Life transitions Therapy
Are You Struggling with a Life Transition?
Have you recently experienced or contemplated a significant change in your life like a relocation or job change?
Are you wondering if you’ve made—or are making—the right decision?
Have you recently graduated, entered a new relationship, or become a parent or guardian?
Does everything feel like it’s changing all at once? Or that one era is ending and another is beginning?
Are you worried things won’t work out?
Therapy can help you navigate these life transitions and lead to growth. When we experience change, or when change is imminent, we often worry about the future or think we’ll be worse off in some way. In some cases, fear of the unknown may prevent us from making a change at all.
As you approach life transitions, it’s important to feel confident in your decision and ability to succeed. For many of us, this does not come naturally. You may feel distracted or preoccupied by anxious or negative thoughts. You may wonder how life could be better or different if only something would change—or not change. You may fear you’ll fail or avoid the change altogether. You may wonder how you can work up the courage to confront changes head-on.
Life transitions therapy can help.
Life Transitions are Part of Life
Everyone experiences transitions throughout their lives. Many transitions are happy and elicit positive emotions, but even those can come with their own set of stressors.
Are you entering a new phrase of life such as going to college, starting a job, or becoming a parent? Sometimes life transitions are our choice, and other times they are forced on us. Either way, they can present unique challenges, and we may need help navigating them.
Career changes
Whether you’re new to the workforce or looking to make a career change, life transitions counseling can be helpful. We spend more time at work than anywhere else. This means work can easily influence our mood and lifestyle depending on the work we do, the level of fulfillment we derive from it, and the relationships we have with our manager or colleagues. As a result, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to choose the right job, and this can lead to anxiety and even depression. On the other hand, you may be in a situation where you feel anxious or depressed because you lost your job. A life transitions counselor can help you understand the emotions that come with this loss and help you create a path forward.
Relationship changes
We can get comfortable in relationships with friends, family, and partners, and sometimes unhealthy dynamics form. We may feel our needs aren’t being met. Life transitions counseling can teach you how to speak up and advocate for change. Or a change is thrust upon us, a relationship ends, and we feel lost without it. We may be grieving a loss through a breakup or death. Or taking on a completely new role (such as parent, caregiver, or boss) and feeling unsure how to navigate the new responsibilities and pressures. These changes come with a lot of uncertainty, which can bring anxiety, depression, and other emotions that can be processed during life transitions therapy.
Moving to a new city (or going to college)
Our homes are our safe space. It’s where we feel most comfortable. Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, it’s an emotional adjustment. A life transitions therapist can work with you to build confidence, create a new routine and form a sense of community, which takes time and a lot of effort. It requires us to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, which can feel scary. We may even question our ability to succeed in the new environment (city, neighborhood, or school) or to form meaningful connections with others.
Health issues
The one thing we expect to have control over is ourselves, which makes dealing with health issues particularly challenging. We may feel helpless or struggle to make difficult yet necessary lifestyle changes. A life transitions counselor can support you in coming to terms with changes and limitations, as well as following through with accountability as you work towards making these changes.
Whether personally or professionally, at home or in a new environment, all of these experiences can impact your mental health, and counseling can teach you how to navigate the life transitions and obstacles that arise.
Life Transitions Therapy Can Help You Navigate Change
Therapy has been shown to be effective in helping individuals navigate life transitions. Therapists can provide a supportive environment where individuals can explore their feelings, reactions to transitions, and create a plan for adjusting to new circumstances and reaching goals.
Whether you’re contemplating a life change or in the midst of one—such as changing careers or moving to Chicago—a life transitions therapist can help you make decisions and process all that comes with your new reality.
Our first task is understanding your circumstances and history. What has led you to the position you’re in? Why do you want or not want the change? Then we look at what you’re expecting to come with the transition. How do you expect things to be better or different with this transition? What are potential obstacles and fears?
Your life transitions counselor will help you build healthy coping skills, with a strong focus on decision-making, communication, and confidence, which helps you navigate the ups and downs that come with a life transition. To build these skills, our therapists use evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). These approaches focus on examining the way you think and developing healthy responses to life transitions. You will learn how to challenge your way of thinking, regulate your emotions, and increase your ability to handle stressful or uncomfortable moments, as well as be more mindful or present.
Our life transitions therapists create a supportive environment where you feel safe exploring your desires and barriers to taking action. They will be by your side and support you as you experience challenges and can help you problem-solve and regulate your emotions and reactions.
Life transitions therapy can help you feel comfortable and confident in making changes and navigating transitions, especially those that require risk-taking. Taking these steps will ultimately allow you to achieve goals that feel out of reach or unattainable due to fear or anxiety.
Since everyone experiences life transitions, our therapists have both personal and professional experiences that make them well-equipped to help you navigate your situation.
You Still May Have Doubts About Life Transitions Therapy
What if I don’t succeed?
Life transitions often feel daunting. We fear the unknown and how things will unfold. However, without risk, there is no gain. A life transitions therapist can teach you how to cope with your fears so that anxiety does not rule your decisions, you do.
I’m unhappy, but I don’t know what I want.
Maybe you feel stuck in a relationship and aren’t sure how to proceed. Or perhaps you feel unfilled at your job or in your career, but don’t know what your next step should be. It’s okay to not know. If you’re still in the early phases of contemplating a change but unsure of what you want, life transitions counseling is a great place to start. Your therapist can help you explore your options.
I should be able to handle life transitions on my own.
We often think that because life transitions are common, they should be easy to handle. However, just because something is common doesn’t mean there is a clear way to navigate it. Each situation is unique and presents its own challenges. This means we need to take time to find our own path. Therapy can help.
You Can Handle Life Transitions With Confidence
Perspective Psychology offers life transitions therapy both in-person and online. Our therapists are here to help, and we understand reaching out and getting started is often the hardest part. That’s why we try to make it as easy as possible by allowing you to schedule online at your convenience. You don’t have to speak to anyone until you are ready to do so.
You can request a free 15-minute consultation to get a feel for your life transitions therapist and ensure they’re the right fit.
We would love to help you navigate this journey.
