India, Oct. 21 -- A forty-three-year-old male client tells me, "I'm tense as the festive week is coming up. My sister is considered the 'golden child' and while I have worked hard to prove myself responsible, I don't think my parents or sister acknowledge this. There are no fights, but a lingering tension and imbalance that takes away from the joy of celebrations."

I see this consistent theme in therapy sessions in the days preceding festivals which continues to linger weeks after.

Festivals seem to stir up complex unspoken feelings within families - an extension of low-grade tensions simmering for years that bubble up and put a damper on the festive spirit. If you are experiencing this, you are not alone. Whether we acknowledge or not,...