest and return fully present. If you need support while I am away, I encourage you to lean first on people you trust and the routines that help you feel steady. If additional support is needed, Lifeline is available 24 hours a day

on 13 11 14 for those in Australia, and local emergency services can be contacted

where relevant.

As the year turns, there is no need to rush into the next one. The work of

integration often happens quietly, when pressure eases. Whenever you are ready to

reconnect in the new year, I remain a steady point of reference, and we can

continue at a pace that respects where you are.

Wishing you a safe, restorative Christmas period and a gentle transition into the

year ahead.

Luigi Romanelli MAASW