The holidays are meant to be a time of joy and memories, and they always have been for Eleen and me. But the 2008 holiday is the first Christmas we are facing after our son Colin died and the third after our son Richard died. We both admit to apprehensiveness as the holidays gets closer.

There is no doubt the holidays can cause stress for the bereaved, and can often take the joy out of the season. The following article, "Important Tips for Managing the Holidays for the Bereaved," was written by Gloria Lintermans and Marilyn Stolzman. They sent it to me just after Richard died two years ago and gave me permission to republish here. Their article gives useful tips on learning how to enjoy the holidays again. Thank you Gloria and Marilyn.

On a personal note, this year we are combining Tip 1, CREATE A NEW HOLIDAY RITUAL, with Tip 8, FAMILY AND FRIENDS: our son Ian from Ontario will be spending Christmas with us. It will be his first visit to the West.

I wish you all a holiday time filled with love and light.

Dr. Neill Neill

First Decade:

Dr. Neill Neill

Alternative medicine is very popular right now. In the world of psychology there is also an alternative medicine. This is using energy healing called Energy Psychology.