New Year’s Day can be an emotional one. There is something about the turning of the year that brings life into sharper focus. Those who shaped us. Those who walked beside us for a time. Those who are no longer here. At this time of year I often think of a Gaelic word that carries far more depth than any neat translation allows: Cianalas. It speaks of longing, though that barely touches it. It holds a pull towards what feels distant or altered or lost. That word fits New Year’s Day for me far more than ideas of reinvention or resolution. It can also be a gentle call to focus on what matters.
People come to therapy from many different places. Sometimes it begins in a moment of absolute crisis. A point where the world has fractured and reality feels shifted on its axis. Everything familiar can seem suddenly unrecognisable. Hope can feel far away. The idea of a future can feel impossible to grasp. When someone sits with me in that space, I often return to one simple truth. It can sound obvious, and a but blunt. But it is true: They are alive.
Where there is life, there is hope. Hope for recovery. Hope for change. Hope for rebuilding. Hope for transformation. Hope for finding meaning even in the harshest and most painful circumstances life can bring. I have seen this unfold many times in ways that feel grounded and profoundly human. At this stage in the holidays I start longing to return to the therapy room. Much as I enjoy the chat and social connection of the season, I miss the real talk and the work of therapy.
As 2026 begins, my thoughts are very much with anyone facing crisis, uncertainty, grief, or a sense of being unable to see a way forward. You are held in mind today.
New Year’s Day also gives me space to pause. To reflect on the lessons of the year that has passed and to consider what I am hoping for and intending as the months ahead take shape. I have noticed people on social media suggesting you choose a word for the year ahead. I quite like that. If I were to choose a word for 2026, it would be CLEAR.
Clarity is often the gateway to progress and to hope, even when circumstances feel overwhelming. As a verb, clear means to create space. In EMDR, we talk about clearing traumatic memories. The memory remains, yet the emotional intensity softens dramatically. Once that intensity eases, a renewed and healthier meaning can emerge, bringing clarity about what lies ahead. There is something empowering about getting clear about wishes and intentions for the future. And I have been described as being quite “clear” myself, although I am not sure it has always been meant as a compliment 😉
If your intentions for 2026 include making a change, breaking out of old patterns, or just surviving what you are facing at the moment, we would love to hear from you. My associate psychologist currently has availability and offers thoughtful, skilled work grounded in the same care and values that shape this practice. Beginning therapy with an associate can be a meaningful way to start or continue this work without delay. If something in this message resonates, you are very welcome to get in touch to explore therapy options.
There is also something quietly taking shape behind the scenes this year. An alternative way of working for those seeking change and clarity outside the frame of one to one therapy. More on that as the year progresses.
For today, I wish you gentleness as the year opens.
Rachel