Navigate the Holidays: Support for Patients and Care Partners

5 one-on-one coaching sessions to help you navigate the holidays when being a patient or care partner makes everything harder!

The holidays are coming.

Everyone else seems excited about gatherings, traditions, and festive joy.

But when you’re a patient and/or caregiver, the holidays can feel different.

Holidays can mean:

• More expectations piled on top of already being exhausted from your physical issues and/or care partnering
• Family dynamics that ignore or dismiss how hard things really are
• Guilt for not being able to do what you “should” be doing
• Exhaustion pretending everything is fine when it’s not
• Loneliness because no one seems to understand what you’re carrying

And then there’s the pressure to be grateful and joyful when what you really need is rest, acknowledgment, and someone to say: “This is really hard, and you’re doing the best you can.”

That’s why I created this package.

This 5-session coaching package is designed specifically for the challenges patients and care partners face during the holiday season:

1. Holiday Expectations vs. Our Reality

• The pressure to create “perfect” holidays when you’re already stretched thin
• Letting go of what used to be and finding what’s possible now
• Permission to scale back, simplify, or skip altogether

2. Family Dynamics, Guilt, and Boundary Challenges

• Managing family members who don’t understand or help
• Setting boundaries without feeling like the “bad guy”
• Navigating guilt when you can’t meet everyone’s expectations
• Responding to blame, criticism, or emotional manipulation

3. Emotional Exhaustion During the “Joyful” Season

• Acknowledging that the holidays might not feel joyful right now – and that’s okay
• Finding tiny moments of peace or beauty amid the chaos
• Validation that your feelings are real and legitimate

4. Managing Others’ Expectations

• Scripts for declining invitations, requests, and demands
• How to communicate your limitations clearly
• Dealing with people who don’t accept your “no”
• Protecting your energy without over-explaining

What You Get:

5 One-on-One Coaching Sessions (50-60 minutes each)

• Scheduled at your pace (weekly or flexible timing through the holiday season)
• Via BraveTalk video call or phone – your choice
• Private, confidential space to talk about what you’re experiencing

Validation-Centred Approach

• You won’t be told to “look on the bright side” or “practice gratitude”
• Your experience will be witnessed, believed, and honoured
• We’ll work with where you are, not where you “should” be

Practical Support

• Communication scripts for difficult conversations
• Decision-making support for holiday situations
• Real-time problem-solving for what comes up

Flexibility

• Book sessions through my Calendly calendar
• If my regular office hours don’t work, we’ll find times that do
• Session notes with recordings available if you want them (your choice)

This Package Is For You If…

You Are:

✓ Feeling overwhelmed by holiday expectations on top of your health and/or care partnering demands
✓ Struggling with family dynamics that add stress instead of support
✓ Exhausted from managing everyone else’s emotions and needs
✓ Isolated (especially if you’re COVID-conscious and can’t access traditional support)
✓ Experiencing guilt, resentment, grief, or burnout
✓ Ready for validation, practical strategies, and permission to prioritize yourself

You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to show up as you are.

This Package Is NOT:

• ❌ Cheerleading or toxic positivity
• ❌ Telling you to “just set boundaries” without acknowledging why that’s hard
• ❌ Suggesting you do more self-care activities when you have no time or energy
• ❌ Judgment about your situation or choices
• ❌ Generic advice that doesn’t account for your specific reality

This Package Is:

• ✅ Meeting you exactly where you are
• ✅ Witnessing and validating your experience
• ✅ Working with the constraints you’re actually facing
• ✅ Supporting you in finding what’s possible (even if it seems small)
• ✅ Reminding you that you matter, especially when the system tells you otherwise

Outcomes You Might Experience:

After these 5 sessions, you might:

• Feel less alone – someone sees you and gets it
• Have clearer boundaries and scripts to communicate them
• Experience less guilt about saying no or scaling back
• Feel validated in your exhaustion and frustration
• Have specific strategies for navigating difficult holiday situations
• Give yourself permission to prioritize your wellbeing
• Feel more grounded amid the chaos

I can’t promise the holidays will be easy. But I can promise you won’t navigate them alone.

How to Register:

Step 1: Complete checkout here! (first 5 are free, then $350)

Step 2: Book your first session at calendly.com/navigatinghealthcare

If my regular office hours don’t work for you, email me at Beth@NavigatingHealthcare.ca and we’ll find a time that does.

Still Not Sure?

You still have options! I offer free 30 minute consultations. Please reach out and book a time. Here’s the link to my availability calendar: https://calendly.com/navigatinghealthcare/30min. If these times don’t work, please email me at Beth@NavigatingHealthcare.ca so we can find a time that works for both of us.

You matter. Your wellbeing matters. Really!

Questions?

“What if I’m not sure this is right for me?”

If you’re reading this and feeling that pull of “maybe someone understanding would help,” trust that. The fact that you’re here, reading this, tells me you need support. I’d encourage you to sign up – and if you’re really not sure please take advantage of my 30 minute free consultation.

“What if I can’t commit to 5 sessions?”

We work at your pace. You can schedule the sessions over the next few weeks, or throughout the holidays and into the new year. If you need to spread them out more or adjust timing, we’ll figure it out together. Flexibility is built in.

“What if I’m too exhausted to even show up?”

If you’re exhausted, please show up as you are. There’s no homework or expectations. Showing up is a radical act of self-care. You don’t need to perform or have it together. Come as you are.

“I’m not sure I can afford this.”

The first 5 spots are free. If those fill and cost is a barrier, email me. We’ll work something out.

“What if my situation is too complicated?”

There’s no such thing as “too complicated” for patients and care partners. Complicated is where we live. I work with the reality you’re in, not the simplified version.