Life Transitions
Has a big change recently occurred in your life?
Maybe you got a new job and the pressure feels overwhelming. Maybe you recently became a parent and are struggling to figure out how to balance everything. Maybe you are a college student trying to keep everything together. Maybe you have experienced a big loss and are trying to stay afloat in your sea of grief.
When a big change occurs in life, it can feel like you have lost your grasp on who you are and where you fit in. That can be an incredibly scary and lonely place to be. When you choose to begin therapy with me during a life transition, we will work together to develop a roadmap for how to make it through the turbulence of change and emerge on the other side as a more capable, fulfilled person.
I will help you navigate through a three-stage process of moving through life transitions. No matter how small or monumental the change you have experienced, we can work as a team to get you through the transition and onto living a fulfilled and empowered life.
Resistance to change is a natural reaction
While you may feel lonely or disconnected at this moment, let me assure you that you are not alone. Humans are hardwired to resist change. Our brains are structured to prefer stability, predictability, and familiarity. This goes back to our early mammalian evolution and instincts for survival. When things change in our lives, even if they are “positive” changes, our brains and nervous systems go into overdrive. Our brains are trying to protect us from harm by going on high alert, which can cause an array of psychological and physical symptoms.
You may be experiencing:
anxiety
restlessness
exhaustion
insomnia
mood swings
unusually low or overactive appetite
muscle aches
irritability
These symptoms can be a sign that your mind and body are having a difficult time handling this change and might need some assistance in adjusting to your new normal.
your brain can always create reasons “why not”
While reading this page, you may have thought to yourself, “That sounds great and all, but I don’t have time for therapy because my life is too hectic.” I hear you. We all live busy, productive lives with many responsibilities. Especially if you have started a new job, are in school, or are a new parent, taking the time to go to therapy may feel like trying to fit 25 hours worth of work into a 24 hour day. However, when you come to therapy and learn the skills to be more mindful, understand your needs, and figure out exactly what makes you feel your best, it will be exponentially easier to manage the daily tasks that make life feel so overwhelming.
For example, if you discover through our therapy work that you feel fulfilled by playing outside with your kids and you feel drained spending time in the kitchen, you can feel empowered to make the decision to purchase cupcakes for that PTA meeting instead of baking from scratch. With that extra two hours you saved, you can take your kids to the park and play! By taking the time now to focus on what brings you fulfillment, you will be able to structure your life in a way that is ideal for you.
Maybe you’re thinking, “This wasn’t that big of a life change, I just need some time to adjust and I will feel better.” Time is certainly an important element in adjusting to a new normal and I applaud your willingness to be patient with change! When you begin therapy with me after a life change, no matter how small, we will spend time looking at this change and how it fits into your overarching identity and life story. By beginning your therapy journey during a small but significant life change, you can develop the skills you need to overcome any major change life may throw your way.
Therapy doesn’t need to begin in crisis – you can be proactive about cultivating your ideal life and strengthening the tools you need to thrive in any situation.
On the other side of the spectrum, maybe you have recently experienced a life change that feels so massive you cannot even tell up from down right now. Maybe you recently lost a partner, a parent, a child and simply getting out of bed in the morning is too overwhelming a task. When your identity shifts radically – whether from partner to widow or from successful to unemployed – it can feel like you are lost in the woods without a compass.
The only step you need to undertake alone is getting in the door to therapy. From there, you and I will work as a team to find a way out of the woods and onto a path to your more empowered future.
As your therapist, I will meet you deep in your “woods” to understand where you are and what you’re going through. It is okay to have no idea where to even begin – that is my role in the journey and together we will create a map of how to move from a place of grief and hopelessness to a place of understanding and empowerment.
How i can help
I have spent the past three years helping individuals and families during major life transitions. I understand the complexity of life changes and how something can seem joyous on the outside and feel completely terrifying from within.
For example, getting into the college of your dreams may be full of excitement and celebration. However, alone in your dorm at the end of the day, you may feel very lonely, unprepared, and isolated. Life changes can be many things all at the same time! Changes can be exciting, overwhelming, scary, relieving, guilt-ridden, joyful, and sad all rolled into one. Together, we will untangle all the mixed up feelings and figure out how to turn this change into an opportunity to grow as a person and live a more fulfilled life.
I have given lectures in the community on life transitions and how to cope, and I am trained in the ways in which humans experience and react to change. Whether you approach change from a more existential perspective or are the type of person who wants scientific data on what is going on in your brain during a period of transition, I can help you to understand your specific transition and how to successfully move through it.
What will therapy look like?
My approach to the therapeutic process is multimodal – that means I provide many different ways for my clients to communicate with me and to understand themselves. If talking out loud about a recent tragedy/life change feels too overwhelming, I completely understand. We can utilize the creative process, such as drawing, creative writing or collage, to communicate with each other as we build a therapeutic relationship. If you think, “I don’t have an artistic bone in my body!” you aren’t alone. Many people write off the possibility of creativity before they walk in the door.
I am trained in traditional talk therapy as well as art therapy and am happy for your therapy journey to involve conversation rather than artistic creation. However, for many people, physically creating a map or a tangible way to track your life transition can be incredibly helpful. This won’t be the type of therapy where we sit across from each other and the only words I say are, “How does that make you feel?” as I nod along. We will be a team that laughs together, looks at problems from different angles, and co-create an environment in which you can grow and thrive.
The next step
If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed or lost during a life transition, take the first step and contact me to set up a free consultation.
We can work together to figure out if therapy with me would be the right fit for your needs and then get to work to help you find your way out of the woods of change and onto your path to feeling in control and fulfilled. Together we will create a custom map for navigating your life transition to get you back on track as soon as possible.