(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — If you’re dreading Thanksgiving because of uncomfortable — or even combative — conservations you may have with relatives, there are some things you can do to prepare yourself.
A local therapist has suggestions on how to navigate the holiday that comes just over three weeks after an election that saw the country split. Licensed Clinical Social Worker Christina Geiselhart said before you gather, the host can set guidelines for what topics are off the table.
“You have a little bit of control to be proactive about this, to try to mitigate some of these situations that could potentially occur,” she said.
On Thursday, hosts can give guests tasks or games to play instead of making small talk, and set up a calming space if things get heated.
If the prospect is too stressful and feelings are too raw, Geiselhart pointed out you don’t have to go. Maybe wait until the next holiday to gather, she said.
And if you’re trapped in an unpleasant conversation, she suggested redirecting the conversation.
“You can say things that make them feel like you are hearing them,” she said. “You can also then follow that up with, ‘I’d prefer not to discuss this right now, though.’”
Geiselhart is a therapist with the Hoffman Estates-based Thriveworks.
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