Life Transitions
Life transitions involve movement from one phase of life into another.
This might include becoming a parent, ending a relationship, changing career, retiring, moving location, or adapting to changes in health or circumstances. Sometimes a transition is anticipated. At other times it arrives unexpectedly, or without much choice.
Even when a transition is welcome, it can unsettle familiar routines, roles, and ways of living. The practical changes may be clear, while the emotional or psychological impact takes longer to register.
Understanding life transitions
I understand life transitions as periods where change brings both possibility and uncertainty.
A transition can feel daunting because familiar ways of living no longer apply, while what comes next is not yet clear. At the same time, it can carry excitement, relief, or a sense of opening, particularly when something difficult has ended or when change has been long anticipated.
These mixed experiences often exist alongside each other. People may feel hopeful and unsettled at the same time, pulled between old ways of living and new possibilities. This complexity does not mean the transition is going badly. It reflects the reality of living through change without clear reference points.
Life transitions can also raise questions about meaning, direction, and belonging, especially when previous sources of stability or purpose shift or fall away.
Living through transition
Living through a life transition often involves navigating change while life continues to demand attention. Work, relationships, responsibilities, and decisions do not pause, even when something significant has shifted.
There can be external pressure to adjust quickly or to demonstrate that the change has been handled. This is especially true when a transition is visible, expected, or framed as positive. People are often required to act as though they have adapted long before things feel settled internally.
Transitions also unfold over time. What feels manageable at first can become more difficult later, or vice versa. This unevenness is a normal part of change, rather than a sign that something is being done wrong.
How I work with life transitions
Rather than approaching transitions as problems to be solved, I am interested in understanding how the change is being experienced and what it is disrupting or opening up.
Grounded in the therapeutic relationship we build together, which I see as central to the work, we can explore what has shifted, what has been lost, and what feels unclear. This allows meaning and direction to emerge gradually, without forcing decisions or outcomes.
What this work can involve
Working with life transitions may involve exploring experiences of change and loss, reflecting on shifting roles or responsibilities, noticing uncertainty or internal conflict, and allowing time to understand what matters now.
The work develops at a pace that respects how disruptive transitions can be, while staying attentive to what is beginning to take shape.
An invitation
If you are living through a life transition and finding it difficult to navigate alone, you are welcome to get in touch for an initial conversation.