“A backhanded compliment is hardly a compliment at all,” says Kaufman. “It’s an insult that is poorly disguised as a compliment, oftentimes rooted in the insecurities of the person delivering it.”

“[CBT is] rooted in the idea that thoughts impact feelings and feelings impact behavior,” says Sarah Kaufman, LMSW. “Therefore, if we can reframe our thoughts, we can subsequently change our feelings and then our behavior.”

“[A mourning ritual] can be big or small and include other people or not,” Kaufman says. “Say a prayer, create a memory book, sing a song, plant a tree, or do something else that feels meaningful.”

“When you’re sitting in stillness and silence, you become more aware of your body and mind. This can give you a lot of information that you can compassionately question and work better to understand.”

“Reading books like these can be incredibly powerful and affirming,” says Sarah Kaufman, LMSW.

“It’s common to be afraid of being judged or shamed by a doctor about lifestyle factors such as alcohol and drug consumption or sex, eating, and exercise habits,” says Sarah Kaufman, LMSW.

“When your self-worth starts to become entangled with reaching your goals or getting everything just right, that’s when ambition could be entering a perfectionistic territory.”

“When we act as detectives, trying to figure out why we feel guilty or why we regret something, we can start to uncover why we do what we do and where we want to go. But that’s the thing—we have to be aware of what we do and why. We can’t change what we don’t understand.”

“We still have a long way to go, but with this new technology comes a greater awareness and normalization of managing mental health issues.”

“Setting boundaries during the holiday season, especially with family members and other people who are close to you, is a radical act of self-care to be celebrated.”

“Any person of any size, shape or weight can have disordered eating and body image issues, whether that means restricting food, bingeing and purging, having an intense fear of gaining weight, or something else.”

“We often overlook important emotional cues from our body and mind…Identify the emotion. Take away the power of these emotions by noticing and naming what is happening.”

"For many of us, the holidays are painful — they can bring up feelings of sadness, loneliness, or they might remind us of people we loved who have passed away.”