Life Transitions Counseling
Is A New Role Or Development In Your Life Challenging Your Self-Esteem And Ability To Cope?
- Are you embarking upon a significant change or transition in your life?
- Have you lost a person, job, or sense of identity?
- Or do you feel stuck when it comes to deciding how to move forward or what to do next?
While change is a normal and expected component of being human, it’s not always easy. Change often involves grief, uncertainty, and overwhelm, causing you to question yourself and your abilities even if you’re excited about what’s ahead.
For instance, you may be in the process of switching careers, going back to school, applying for a promotion or relocating for work. Though you’re happy about the prospects of making more money or striving toward long-term professional goals, you may be doubting that you can transition smoothly. Feeling the pressure of the many responsibilities associated with your new role, you might worry that you lack the skills needed to be successful.
Similarly, if you have recently gotten married, moved in with your partner or started a family, you may be experiencing the normal ups and downs of embarking on a life-altering path with someone else. Perhaps you are having a hard time letting go of your individual identity or meeting unrealistic expectations that have been carved out for you by others. Especially if you are a new mother experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety, you may be struggling to reconcile the idealized version of motherhood with what you are actually experiencing.
Grief And Loss Are Common—And Overlooked—Transitions
Every change in life opens the door to new opportunities, but it often means saying goodbye to something else. If you have recently lost a loved one, pet or relationship, you may find it difficult to accept that you will ever recover. You may be worried that you’re stuck feeling intense sadness and isolation, especially if your grief has remained well beyond a bereavement period that feels “acceptable.”
Whatever your transition may be, you have been confronted with new responsibilities, questions and a rapidly changing sense of identity; it’s understandable if you are afraid that you won’t be able to handle the stress on your own. Fortunately, through counseling for life transitions, a therapist can support and encourage you on your journey.
We Often Believe We Have To Navigate Big Changes On Our Own
Significant life transitions are essentially the gateway to an entirely new reality that we are forced to adjust to. As such, it’s normal to develop feelings of fear, self-doubt and anxiety as our new reality takes shape. To keep ourselves safe, we are biologically wired to believe that change is a threat and cause for alarm. That’s why we panic or feel stressed when certain transitions are expected or even welcomed.
Furthermore, we live in a performance-based, tech-obsessed society. We are constantly exposed to other peoples’ milestones through social media, and thus tend to unconsciously compare ourselves to others. As we develop the narrative that everyone else is moving ahead in their lives the “right/best” way, we open the door to feelings of inadequacy and low self-worth.
When it comes to resolving specific growing pains in the midst of change, we are more likely to take a surface-level approach to our mental and emotional health than an approach that addresses core issues. But therapy is a chance to explore the depths of our emotions and life circumstances so that we can transition to the next chapter with clarity and confidence.
My Approach To Counseling For Life Transitions
In holding a mirror to the big changes you are undergoing in your life, counseling affords you an opportunity to understand yourself and your unique transition more fully. With newfound insight and awareness, you will learn more about the why behind your grief and distress while also gaining the skills you need to make deliberate, level-headed decisions.
As a therapist who has undergone many life transitions myself—including moves to foreign countries and a significant career change—I want to bring my education, training and lived experience to counseling in a way that feels supportive and empowering for you.
What To Expect
Early therapy sessions will likely be spent exploring your childhood and other formative experiences that have impacted the way you see yourself and those around you. These insights will help us understand the self-beliefs you have developed over time while also clarifying your strengths, skills and abilities.
My approach involves elements of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapies, body-based methods and lifestyle changes. These counseling techniques will help you identify the specific concerns that have arisen from your unique life transition and gently challenge you to alter daily routines from time to time to make your brain more susceptible to change. Furthermore, because I use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), therapy can help address mental health symptoms at their core by rewiring the brain’s response to stress and trauma.
I have helped many clients adjust to life’s big and small transitions in therapy, and I am confident that I can help you too. With individualized support, you can enhance your self-esteem and ability to cope. In counseling through my practice, you will be given the tools to embark on your life transition with confidence.
Perhaps You Still Have Questions About Whether Or Not You Will Benefit From Therapy For Life Transitions…
Should I pass on the new job/opportunity/change because it’s making me anxious?
You could certainly make your decision based on a desire to avoid uncomfortable feelings, but you’re likely to invite even more anxiety into your life by doing that. I’ve found that my clients often want to reach for the stars, so to speak, but ultimately hide behind a lack of sufficient belief in themselves and their abilities.
Whatever choice you make, life transitions counseling is designed to support you on your unique journey. We’ll work on enhancing your self-confidence, coping, and decision-making skills so that you will be more prepared to tackle new challenges and feel less anxious overall.
Do I need therapy simply because I’m in the midst of a big life transition?
The need for therapy largely depends on how you feel on a day-to-day basis. If you are simply feeling a little stressed or anxious about this new transition but your symptoms have not interfered with your daily life, you may not need therapy. However, if your stress and anxiety have become so intense that you have developed analysis paralysis, you may be a great candidate for life transitions counseling.
Furthermore, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to be suffering emotionally to benefit from therapy. Our time together can be preventative and nourishing—a chance to optimize self-care in a supportive atmosphere where you can feel safe to be your authentic self.
Will my postpartum anxiety/depression go away on its own?
While it’s possible for your postpartum symptoms to resolve on their own, they can take up to two or more years to subside. Even without clinical symptoms of postpartum anxiety or depression, the transition into parenthood is exhausting.
Reaching out to a therapist now can help you feel better faster, offering you much-needed support during this significant transition in your life. If you have the right therapeutic fit, counseling for life transitions and postpartum issues can help make your experience as a new parent more stress-free and enjoyable.
Take The Next Step
Whether you are considering a new job, navigating a significant change, or grieving a loss, life transitions counseling can provide you with the tools and perspectives you need to move forward. Contact me to book a free consultation and find out more about my approach to therapy.