Oprah was not the originator of a gratitude journal, but her promotion of it has changed lives. It encourages going past "seeing the glass half full" to truly embracing that at anytime, there are always things for which to be grateful.
A cognitive challenge is to look for the evidence of the thought. Clients who struggle with depression are many times the ones who are prone to a world view that life is like a roller coaster. A more balanced view can be encouraged by emphasizing that life is more like a road. There are joys and struggles at any given time. Two questions that can assist the client to identify this for her or himself is to ask "So what is working?" or "What has been a source of comfort or joy?" At this time of Thanksgiving we can all benefit from identifying our sources of gratitude. Daily, it can become a personal place of peace.
An exercise that I do and I know others do as well around the Thanksgiving table, is to state for what we are grateful or thankful. It is a way to bring "peace" to the table and renew a new way of acknowledging one another's lives. It also can break the cycle of some of the negative conversations that shadow family communication.
Whatever your family experience, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and a time of gratitude.
Janine Murray, MFT
President - Inland Empire CAMFT
