Thanksgiving has a way of bringing out the best in us… and the parts we’d rather hide.
The messy family dynamics, the overstimulation, the emotional landmines, the pressure to feel grateful on command.
In this episode, I’m naming the quiet part out loud: gratitude isn’t always pretty, peaceful, or polished.
Sometimes it’s gritty. Sometimes it’s tired. Sometimes it’s the shaky breath you take in the bathroom before you walk back into the noise.
As a mental health therapist, a projector, someone who’s lived through more burnout cycles than I care to admit, I’ve learned that gratitude inside chaos hits different. It becomes less about the “list” and more about the nervous system—what your body can hold, what you’re releasing, and what still needs space.
Inside this conversation:
This is not the “be grateful no matter what” pep talk.
It’s the reminder that your mental health counts just as much as the holiday expectations.
And that gratitude can coexist with grief, frustration, exhaustion, and being human.
If Thanksgiving feels messy this year, you’re not doing it wrong.
You’re just telling the truth.
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This podcast was brought to you by Healing Roots Wellness & Botanicals. For more information, please visit www.ShawnaLovinLPCS.com. Although Shawna is a licensed counselor in the State of Texas, this podcast is not therapy and should not be used as a therapeutic intervention. Many of the practices and products mentioned are for educational and informational purposes only. Should you need support, please seek appropriate, qualified, and licensed professionals.