A free four-week webinar series · ReConnect Scotland
Before
we gather.A little more room for each other this Christmas.
Family gatherings can bring warmth, old roles, strong opinions, and difficult conversations into the same room. Four thoughtful sessions to help you notice your patterns, speak honestly, and stay connected to yourself and others.
What is relational intelligence?
Understanding ourselves.
Understanding each other.
The holidays can magnify familiar dynamics. Relational intelligence means noticing what happens in you and between people, then choosing how you want to respond. You cannot control every conversation, but you can arrive with more awareness and a few useful words.
One idea we’ll explore
“You can hold onto your own view and remain curious about someone else’s.”
A familiar table. A familiar feeling.
Sometimes the smallest comments
bring up the biggest feelings.
A question, an opinion, a passing remark. We’ll explore why these moments can land so differently, and how to respond with more choice.
The programme
Four weeks.
Before we gather.
A short, practical journey from recognising old roles to making a personal plan for the gatherings ahead.
Why do I become that version of myself?
Old roles & triggers
Notice what family settings bring out in you, without turning every reaction into a personal failing. Take away a simple pattern map.
What do I need, and how do I say it?
Needs & boundaries
Find words for your limits, requests, and choices, including when a kind “no” feels difficult. Take away a few phrases to adapt.
Can we disagree and still be close?
Different views & conflict
Practise listening without surrendering your view, speaking without trying to win, and knowing when to pause a heated discussion.
What would a good enough gathering look like?
Repair & your plan
Bring the pieces together: what matters to you, what you can let go, where you may need a boundary, and how you might reconnect after a difficult moment.
22 & 29 November · 6 & 13 December 2026
2–3:20 p.m. UK time (GMT)
You might recognise this
“I love them, but this is hard.”
- 01You look forward to seeing people and still feel anxious about a familiar dynamic.
- 02You find yourself agreeing, withdrawing, explaining too much, or suddenly feeling like a teenager again.
- 03You want to talk about differences without the evening becoming a debate.
- 04You want a realistic plan that makes room for your own needs as well as other people’s.
How it works
Space to learn.
Space to think.
An hour together, plus Q&A
One hour of teaching, relatable examples, and reflection, followed by 20 minutes for questions each week.
Questions welcome
Bring questions about the ideas we explore. The final 20 minutes are for a moderated Q&A; sharing personal experiences is optional.
Something to take away
A small exercise after each session and practical prompts to keep, building towards your own holiday connection plan.
Free to attend. Sundays 22 & 29 November, 6 & 13 December 2026. 2–3:20 p.m. UK time (GMT). This educational series is not group therapy.
Your host
Hi, I’m Odett.
I’m an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist, and the founder of ReConnect Scotland. I wanted to create this series because Christmas can hold so many different emotions, and they aren’t always warm or easy.
For some of us, it brings joy and closeness. For others, there’s tension, sadness, pressure, or a mixture of all of these. Even when we love the people around us, being together can feel complicated.
I wanted to open up that conversation and make space for more people to explore it. Across these four Sundays, we’ll get curious about familiar patterns, find words for difficult moments, and think about how to make room for ourselves and each other.
ReConnect Scotland · Before We Gather
A gentler way to
meet the moment.
Four weeks of relational intelligence for family, close relationships, and the conversations the holidays can bring.
Join the free webinar ↗Free registration · All four sessions
A place for you.
Join Before We Gather on Sundays 22 & 29 November and 6 & 13 December 2026, from 2–3:20 p.m. UK time (GMT).
One hour of teaching and reflection, plus 20 minutes of questions each week. Practical exercises to take away.
Join the free webinar ↗Register once for all four sessions. Zoom will email you your personal joining link.