I had never participated in anything like this before and I was a bit nervous at first, but Rachel put everyone at ease with her easygoing, calm, wise approach.
A live online holiday series with Rachel Haack, LMFT
Still, Love.
For parents whose holidays look different than they hoped.
Four live calls on Zoom, a Thanksgiving morning gathering, a Christmas morning reflection, and a companion journal, so you don't have to get through this season alone.
Think of it as a holiday ritual that's just for you: a few evenings set aside this season to steady yourself, and maybe find a little more joy than you expected.
Enrollment is open through December 14. Replays stay available through January 31, and cameras are always optional.
A note from Rachel
Every year around this time, I start hearing from parents who are dreading the holidays.
Some have an adult child who isn't coming home, or who hasn't been in touch for a long time, and they're already going back and forth about whether to mail a card. Others will have everyone at the table but expect to spend the whole day watching what they say. A lot of them are adjusting to a new arrangement: the kids alternate years with the in-laws now, or the traditions that used to hold the family together don't seem to matter much to anyone else anymore.
And some tell me nothing is really wrong. They just miss how it used to be, and they feel a little silly about how much it hurts.
Then Instagram fills up with everyone else's Christmas mornings, and it's hard not to hold your own holiday up against them.
If any of this sounds like you, I made Still, Love for you.
What I want to offer you this year
I don't think the answer is to put on a brave face and push through. But I've also watched too many good people hand an entire season over to grief, and I don't want that for you either.
Still, Love is a place to do both.
We'll be honest about what hurts, and we'll also push back, gently, on the idea that sadness gets to decide how your holidays go.
You'll have something to look forward to on your calendar, practices to try at home, and a few small traditions that belong to you.
I'll be drawing on what I've seen actually help:
Mostly, though, it will feel like sitting down with me for an hour.
01 · The experience
Our season together
What each call looks like
Each call starts with about half an hour of teaching. Then I'll walk you through a short practice you can do right there in your companion, and we'll finish with your questions.
Send in your questions
Before each call you can send me whatever you're wrestling with. I'll take the question that comes up most and answer it in depth, and sometimes I'll role-play it so you can hear how a hard conversation might actually go.
Come as you are
You're welcome to keep your camera off and come in your pajamas, and nobody will ask you to tell your story.
See how far you've come
Along the way, you'll check in with yourself using a few simple questions, so by the end of December you can actually see how far you've come.
The Still Here wall
A small place to share things from your season, like the walk you took, the candle you lit, or the tradition you tried, and see what other parents are finding too.
02 · The gatherings
Your season, date by date
All live calls are on Zoom at 4pm PT / 7pm ET and run 60 minutes.
Call 1
Making Room for What Hurts
We'll start by naming what you're actually grieving this year. A lot of holiday sadness never gets called grief, so nobody treats it gently, including us. I'll show you the difference between the pain of the loss and the extra weight of fighting it, and you'll leave with a plan for your hardest days that fits on one page.
Call 2
Staying Yourself in the Room
For many parents, the hard part isn't only who might be missing. It can also be who's coming, and the old patterns that come along with them. Three days before Thanksgiving, we'll work out how you want to show up, and how to stay steady and connected to the people around you without abandoning yourself.
Thanksgiving Morning
Still Here
Thirty minutes together before the day gets going. Bring your coffee and a candle. We'll light it for whoever isn't at the table and for whoever still is, and each of us will write down one thing that's still here. Then you'll close the laptop and go have your Thanksgiving.
Call 3
The Empty Chair
December is when absences get loud: an estranged child, a family spread across the country, a tradition that ended without anyone deciding it should. We'll take on the question so many of you ask me every year, which is whether to reach out, send a gift, or wait. You'll also choose one small ritual of your own for Christmas.
Christmas Morning
A Reflection from Me
Before the day starts, there'll be a short recording from me in your inbox, with a companion page to go with it. Listen whenever you need it, even if that turns out to be 10 o'clock at night.
