Dear Reader
I don’t know about you, but for me, I find myself enjoying summer, the long days and the warm evening, feeling it will stay that way forever and WHAM!!!, with little notice, it suddenly becomes dark and cold.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love fall, when the trees and leaves change into brilliant colors and it looks like an artist took over the landscape; It is truly beautiful. But as the days get shorter, the temperature drops, and we move the clocks back, I am reminded of the shift many of us feel to our moods and that S.A.D. is real.
As fall leads into the darker portion of the year in the northern hemisphere, some of us will experience mild or even sever changes in our emotional states. Even if you’ve never suffered from depression, you can experience symptoms of S.A.D.
It’s important to be aware of S.A.D. so that if you, or someone with whom you’re close is impacted, you can take steps to find the support you need. Don’t brush off those feelings as simply a case of the “winter blues” or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own.
Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year. Treatments for S.A.D. can include light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy, warm long bath, exercise (of course), and at times supplements such as Vitamin D, or medications.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons. If you’re like most people with S.A.D, it begins and ends at about the same time every year with symptoms starting in the fall and continuing into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.
Please do not feel that you have to “just get over it,” or hunker down until it passes. Please ask and reach out for help and support.
According to WebMD, while we don’t know the exact causes of S.A.D., some scientists think that certain hormones made deep in the brain trigger attitude-related changes at certain times of year. Experts believe that S.A.D. may be related to these hormonal changes. One theory is that less sunlight during fall and winter leads to the brain making less serotonin, a chemical linked to brain pathways that regulate mood. When nerve cell pathways in the brain that regulate mood don’t function normally, the result can be feelings of depression, along with symptoms of fatigue and weight gain.
You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light…
Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
Hold Me Tight® Costa Rica
Sometimes when experiencing winter S.A.D, it can help to go south and be in a place of warmth and light. If that is something you consider, here is an invitation…
Many of you have followed my Hold Me Tight® Couples Workshops journey. You have seen me offer, facilitate, and lead successful Hold Me Tight® Couples Workshops here in Nevada City, CA over the past ten years. Early last year, I decided to take a leap and push a new edge for myself; I pre-booked a Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreat at the beautiful Imiloa Institute in Costa Rica. I’ve scheduled this Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreat for Valentine’s Day ’25 (February 11-16)!
At this Hold Me Tight® Couples Retreat, you and your partner will have the opportunity to take a deep dive into your relationship:
• Affirm strengths in the relationship through understanding, communication, and bonding.
• Address negative cycle patterns; Learn why they show up and how to get out of them.
• Learn how to repair and forgive injuries and become vulnerable with each other.
• Enhance emotional, physical, and sexual closeness and intimacy.
This is not group therapy!! Processing and working through the issues in your relationship is done in the privacy of the couples, and when we connect as a group, sharing is optional.
What’s Included
• Accommodations – five nights and six days at Imiloa Eco-luxury Retreat Center
• Charter Flight from SJO (San Jose Costa Rica), airport to a small airport close to the retreat center
• IMILOA Shuttle Service All-inclusive luxury SUV ground transportation
• Plant-based, organic, locally sourced, gourmet meals, created each day by a master 5-star chef
• A campus devoted to our retreat, tucked in the Costa Rica jungle
• Access to a private waterfall, miles of nature paths, incredible flora and fauna, and an ocean view infinity pool
• Yoga classes taught by the local instructors
• Access to an online resource library
• A workbook full with conversations and communication exercises, skill building toolkit, and much more
• Special excursions
• Magical surprises
Retreat Co-Facilitator
Owen Marcus, MA, author, workshop facilitator, co-founder and creator of the EVRYMAN Method, co-founder of MELD, and TEDxTalk presenter on Masculine Emotional Intelligence, will once again be co-leading this workshop with me. (Owen’s TEDX talk)
With a rich background in leading men’s groups and trainings across the country, Owen specializes in guiding men to embrace vulnerability. His expertise extends to working with couples, and he has shared his methods with a diverse audience, including therapists, NGOs, and major tech firms like Google. Owen’s deep experience and innovative approach, honed through co-founding EVRYMAN and now co-leading his latest venture, MELD, promises to significantly enrich the dynamics of the workshop.
Read more and register here
We keep our workshops small to ensure privacy, safety, and personal attention.
Space is limited. We welcome all couples!!
(Please FORWARD to anyone you think will benefit from this work.)
In gratitude and love to all of you,
~Dalia
Hold Me Tight® is a registered trademark of Sue Johnson, founder and originator of Emotionally Focused Therapy.