Holding the Holidays: Grief Journal for the Holidays | Printable PDF |
The holidays can turn up the volume on grief. The songs, the traditions, the empty chair, and the pressure to feel merry can make this the hardest stretch of the year.
Holding the Holidays was created by Kristie Slaski, LCPC, of Coastal Sands Counseling, to offer gentle, practical support from Thanksgiving through the New Year. It draws on two well-researched approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The goal is not to "get over" your loss, but to carry it with more kindness and to live this season in a way that reflects what matters to you.
Inside you'll find:
A Holiday Grief Map to anticipate hard moments before they arrive
CBT thought records, with a worked example, and 7 common grief thinking traps with gentler alternatives
ACT practices for making room for painful feelings, stepping back from sticky thoughts, and grounding in overwhelming moments
A Values Compass and small-step planner
A Plan A / Plan B / Exit planner for gatherings, plus kind boundary scripts
Keep, Change, Release, Create pages for family traditions
Ideas for honoring your loved one and a letter-writing page
Reusable daily check-ins, 30 seasonal prompts, and an after-the-holidays reflection
Crisis and support resources
Details: instant digital download, 1 PDF file, 35 pages, US Letter (8.5 x 11 in). Print at home or at a print shop, or write on it with a PDF annotation app. Reusable pages may be printed as often as you like for your own use. No physical item will be shipped.
This journal is an educational self-help resource, not therapy or a substitute for professional care.
Full disclaimer
IMPORTANT: Holding the Holidays is an educational, self-guided resource. It is not therapy, counseling, medical care, or a diagnosis, and it is not a substitute for care from a licensed mental health professional or physician. Purchasing or using this journal does not create a counselor-client or any other professional relationship with Kristie Slaski, LCPC, or Coastal Sands Counseling. The exercises are adapted from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for general self-reflection; they are not a treatment plan, and individual results vary. The author and publisher make no guarantees and assume no liability for outcomes related to the use or misuse of this material.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself or others, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, U.S.), text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line), or call 911. Outside the U.S., contact your local emergency number.
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Personal-use license
© 2026 Kristie Slaski, LCPC / Coastal Sands Counseling. All rights reserved. Your purchase grants you a personal, non-transferable license to download this file and print copies for your own personal, non-commercial use. You may not resell, redistribute, share, upload, or modify and repackage this journal, in whole or in part, in print or digital form. Each purchase covers one person. To give the journal as a gift, please purchase a separate copy for the recipient.
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Because this is an instant digital download, all sales are final and refunds are not offered once the file has been delivered. If your file is damaged, won't open, or you were charged twice, contact us within 14 days and we'll send a working copy or make it right.
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