The holiday season is here: can you handle it or will it handle you?

FALLBROOK – With the holiday season beginning, many people say it begins the most stressful time of year for them.

Families will be together, in the pressure-cooker of close quarters, and while the proximity has the intended goal of a renewed sense of connection, it unfortunately often ends up with the question of why some put themselves through the ringer year after year.

Dr. Joanne Barge, a licensed psychologist based in Los Angeles, has some tips on how families can better cope with arguments over everything from who the better cook is to which football game to watch; arguments which...