Dealing with a difficult change? Therapy can help.
Adjusting to change can be difficult and stressful. Even positive life transitions like having a baby, getting married or getting a new job tend to cause some stress. Other major life transitions, such as moving, retirement, or entering the “empty nest” phase of life may cause a significant amount of stress.
What is a life transition?
A life transition is a change that forces you and/or your partner to examine life. Some transitions are expected, such as children leaving home for school, retirement, the birth or adoption of a child, the death of an elder. Other changes, such as unexpected health situations, a major accident, a recent diagnosis, the death of a loved one, and loss of a job or relationship are examples of changes you can never really be prepared for.
How do I know I need therapy?
You may be finding it difficult or stressful coping with change or a recent life transition. Below are a few questions that are intended to help you consider your personal situation more closely.
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Are you or your partner experiencing anxiety over a change in your life?
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Is worrying interrupting your sleep at night?
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Are you or your partner dealing with a major medical condition?
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Is one of you having difficulty dealing with a life transition?
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Are you experiencing a life transition and don’t know where to begin?
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Do you need to make changes that you were not expecting to have to make?
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Are you feeling insecure about how an expected life transition will impact your lives?
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Are you feeling like you can’t talk to anyone about what is going on for you?
How can therapy help me deal with change?
When life changes prove difficult and lead to stress, anxiety, or depression, a therapist can also help treat those issues and help one explore coping strategies. Talking about changes in life with a therapist, such as a marriage, the death of a family member, the loss of a job, or the approach of middle age, can be helpful to some. Any type of therapy is likely to be well suited to helping a person cope with dramatic changes in life.
When people know that they do not cope well with change, speaking with a therapist before any significant changes in life occur may be helpful. In this way, one can prepare for life to be different and become better able to face them in the future, even without prior knowledge of potential changes.
What to expect
Firstly I will partner with you to better understand your life, your challenges, and devise a strategy that meets your needs while helping you achieve your goals.
Some of the things we’ll talk about include:
Change is going to happen in our lives – it is how we deal with these changes that make the difference
It may not be traumatic or major but it can still affect your daily life.
It may be moving house, getting married, having a baby, losing a loved one
Resisting change can make it worse. When the inevitable happens it can be difficult to manage.
Support can lessen your burden
You should never be afraid to reach out when you think that you might need help. For many, the decision to seek counselling can be a tough one, and many clients come to me with intense anxiety about the process. I want to assure you that counselling changes lives every day, and can save even the most deeply troubled relationships. You may be surprised at how quickly you can benefit your relationship and your life.