Call 4
Carrying Love Forward
We'll meet in that slow week between Christmas and New Year's to look at what this season taught you and what you want to take into 2027. You'll write a short letter to yourself for the year ahead, so you end a hard year with something to look forward to.
Can't make it live? Every session is recorded, and replays are yours through January 31.
03 · Your companion
The Still, Love companion
Something to keep next to your coffee cup all season
It holds the practices from each call, pages for your own writing, and a few things I'd want you to have on hand when a day goes sideways, like a one-page plan and some phrases for the tense moments.
Write in it as much or as little as you like. Nobody's grading it.
About 21 pages. A fillable PDF that also prints cleanly for handwriting.
What's included in
Still, Love.
- Four live 60-minute gatherings
- A Thanksgiving morning gathering
- A Christmas morning reflection
- The Still, Love companion
- The Still Here wall, a small place to share what's helping
- Send-in questions answered live
- Replays of every session through January 31
$100
The $100 price is designed to keep this experience accessible to the parents who need it this season.
Enrollment is open through December 14. All sales are final.
Free seats
If cost is the thing standing in the way, ask for a seat.
I've set aside up to 25 free seats for parents who genuinely want to be part of Still, Love but can't make the cost work this year.
You don't need to explain your finances or prove anything. A sentence or two is plenty. Just tell me anything you'd like me to know, or leave that box blank.
Up to 25 free seats this seasonRequests are available while the 25-seat allotment remains open.
Request received
Thank you for requesting a free seat.
We've received your request and will review it shortly. If approved, we'll email you with everything you need to join Still, Love.
Please keep an eye on your inbox for your approval email.
What people say about Rachel
A little reassurance before you join
If you're wondering what this experience might feel like, here are a few words from people who have spent time learning with Rachel before.
Is this for me?
You don't have to be estranged to be here, though if you are, I'm really glad you found this.
Questions
Something else on your mind? Write to [email protected].
What if I can't make it live?
Every session is recorded, and the replays are yours through January 31, so you can do the whole thing on your own schedule.
Will other people see me?
No. We'll meet on a Zoom webinar, which means only I'm on screen. You can send me questions privately, and anonymously if you'd like.
Will this make me feel sadder?
It's a fair worry. We'll make honest room for what hurts, because sadness that gets ignored tends to get louder. But we won't stay there. Every gathering ends with something practical to carry into your week, and the whole point is to help you feel steadier, not heavier.
Is it too late to join once it starts?
You can join any time through December 14 and catch up on the replays.
What if I can't afford it?
If the cost is a real barrier for you this year, I've set aside a limited number of free seats. You can request one here. A sentence or two is plenty. You don't need to explain or prove anything.
Is this therapy?
No. This is an educational and reflective experience, not therapy or group therapy. If you're struggling with thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out to a crisis line right away. In the US, you can call or text 988.
What's your refund policy?
All sales are final, and refunds aren't available. If you can't make a session live, the replays are yours through January 31.
About Rachel
Rachel Haack, LMFT
I'm Rachel Haack, a licensed marriage and family therapist, educator, and writer. My work focuses on adult family relationships, especially the complicated years when parenting turns into a relationship between adults, and the long work of loving people we can no longer control.
Most days I'm thinking about estrangement, conflict, grief, repair, and how family roles change. Lately I've been drawn to another question too: what makes a life well lived when some part of it is still unresolved? That question became Still, Love.
So many of the parents I work with are waiting: for a phone call, an apology, a door that might open again. I understand the waiting. I just don't want your whole life to happen in the waiting room. This season is still yours, and I'd love to help you live it.
Come spend the holidays with us.
Still, Love.
Four Monday evenings, November 16 to December 28. $100.
Join Still, LoveEnrollment is open through December 14. Replays stay available through January 31.
Or gift a seat to a parent who needs it