Why You Don’t Have to Start Over In the New Year to Start Healing

Expert insights from Jessica Hillen, LMSW, Clinical Director at River’s Bend

When “New Year, New You” Doesn’t Feel Right

For many people, January brings not excitement, but exhaustion. While the world encourages fresh starts and resolutions, the emotional realities of this season often tell a different story.

To better understand why, we spoke with Jessica Hillen, LMSW, Clinical Director at River’s Bend. With over a decade of experience in behavioral healthcare, Jessica has worked in both inpatient and outpatient treatment settings, facilitated graduate-level coursework, and provided therapy to adults, adolescents, and families.

“I’ve spent my career walking alongside individuals navigating some of the hardest parts of life; depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, grief, and relationship conflict,” Hillen explains.
“One consistent truth I’ve seen is that healing is rarely linear, and it almost never begins with a resolution.”

She adds that January, despite its cultural image of a clean slate, is often one of the most emotionally challenging months of the year for clients.1

“We need to shift the narrative. Instead of asking, ‘Why aren’t you doing better?’ we should be asking, ‘What kind of support do you need right now?’”

Take our quiz to find out which resolution YOU are most likely to “fail” at (and then find out how to feel better about it)  

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5 Reasons Why January Is Emotionally Complex

River’s Bend clinicians highlight five reasons why the new year often brings a mental health decline:

1. Post-Holiday Emotional Whiplash

The holidays can bring short-term highs; festivities, family events, gifts, and social drinking. But once January sets in, the contrast often feels jarring.

“People tell us they feel empty or disoriented after the holidays,” says Hillen. “It’s a crash landing from weeks of distraction or intensity.”

According to NAMI, 64% of individuals with mental illness say their symptoms worsen during the holidays.2

2. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Short days and limited sunlight can lead to increased depression, fatigue, and mood instability—especially in Michigan’s long winters!

The American Psychiatric Association reports that 5% of U.S. adults experience SAD, and many more experience mild seasonal effects that still disrupt daily functioning.3

3. Substance Use & Relapse Risk

For those managing recovery or questioning their substance use, the holiday season often brings setbacks. January can feel like a month of shame, fear, or physical instability.

“We see clients who drank or used more over the holidays than they expected, and now feel ashamed or scared to talk about it,” says Hillen. “This is when people need care the most, not judgment.”

CDC data shows a spike in alcohol-related deaths in January, making timely support essential.4

4. Financial Stress

Holiday expenses catch up fast. Many individuals enter January already stretched thin financially, which can trigger or worsen symptoms of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness.

Call out Therapy Tip from Jessica: Use a “Control Grid” to Break Down Financial Stress

When money is tight, your brain may start spinning with worst-case scenarios. That’s anxiety talking. Instead of trying to fix everything at once, break the problem into two columns:

  • What I can control
  • What I can’t control

Try this: Draw two boxes. On the left, list what is within your control, like making a simple budget, calling a utility company to ask about payment plans, or skipping non-essential spending this week. On the right, list what’s out of your control such as past purchases, inflation, or a bill that’s already due.

Then, circle just one action you can take today, even if it’s small, like checking your bank balance without judgment or setting a reminder to review expenses tomorrow.

Therapist insight: Anxiety feeds on avoidance. Taking one small step, even if it doesn’t fix the whole issue, gives your brain a sense of agency, and that eases the emotional load.

5. Grief, Loss, and Trauma Triggers

The holidays can highlight emotional wounds, estranged relationships, unresolved trauma, or the loss of loved ones. January often becomes the time when those feelings fully surface.

“We often hear from clients who’ve ‘held it together’ through the holidays and are now emotionally crashing,” Hillen explains.

Real Support & Real People In River’s Bend IOPs

River’s Bend offers specialized Mental Health and Substance Use Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOPs) for individuals who need more structured support than weekly therapy, but don’t require inpatient hospitalization.

Each IOP includes:

  • 9 hours of group therapy per week
  • Access to individual therapy as needed
  • Support from a dedicated team of licensed professionals
  • Small, focused group settings
  • Flexible virtual, in-person, or hybrid (adolescents only) formats

With over 20 licensed therapists facilitating our IOP groups, River’s Bend ensures each group is thoughtfully led by professionals with specialized expertise. The structure, frequency, and content are adapted to each track, and every client is placed in a group that reflects their clinical needs and lived experiences.

“You’ll never be placed in a generic group where you feel like your story doesn’t fit,” says Hillen. “We build each track to meet people where they are, not where we think they should be.”

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A Closer Look At Our Specialized IOP Tracks

🔹 Mental Health IOP

For individuals managing depression, anxiety, or adjustment disorders.

