in-person therapy in los gatos, and Online across california.
Therapy for life changes.
Are you feeling blown off course in this new phase of life?
Things aren't going the way you expected. Maybe you saw this transition coming, maybe it caught you by surprise. Either way, you are having a hard time reorienting and finding your way.
Maybe you are trying to manage the stress of a demanding new boss, the overwhelming experience of starting graduate school, or transitioning out of school or residency into a job. Or you are trying to remember what makes you “you” as you enter a new phase of life, like parenthood or retirement. Sometimes change comes with loss, such as separating from the long-term partner you spent so much of your life with, being let go from a job you enjoyed, or your children leaving the house.
We can remind ourselves that “change is the only constant in life” all day, and yet that doesn’t make it any less difficult. You may find yourself thinking you should be able to handle this better, or that because it is “a good thing” it shouldn't be hard.
I’m here to remind you that even the most advanced, powerful ships are not immune to storms.
It is natural to feel weathered, off-track, and to wonder how you got here. You may be feeling lonely, terribly missing being a 10-minute drive away from your best friend. Or this new job is more demanding than you expected, leaving you feeling so stressed that you are struggling to turn work “off” when you leave for the day. Maybe you are feeling lost, now that you are no longer in a role or place that you felt defined you. This is a hard place to be.
Fortunately, feelings, much like the weather, are not permanent. And I’d be willing to bet that you have made it through some difficult times before.
You can find a way through this too.
how it works:
Reconnect with what’s most important.
1. Talk through - We’ll talk through the recent changes you’ve experienced and what it’s been like for you. We’ll clarify your main concerns and the areas you want to focus on in our time together. If you aren’t sure, we’ll figure it out together.
2. Make sense of - Sharing your narrative can be a helpful way to reflect on your experiences and feel heard. It can also allow space to explore the impact all of this is having on you, explore shifting demands and expectations, identify losses you have experienced, and notice whether this change has significantly impacted your mood, sleep, or levels of stress and anxiety. We’ll clarify your values, or what is most important to you.
3. Learn tools - We’ll talk about different tools to work towards your goals. This may look like understanding how stress is impacting your physiology and how to practice different evidence-based relaxation exercises. Or it may look like practicing strategies to manage worried thoughts and uncertainty. Sometimes it may also involve increasing specific activities known to improve mood.
4. Take action - You’ll practice applying your tools in-between sessions and then we’ll assess how effective they are for you. We’ll problem-solve challenges and course-correct when needed. We will identify changes that you want to make to focus more on some of your values, and brainstorm ways to put them into action.
It’s possible to reroute and chart a new path forward.
Therapy for life transitions can help you…
Reconnect with what’s most important to you
Make changes so that your life reflects what matters most to you
Process the grief or sadness associated with this change
Create new routines that are sustainable, healthy, and enjoyable
Prioritize your own needs and effectively communicate them
Master effective tools to manage stress, anxiety, and depression
Connect or reconnect with meaningful relationships
Frequently asked questions about therapy for life changes
FAQs
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Moving to a new city, state, or country
Graduating from college or graduate school
Starting a new job or experiencing a change at work
Beginning retirement
No longer being able to work
Losing a job
Becoming a caregiver for a loved one
Becoming a new parent
Having your children leave the house
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Yes, it is common to have a whole host of different emotional experiences in reaction to changes in life. For some people, symptoms of depression or anxiety may be considered an adjustment reaction when it occurs in the context of a specific change or stressful experience. For others who may have a history of a depressive disorder, life changes or transitions can trigger the recurrence of symptoms of an existing disorder that may be in remission.
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Absolutely. It is common for some transitions to have a more subtle effect, or one that may be hard to clearly pinpoint. Therapy can be a great place to explore the possible impact of these experiences over the years in order to reorient to what you care most about and find ways to work towards this.