10 most popular halloween kids costumes 2016*:
(1) Actionhero/superhero
(2) Princess
(3) Animal (cat, dog, gorilla, etc.)
(4) Batman character (Batman, the Joker, Harley Quinn, etc.)
(5) Star Wars character
(6) Witch
(7) ‘Frozen’ character
(8) Marvel superhero (Spiderman, Deadpool, the Hulk etc.)
(9) Zombie
(10) Spiderman

10 most popular adults costumes 2016*:
(1) Witch
(2) Batman character
(3) Animal
(4) Vampire
(5) DC Superhero (Wonder Woman, Superman, etc.),
(6) Pirate
(7) Marvel superhero
(8) Political figure (Trump or Hillary)
(9) Star Wars character
(10) Zombie

So, yeah, it’s official… Halloween used to belong to the kids but we adults wanted in on the action. Who could blame us? A night fully dedicated to play dress-up, consume unconscionable amounts of sugar, and defer our constant concern with responsibilities. Sorry, kids, but we had to appropriate this holiday so we could do for one night what you do year-round. You’ll understand when you grow up.

So why did we get greedy about participating in the festivities? Because this holiday gives us permission to be playful, a chance to be someone for one night and not worry about the consequences. It’s an opportunity for us to suspend how we routinely think about our self, our image and our ideas about what we can or cannot do. Of course, some of you are indeed vampires or just adults who manage to do a lot more of what you want. Respect. For the rest of us, Halloween opens up safe experimentation with other ways of being without the usual risk or commitment it takes to carry out steps in the real world towards a new lifestyle, vocation or role. For that one night, you can be whoever you want to be with minimal emotional, financial or physical investment! How delightful!

Take a moment to play with us

Think about why you chose the costume you chose this year. Even if you have no intention of dressing up this or any other year, think about the costumes that have appealed to you this year, last year, or 10 years ago. What about this or that costume was calling out to you? What does the ensemble that you are thinking about or chose symbolize for you this year? Other delicious questions around this are: What could be happening in your life right now that is possibly pulling you towards a specific guise? Is there a costume that has always enticed you and you’re not sure why? Is there a wish there – to have or to be something – hidden within an especially engaging getup? Is there a way to incorporate this wish in your life in a way that makes sense right now?

The point is we have this time of year to play and to also potentially recognize what it is within us that wants to come out and play. What part of that costume’s character wants to do that? What part of us wants to do that? What is particularly seductive about embodying wonder woman, a pilot, a zombie (or sexy zombie, no judgment…), a ninja, our favorite villain, snow-white, or a cat? This holiday is an elegant access point to better understand where we are at this juncture in our lives, and what we love about it and/or what is imaginably lacking or longed for.

Trick-or-Treat yourself this Halloween

Discover something curious and unfamiliar about yourself through the just-for-fun costumes that you are browsing online, or ones that you’ve chosen this season or in previous years. In other words, trick and treat yourself this year by taking a moment to notice parts of you that may want to break out and dance more often than once a year. Happy Halloween!

This type of play and self-exploration is a little snippet of how you can learn about yourself in therapy. If you’re curious and want to explore more, check out our services at WILA.org, contact us at (424) 371-5191 or info@wila.org

*Based on the nationwide National Retail Federation survey conducted September 6th-13th with 6,700 consumers.

Eva received her Psy.D. degree from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She embraces considerations from mostly a relational orientation, along with implementation of psychodynamic, Time-Limited Dynamic Therapy, and behavioral concepts. Eva is specifically interested in utilizing her clients’ stories of transitional periods and their perception of self (their personal myths) – as a vehicle to discover new possibilities for thought and action.