To Everything There Is a Season: The Psychology of Letting Go
Written by Kristen Stahl, LPC, LCADC, October 2026
One of the things I love about living in the Northeast is experiencing the changing seasons. While I can find something to like about each of them (new beginnings in spring, beach time in summer, the beauty of a fresh snowfall), Autumn is my favorite. I love the splendor of the changing leaves, the crisp air, and feeling cozy in sweaters or in front of a bonfire.
A technique I use with clients is helping them get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Whether they’re addressing cravings for drugs or alcohol or fighting through anxiety, if they can distract themselves with a healthy coping skill, the urge will pass. Like the seasons, discomfort doesn’t last forever: when we get tired of the cold, spring is around the corner, and when the summer heat is getting us down, the leaves start to turn.
Autumn is also a helpful metaphor for change and growth. As the gold, red, and orange leaves fall to the earth, they leave the trees bare and stark. When clients embark on change and begin a therapeutic relationship, they agree to open themselves up, to bare their souls as the change process begins.
Mindfulness is a common tool in therapy. According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), mindfulness means “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” One method I use to help clients let go of ruminating thoughts is to imagine them as “leaves on a stream”: visualize the thought on a leaf, acknowledge it without judgment, watch it float away, and let it go.
Autumn reminds us that letting go isn’t a loss so much as a making of room. The trees release their leaves without struggle, trusting that spring will come. When we loosen our grip on the thoughts, habits, and worries that no longer serve us, we create space for something new to grow. To everything there is a season, and sometimes the bravest thing we can do is let the leaves fall.
