For those of us who struggle with mental health, the winter holidays may be the hardest time of year. Mood and motivation can be low, while stress and expectations are high. Add to that the uncertainty of being away from home and in a residential treatment program—it can be overwhelming for some. For others, it may be a relief to be in a therapeutic environment during this challenging season.
In any case, individuals and families considering our residential programs often ask: What are the holidays like at CooperRiis? The short answer is that they’re probably a lot like home, but with therapeutic supports. We cultivate an environment that’s festive but calm, structured but flexible, and inclusive but 100% optional. Over 20+ years in practice, we’ve established some sweet holiday traditions that both align with our therapeutic philosophy and offer a special time for residents.
Home-Like for the Holidays
How CooperRiis residents and staff spend holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year will sound very familiar to many: parades and football on TV in the common space, fires in the fireplaces, special family-style meals, and decorations we all arrange together, many handmade by residents, past and present. Every person is invited to contribute as they like.
We hold our big holiday meals on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. (We honor other traditions in this container as well; see the section below about inclusivity.) On both feast days, we structure a variety of optional group activities that may include baking and crafts at The Farm or neighborhood walks and pickleball at CooperRiis Asheville. The community art spaces are open all day on these holidays at both locations.
On Christmas Day, the community gathers around our large, decorated tree for a gift exchange. Mrs. Claus (co-founder Lisbeth Riis Cooper) brings gifts for staff members’ children, and residents open their gifts alongside them. Cookies, hot cocoa, holiday music, and photos with Mrs. Claus make it a joyful celebration for everyone.
Our New Year traditions are flexible and a little different each year, shaped by the traditions and ideas our current residents bring with them. Staff plan activities based on what the group is excited about, often things like a dance party, sparklers, or watching the ball drop together. This way, the night feels familiar, celebratory, and truly community-made.
We Know “Home” is Subjective
We want our residents to feel at home here, whether it’s Christmas Day or a Tuesday in March. And, if the idea of “home” brings with it pain, triggers, or dysfunction, then we’re here to support any desired healing around that. Some folks may be thinking fondly of their homes during the holidays at CooperRiis, some perhaps are working to heal their relationships with home, and others are imagining the home they want to create. Our holiday celebrations are inclusive of all these processes.
Celebrating Together
Observed holidays at CooperRiis are spent truly in community. We take a break from daily clinical sessions. Work crews at The Farm pause for a day or two. While we’re always weaving our therapeutic methods into everything we do, holidays are meant to be a little simpler. We spend time together, like family.
At The Farm (a longer-term, private-pay program) residents have the option to go home for the holidays, and some do; but many also choose to stay. In the Asheville program, which is a shorter duration with more insurance-related restrictions, residents remain on campus through the holidays. Participants in both programs who are present for holiday celebrations are welcome to invite their families.
Typically, about 30–50% of residents’ families attend holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. We like everyone to know that no resident will be the odd one out if they do or do not have family visiting. Therapeutic programs like ours create a strong sense of community among residents and staff, so there is plenty of connection to go around! Staff is in attendance, many with their families; and CooperRiis’ founders, Don Cooper and Lisbeth Riis Cooper, often attend either a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal as well. All told, we may have 40-60 people gathered for these occasions.
Inclusive of All, Always
Christmas and Hanukkah are honored each year with trees, menorahs, resident-led prayers, and traditional foods. We support fasting (and breaking) for occasions like Ramadan and Yom Kippur. Our kitchen happily and meticulously honors dietary practices such as kosher, halal, vegetarian, and vegan—always, not just for
holidays—and prepares traditional meals for Jewish residents on all high holidays upon request.
Other holiday accommodations that residents in CooperRiis programs can count on are:
- Residents are welcome to participate in festivities at any level they desire.
- We respect the choice to opt out of holiday celebrations altogether.
- We will uphold gender-affirming names and pronouns (as always).
- Staff are happy to transport residents to any local religious service they want, accompanying them or waiting outside, depending upon support needs. (This also applies year-round.)
Supporting a Range of Experiences & Needs
Naturally, sitting at a long, family-style table with 59 other people isn’t everyone’s cup of cocoa. We take a comfort-level approach to everything at CooperRiis, including holidays. There is almost infinite possibility around how residents participate in these festivities. Here are a few examples of what this might look like:
- Sitting alone or with a staff member at a different table in the same dining room as everyone else.
- Eating in a different room adjacent to the dining room, alone or with a staff member.
- Joining a smaller group of residents to eat at another table or in another room.
- Coming to the dining room to retrieve a plate and taking it back to their own private space.
- Receiving “delivery” of a plate to their room and eating there alone.
Everything at CooperRiis is voluntary. This gradient of meeting one’s comfort level is how we approach all holiday activities, as well as day-to-day life. We will always encourage community engagement because we know its benefits to mental health, but autonomy is also a great part of what we help residents build in their time here, and no one is ever expected to engage more than they desire to. We want everyone to leave our programs with a solid understanding of their own needs and how to accommodate them.
A Season of Hope & Healing
Many families worry about their loved one being in residential treatment for the holidays. And in a more general sense, the question of what day-to-day life is like “inside” may be a source of hesitation. Our goal through posts like these is to paint a clear picture so that individuals can visualize themselves on this healing path, and their families can begin to imagine their loved one building community and directing a brighter future for themselves. We look forward to celebrating the holidays with you!
