Life Transitions

Life transitions come in all shapes and sizes; everything from marriage, divorce, childbirth, empty nesting, loss of a job, retirement, financial loss, a health crisis, or even re-location, to name a few. What all of these life transitions have in common is the five-letter word: CHANGE. Something that was part of the everyday fabric of our life, that we could count on and that we assumed would continue uninterrupted into the future has changed and often, through that change, disrupted the very fabric of our lives.

Signs and Symptoms of Transition Issues

Signs that you are struggling with a significant life transition include:

  • Increased anxiety or depression
  • Over reliance on alcohol, drugs or overeating
  • Social isolation
  • Lower self-esteem or self-confidence
  • Feeling stuck; fear of the future
  • Having trouble engaging productively in relationships or work
  • Grief
  • Loss of libido
  • Resentment, blame and anger
  • Physical issues related to increased stress such as headaches, digestive issues and sleep disturbances

Impacts of Transition Challenges

In every major life transition, something is coming to an end and before we can engage with the unknown future, there is a period of chaos. Often this period of time can shake us to our core, causing us to question our basic assumptions about ourselves, our partners, and our lives. Often, during times of life transition our unhealed, unexamined beliefs, behaviors and trauma from the past begin to re-surface. This usually doesn’t feel good and may lead to “back-up behaviors”. Back -up behaviors are characterized by a short-term focus and are often not healthy or productive. While the intention of them is to provide relief, they may spiral into addictive patterns or behaviors that isolate us from others.

How I can help

While significant life transitions can feel overwhelming, they are much easier to experience with support from a caring and knowledgeable professional. Whether you are at the beginning of a life transition, mid-way through, or trying to create a new approach to your life, having a therapist who can recognize trauma from the past and help you heal it, will quickly begin to relieve some of the stress that the transition has created and consequently reduce back up behaviors, as well. I am experienced in a number of body centered therapies such as EMDR and Sensorimotor Therapy that can help you discover strategies to not only manage the stress but also reduce it significantly. Working directly with your body’s autonomic nervous system is the fast track to finding relief from stress and help you re-claim your life with passion and joy.

Free phone consult

Even though therapy offers a chance to make long-lasting positive changes in your life, just reaching out is the most difficult step. I invite you to call, text or email me right now to see if we’re a good fit. There are no forms or paperwork to fill out.  Why wait?  And we’ll spend just 10-15 minutes getting to know one another. Call today and start feeling better.