No matter what is bringing someone to therapy, there is one topic that always arises in sessions: life transitions. It’s a universal experience. We all experience change throughout our lives, whether it’s getting married, having a baby, experiencing a death, changing careers, retiring, getting a new pet, or having a birthday. Therapy can be a space to check in with yourself throughout these life transitions. Having a consistent practice of mindfulness of your thoughts and feelings can be essential in navigating these phases of life healthily and successfully.

Marriage and Partnership

Of all the life transitions, romantic partnership can prompt some of the most significant changes in your life. Many relationship theorists see relationships as “systems.” This means that each member in the relationship is interdependent on the others. Things can happen inside or outside of the system that can cause changes to the system and how it works. If one member of the system is struggling, it can affect the other members. If the members of the system communicate effectively, it can build a stronger system.

When you get married or commit to a romantic partnership, things can change and alter the system. You may have a new person (or more!) living with you, have to factor another family into your holiday plans, make important joint decisions, or support your partner through their own life transitions. You are a participant in this new team, and you have the responsibility to communicate effectively, express your needs, and figure out how to create an effective system.

This is hard! I see so many couples coming into my office pointing the finger at their partner: they need to change and this is what they’re doing wrong. While sharing requests can be an essential part of creating a viable system, I have found that focusing on what’s within your control can be more helpful in navigating this transition. I help clients who are navigating this life transition clarify their needs and desires, express their feelings, and develop mindfulness of the self to nourish their relationship system.

School and Work Transitions

Are you applying to high school, college, or graduate school? Are you starting a new job, new career, or entrepreneurial endeavor? If you are experiencing any of these life transitions, chances are you’re at least a little nervous. Of course you are! These transitions aren’t just about what you’re learning or the work you’re doing. It’s also about lifestyle, security, finances, social spheres, and even life purpose. These choices might also impact your professional future, which is scary! It helps to have someone to talk to while you navigate these big changes. Therapy can be a space for you to reflect on your experience, identify barriers, and develop goals for yourself.

In addition to having professional experience counseling people going through academic and occupational transitions, I also have personal experience with these transitions. I have navigated a high-achieving high school environment, college admissions and auditions, and a rigorous program of study at a university. I have changed careers and taken risks to build businesses. Although I don’t utilize personal experience in my interventions with clients, my shared experiences allow me to more fully empathize with what you are going through.

Your Teenage Years through Young Adulthood

I am passionate about providing therapy to teens and young adults. Not only are the transitions from being a teenager to having your first job to going to college stressful, but they’re also smack in the middle of when you’re developing as a human. Your brain is developing throughout your teens and early 20s, and you might be grappling with difficult questions about your identity and who you want to be. These life stages can also come with anxiety-provoking experiences such as issues with friendships, navigating your first romantic relationships, and uncertainty over your future.

If you’re in your late 20s and 30s, you’ve been through some of those challenges but are now grappling with questions such as what you’re looking for in a partner, career or job planning, and discovering how to improve your mental health. When you’re navigating a life stage transition, therapy can be really helpful for developing positive coping strategies and making decisions that are in line with your values. I am here to help you through this!

Pregnancy and Postpartum

One of the biggest transitions one goes through in life is when someone chooses to have children. Whether you are in the pre-planning stage of family planning, trying to conceive, pregnant, or postpartum (up to a year after birth), therapy can be a vital component of your healthcare during this life transition. Birthing partners and non-birthing partners can both be susceptible to perinatal mental health issues and therefore benefit from therapy, since this transition to parenthood affects both parties. Therapy can help you process anxiety surrounding conception and fertility, screen for perinatal mental health disorders, develop tools to manage emotions during pregnancy, and stay grounded through the transition to being a new parent. Visit my page on perinatal mental health here for more information.

Grief and Loss

If you have experienced a recent loss, you might be struggling to cope. You might feel like your emotions are overflowing, or you might be feeling scattered and having a hard time concentrating. You may be experiencing grief due to the death of someone close to you. However, grief can also arise through unconventional loss, such as the loss of a job, loss of health, or loss of choice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever type of loss you are experiencing, therapy can help. Therapy can be a safe space for you to process feelings of sadness, loneliness, and despair following an experience of loss. It can be a dedicated place for you to navigate the stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). By processing through your grief, rather than numbing, ignoring, or succumbing to it, you can heal. And healing allows you to give new meaning to your experience of loss, and to grow because of it.