Focus areas:

  • Emotional regulation
  • Cognitive restructuring (CBT)
  • Boundary setting and self-awareness
  • Navigating daily stress, relationships, and self-worth

Best fit: Adults struggling with daily functioning, low mood, or overwhelming anxiety.

🔹 Substance Use Disorder IOP

Supportive, non-judgmental space for individuals working toward sobriety or stability in recovery.

Focus areas:

  • Addiction education
  • Triggers and relapse prevention
  • Motivation and self-efficacy
  • Emotional skills for sustainable recovery

Best fit: Adults ready to explore change, whether post-relapse or as a preventative step.

🔹 Dual Diagnosis IOP

Designed for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.

Focus areas:

  • Integrated treatment approach
  • Harm reduction and stabilization
  • Coping with both cravings and emotional dysregulation
  • Trauma-informed relapse prevention

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🔹 Trauma IOP

A safe space for survivors of physical, emotional, or sexual trauma.

Focus areas:

  • Psychoeducation on trauma and the nervous system
  • Safety and stabilization strategies
  • Emotional processing and cognitive reframing
  • Somatic and mindfulness tools

Best fit: Clients whose primary therapeutic focus is healing from traumatic experiences.

“Trauma recovery requires specialized care. We intentionally keep these groups separate from general mental health to avoid retraumatization,” Hillen notes.

🔹 Gender-Specific Tracks

Available for men and women seeking support in a space that reflects their lived experience.

Focus areas:

  • Societal and internalized expectations
  • Relationship roles and self-identity
  • Emotional expression and regulation
  • Gender-specific trauma and support

Best fit: Clients who feel safer or more open in gender-specific spaces.

🔹 Adolescent IOP (Dual Diagnosis)

Tailored for teens ages 12–17 navigating emotional, behavioral, and substance-related challenges, often linked together.

Focus areas:

  • Emotional regulation and self-awareness
  • Peer and family relationship dynamics
  • Coping with anxiety, depression, and trauma
  • Substance use as a behavioral response to emotional distress
  • Parent collaboration and family systems support

“Our Adolescent IOP is intentionally built as a dual diagnosis track,” says Hillen. “At this age, substance use is not always the root issue, it’s a coping mechanism. We help teens, and their families, understand what’s really going on underneath the behavior.”

Offered in: Hybrid format (virtual + in-person sessions) for greater flexibility.

Why Starting IOP in January Makes Sense

When asked if January is “too late” to start care, Hillen is clear:

“No. In fact, it’s often the perfect time. The holidays show people what’s not working, and IOP gives them structure and connection before things spiral.”.

Don’t Wait for A Crisis 

It’s a common belief that suicide rates soar after the holidays, but research tells a different story. Studies show that suicide rates are typically lower in December and January than in other months, with peaks more often occurring in late spring or early summer.5

“The problem isn’t necessarily an increase in suicide, it’s that people suffer in silence,” says Hillen. “Cultural pressure to ‘start fresh’ can actually make it harder for someone to admit they’re struggling. That’s why de-stigmatizing support is so critical this time of year.”

If you’re feeling low, overwhelmed, or unsure whether your feelings “justify” help, they do. You don’t need to wait for a crisis to reach out.

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What Happens When You Contact Us Via Our Website?

Once you submit a contact form, a member of our compassionate care team will reach out within 24 hours. We’ll talk with you about what you’re experiencing, help determine which of our services best meet your needs, and find appointment times that work with your schedule. 

Our goal is to match you with a therapist you’re most likely to connect with, someone who truly gets you. We’ll even help navigate insurance and benefits so that getting started feels as easy and supportive as possible. You don’t have to figure it all out alone, we’re here to walk with you.

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Resources

  1. Borchard, T. J. (2016, January 11). Surviving January — the most depressing month of the year. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/blog/surviving-january-the-most-depressing-month-of-the-year#1  ↩︎
  2. Nami, & Nami. (2025, April 30). The most difficult time of the year: mental health during the holidays. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). https://www.nami.org/from-the-ceo/the-most-difficult-time-of-the-year-mental-health-during-the-holidays/  ↩︎
  3. National Institutes on Drug Abuse (US). (2020, April 1). Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK571451/  ↩︎
  4. Böttcher, L., Chou, T., & D’Orsogna, M. R. (2025). Alcohol-induced deaths in the United States across age, race, gender, geography, and the COVID-19 pandemic. PLOS Global Public Health, 5(9), e0004623. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004623  ↩︎
  5. To, S., Messias, E., Burch, L., & Chibnall, J. (2024). Seasonal variation in suicide: age group and summer effects in the United States (2015–2020). BMC Psychiatry, 24(1), 856. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-06309-7  ↩︎

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