Are You Undergoing A Big Life Transformation?
You may be undergoing deeply personal changes that have to do with your long-term goals or identity. Perhaps you are in the process of leaving or retiring from a job that has long been the main source of your purpose or fulfillment. Or maybe you’re struggling with big questions concerning your race, cultural background, gender, or sexuality.
It could also be that your family has had to endure a big transition together. Maybe there have been life-altering shifts in your family structure, such as a divorce or a death in the family. You and your child(ren) may be grieving the loss of a person or a dream that you shared. And it’s likely that if there has been a dramatic change of circumstances, you and your family have to deal with financial, logistical, and emotional stressors that add to the daily grind.
Conversely, it may be that you are simply struggling with some of the natural progressions of life. Maybe you’re experiencing a midlife crisis or symptoms of empty nest syndrome—such as sadness or aimlessness—as your children begin their own journey toward adulthood. Or perhaps you have aging parents, and it’s time to start making some hard decisions about how you (and your family) can effectively care for them. It could also be that you yourself are aging or coming into retirement and wondering how to make the best use of your time, energy, and resources.
Life transitions are a difficult but necessary—and often rewarding—facet of life. Yet, if you’ve been adversely impacted by a sense of loss and the burden of stress that often accompany big life changes, therapy can help you or your child to heal and make sense of your transition.
In Life, Change Is The Only Constant
Many times when things change—especially if the change is relatively unwelcome—we experience an upswing in anxiety and symptoms of depression, which often include a sense of hopelessness and a need to withdraw. This naturally impacts our closest relationships, as increasing stress creates tension and sometimes even conflict.
Not to mention, the whole world seems to be going through a life transition right now. Between the dramatic shifts created by global crises (such as the Covid-19 pandemic), a progressively divisive political atmosphere, and a seemingly never-ending list of emergencies, it’s safe to say that we are all being tested in our ability to adapt to new circumstances.
Big changes naturally bring about a sense of stress and overwhelm. And if there are unresolved pains from the past, a sudden shift in circumstances is likely to stir up latent grief or trauma. And while such transitions are entirely human, it doesn’t mean that you have to endure them alone. Therapy at Insight Counseling Center can help you feel supported so that you can come out on the other side of your life transition with a sense of hope and accomplishment.
Therapy Can Help You To Understand And Adapt To Life Transitions More Effectively
When you’re in the midst of a big transformation, it can be hard to see the proverbial forest through the trees. In the thick of a life transition, every moment can feel like a challenge, making the present feel unmanageable and the future uncertain. A therapist, however, can offer valuable perspective and empathy so that you can make more sense of your situation.
At Insight Counseling Center, we will provide you with a pathway through which you can navigate your forest—and a companion to walk that path with you.
From there, we will work with you to understand certain behavioral mechanisms and coping techniques that can shift distorted thinking patterns. By addressing the negative thoughts or associations you have about your life transition(s), therapy can help you develop a healthier mindset and feel more confident to face what’s ahead.
Our clinicians often draw from trauma-informed approaches, as we believe that the vast majority of mental health struggles originate in a painful experience or injury from earlier in life. And because of this, we often use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to gently target and resolve traumatic experiences so that you can begin to move forward. In addition to EMDR, mindfulness and various forms of behavioral therapy are especially helpful for allowing you to identify and disassemble uncomfortable feelings and sensations in order to create more positive associations with your life transitions.
The path you’re walking may have some bumps in the road, but that shouldn’t keep you from embracing your past, present, and future with self-assurance. Though change, loss, and grief are inevitable components of being human, you can adapt to all of your life transitions with grace and confidence—and therapy at Insight Counseling Center is the first step in that journey.
Maybe you’re curious about counseling for life transitions, but you have some questions…
These transitions are a normal part of life—why do I need therapy?
Big and unforeseen changes can greatly compromise your mental health, as grief is often a component of losing a person, relationship, role, or idea about the future. If you are undergoing a change in your life and experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, or unresolved trauma, you don’t have to embark on the healing process alone. Our clinicians want to help you become more resilient and gain lifelong and meaningful skills for coping with life transitions.
I just need to get through this one transition, and then I will be fine.
Though you may be eager to simply come out on the other side of this big life event, the truth is that this is very likely not your first transition—and it surely won’t be your last. These kinds of painful experiences build on one another, complicating grief over time. Therapy can offer you the support, skills, and insights so that you can face all of your life’s transitions with more confidence and ease.
With everything I am going through right now, I don’t have the time to commit to life transitions therapy.
If you’re adapting to a big change in your life, it makes sense that you’d be hesitant to add anything else to your plate right now. However, this is probably the time when therapy is most essential and has the most potential for affecting positive change. Committing to an hour of weekly self-care and self-exploration will help you to gain clarity on your situation, and our counselors can be an invaluable source of emotional and mental support during a difficult time.
You Can Gain Healing Perspective In The Midst Of Change
If you or your child have endured a loss or are embarking on a big change, life transitions therapy at Insight Counseling Center can offer support and teach you skills for coping. To schedule an appointment or to find out more about how we can help, please visit our contact page.