Counselling for life transitions
Change is a normal part of life, but that doesn't make it easy. When everything shifts at once, therapy can help you make sense of where you are and where you're heading.
BACP accredited member (216379)
When life changes feel overwhelming
Some transitions are ones you chose: a new job, a move, a decision to leave a relationship. Others happen to you: redundancy, retirement, children leaving home, a health diagnosis. Either way, the adjustment can be harder than you expected.
Even positive changes can knock you off balance. You might feel lost without the identity your old role gave you, or guilty for not feeling happier about something you thought you wanted. Sometimes a life transition brings up feelings that have been buried for years, grief you never processed, or questions about who you really are.
It's common to feel stuck during times of change. Not quite where you were, but not yet where you're going.
How psychodynamic therapy helps with transitions
When life changes, it can stir up more than just practical concerns. Transitions often bring us face to face with deeper questions about identity, purpose, and what we really want.
Psychodynamic therapy gives you space to explore these questions without rushing to an answer. We look at what this particular change means to you, what it connects to in your history, and what feelings it brings up that might be about more than just the present situation.
Many people find that working through a transition in therapy doesn't just help them cope with the change. It helps them understand themselves in a way that makes the next chapter feel more intentional and more their own.
Transitions people bring to therapy
There's no single type of life change that brings people through the door. Some of the transitions my clients have worked through include:
- Career changes or redundancy
- Retirement and loss of professional identity
- Becoming a parent
- Children leaving home
- Divorce or separation
- Moving to a new area
- Turning 40, 50, or 60 and questioning the path you're on
- Recovery from illness or injury
- Caring for ageing parents
Change doesn't have to mean feeling lost
If you're in the middle of a life transition and struggling to find your footing, talking it through can help. I'm happy to have a conversation.