WISCONSIN— Mother's Day is Sunday, May 8. The holiday can bring up complicated feelings for a lot of people 

Some may suffer from strained relationships with their mother or children. Others may be dealing with feelings of grief from the loss of a mother or child.

Lakiesha Russell, therapist and president-elect of the Wisconsin Counseling Association, said these feelings are common, and the holiday is not always associated with joy or thankfulness.

Russell suggested processing feelings instead of ignoring them. She said physical loss or loss of emotional connection can cause similar grief.

When it comes to physical loss of a child or parent, Russell said it's best to accept the feelings that come.

"Allow that moment to come and be present and go through those emotions but then after you come out of that, what are other ways that you can honor that child that you lost or that mother that you lost?"

When it comes to strained relationships, Russell said writing how you feel can be beneficial. She also said, in some cases, ignoring the day altogether can be a healthy approach.

"It's okay for people to not want to partake or do anything; that's their perogative and we shouldn't shame people for wanting to bow out of that day," Russell said.

Russell also reminded people that emotions may come up suddenly that are surprising or that people thought they'd forgotten, but this is normal.

"Our bodies store the memory of those traumatic experiences, those sad experiences that we haven't actually worked through," Russell said.

People can also use the day to celebrate the good they can find or seek therapy for those complicated feelings. Russell said how to go about the day is a very personal decision.