By Dr. Celia van Wyk, Sandplay Therapist and Trainer on Mental Health

As we step into the third day of 2025, we find ourselves at a significant crossroads—a departure point from the year that was and a gateway to what lies ahead. Every new beginning offers a chance for growth and transformation, whether you’re a parent navigating the beautiful chaos of raising a toddler, a new entrepreneur building a dream, or someone facing the heartache of loss, divorce, or family struggles.

Perhaps 2024 was a year of revelations for you, a time when truths about who you are came to light. Now, as the dust settles, you may ask yourself: Who should come first—my family, my clients, or me? The answer is you. Everything you do, are involved in, or aspire to become begins with your well-being, your awareness, and your growth.

Personally it has been a tough year, one that pushed me in ways I could not have anticipated. Things I once deemed important found their place in the background, as the raw and real work with clients and students illuminated what truly matters.

In my Mental Health Practice, I have come to understand—more deeply than ever—what it means to be an emotional container for someone. To hold space for another’s pain, to witness their growth, and to be present in their journey is no small task. It demands so much of us as therapists. And yet, there were moments when I realized that I had no more to give, moments when I felt I was not enough.

This year, I learned that striving to be a good Mental Health Professional often means being too hard on ourselves. But perhaps, being “enough” is not about perfection; it’s about authenticity. It’s about allowing ourselves the grace to pause, redirect, and embrace our own vulnerabilities.

Human nature has a way of testing our boundaries, not as punishment, but as an opportunity for growth. Sometimes, it’s not about finding a cure but rather about shifting perspective—embracing a new thought, exploring a buried part of ourselves, and moving closer to wholeness.

The world will always have its challenges, but within these trials lies an invitation to explore the depths of our humanity. This year, I faced my own vulnerabilities, and instead of shielding them away, I chose to sit with them, to find the beauty within the pain. Life’s hardships are a part of its essence, and in embracing them, we grow.

At the start of 2025, I carry with me all that challenged and shaped me. The vulnerabilities that exposed me, I guard as treasures—they are the seeds of resilience. At this moment, as I sit with gratitude for being part of the healing process for others, I also acknowledge the collective power we hold as mental health professionals to build a better world, one person at a time.

Looking ahead to 2025, I do so with renewed enthusiasm and hope. I am eager to learn, to love, and to continue being part of this extraordinary journey of healing. Let us remember how powerful we are when we support, teach, and learn from one another. Together, let us build the tomorrows we dream of—a world of compassion, connection, and growth.

Here’s to 2025, a year of possibilities.

Warm regards,
Dr. Celia van Wyk
Sandplay Therapist

Being an emotional container in therapy refers to the therapist’s role in providing a safe, supportive space where clients can express and process their emotions without fear of judgment, rejection, or harm. The concept draws from psychoanalytic theory, particularly the work of Wilfred Bion, who described the importance of a “container-contained” dynamic in emotional development.