Life Transitions and Therapy
Changes and transitions are inevitable in our lives. Regardless of the type of transition, therapists can provide support that helps with many types of changes. Career changes, geographical moves, loss, grief, relationship changes, and illness are examples of life transitions. A therapist can help you identify why you are struggling with this change and how you can move forward and be prepared for future changes to come.
What Changes Are You Experiencing?
Sometimes during a life transition, working with a therapist can help you fully understand the situation. They will listen and help articulate how you feel about this change and why it is difficult. Often other difficulties are layered on top of transitional times, and we can no longer identify what the root of the issue is.
It's OK to Not Be OK During Transitions
During a particularly difficult time, talking to our friends and family about what we are experiencing can be difficult. Even the most well-meaning of friends can mistakenly suggest to just get over it and move forward. It is important to allow yourself to experience your full range of emotions. Processing change is a very personal journey, and there is not a time limit to move forward. It may take time, and if you’re working with a therapist and are moving in a forward direction, you are OK.
Leave the Past in the Past
Problems you have encountered in past transitions can impact your ability to move forward. This can prove especially true if you felt like you were not successful or did not handle a change the way you wanted to. A therapist can encourage you to learn from past events and use that knowledge to tackle this chapter. One failure does not mean you cannot succeed. You have to leave the past behind, learn from it, but not live in it.
Finding Yourself After Big Changes
If huge parts of your life have shifted, you can feel like a stranger in your own body and unsure of who you are. A therapist can help you uncover all of the positives in your life and encourage you to try new things or revisit old hobbies or pursuits. This is a great time for self reflection and putting your interests and happiness first.
Confidence in Your Ability to Move Forward
It can be hard for us to see our growth and successes on a typical day. When we are in the middle of a transitional time, it can feel impossible to find any positives. A therapist can help to encourage you and remind you of how far you have come and grown. They can also provide you with specific checkpoints or incremental tasks to complete during the process. These small victories play a huge role in feeling like you can handle these changes and those to come in the future.
Therapy Can Prepare You for Life Changes
We plan for a rainy day by saving. Work deadlines are achieved by scheduling tasks. Planning and preparing for a test means studying in advance. We even plan to make a week of dinners easier to execute. All of us plan for basic and complex tasks. Regular therapy is a way to plan for your future. You do not need to be going through a chaotic event to benefit from therapy. By making it a part of your life, therapy can help you to better process life changes and transitions. Finding a therapist at Renewed Wellness Counseling who focuses on helping others through life transitions is a great place to start.
