Like any change, going through a life transition can be hard. Life transitions might include a new job, a change in relationship status, retirement, menopause, medical diagnosis, gender transition… amongst others. Some transitions we choose for ourselves, some are not welcome, others are natural parts of life, and they can all sometimes take us by surprise. Going through a life transition can feel like the ground is shifting beneath your feet, like you no longer can be sure who you are. You might welcome some of the changes, but perhaps the speed of change or breadth of change has taken you by surprise.
Something that can make life transitions harder is that your people might not understand what’s happening, and might not be able to support you as they normally do. When you are changing, this can threaten others – perhaps your relationship with them will change, perhaps you are doing something they wish they could also do – there are all kinds of reasons why they might not be there for you as normal.
Finding a therapist to support you through your life transition means that you have someone who is there for you, whose only agenda is to listen and understand what it’s like for you. Your therapy sessions can be a safe space for you to explore the transition, talk through your goals and work out what it all means. It’s somewhere you can reclaim your identity and assimilate the changes.
Working with life transitions is central to my work as a person-centred counsellor. I’m here to listen to what has happened, what is happening now, and what you hope will happen next. We can talk about the feelings and what they might mean. Together we will do our best to make meaning, and to understand the past so that we can look forward hopefully.
If you’d like to explore working together on your life transition, get in touch here: