Pomp and Circumstance. Breaking Up is Hard to Do. You’re Fired. I Do. Well, the tests don’t look good… We’re Having a Baby! Congratulations on Your Retirement.

These phrases and so many others herald the many transitions we experience as we navigate our ways through life. Although the word “change” travels with the word “growth,” even the positive changes can evoke high levels of stress, feelings of depression and anxiety, and paralyzing confusion about who we are and how to proceed. And heaven help us if the transition is one we were not expecting or do not have the resources or strength to accept and manage. Loss occurs in everything from children growing up, changing jobs or professions, moving to a new home or city, ending a relationship, or the death of a loved one.

All these life-changing opportunities and major losses serve as bridges from one phase to another. Even when we recoil at the prospect of having to live our lives differently, with self-awareness, understanding, and some patience, we can recover and learn ways to adjust to an altered tomorrow. This process is a very personal journey, one that must be undertaken at our own speed and in our own way.

How Therapy Can Help

When the impact of life transitions makes it impossible to function or handle your daily routine, the support of a licensed psychotherapist can help you redirect and find a new path. By partnering with me, in a caring and safe setting, you can take your steps toward healing and preparing for your future in a healthy way. Together we will explore previous transitions and
what made them easier or more difficult to cross. We will identify your current strengths and resources and determine ways to expand those assets. And you will be guided toward envisioning how your future might look and what you need to get there.

Depending on the challenges facing you, we might incorporate CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy: how your thoughts, actions, and emotions are all interrelated and how to effect positive changes) into our work. If you are feeling especially anxious, you will have the opportunity to understand how stress affects us emotionally and physically and then how to relax, breathe, calm those fears, and interrupt the escalation of your anxiety. If you are overwhelmed by everything facing you and feeling depressed or stuck and unmotivated, you can begin to take your baby steps toward crawling out of your personal darkness.

You might have the chance to modify your communication skills or how you relate with significant others, family, and friends. Greater understanding regarding your family of origin might help you process how you handle your current situation. By facing the fear of addressing your present transition with the encouragement of someone who wants to facilitate your success, you can expand your coping skills to find the solutions that will work for you.

If a major life transition is interfering with your health and happiness,

please contact me at 770.883.9728 or email me to schedule an appointment.

Remember – bridges get us to the other side…