Life Transitions

The occurrence of significant change in one’s life represents an important psychological event. Scientific research demonstrates that even if the change is desirable (e.g., moving to a new city after having been awarded a job promotion; getting married, etc.), as opposed to unexpected and not preferred (e.g., the sudden death of one’s partner; being diagnosed with a chronic medical condition or terminal illness), the pragmatic and emotional upheaval such a change activates is a significant stressor.

Moreover, the magnitude of the stressor may reverberate at different time intervals, i.e., there may be an immediate, timely experience of stress associated with dealing with the change as it is occurring, but like an earthquake’s aftershocks, there may also be smaller eruptions and tremors long after the change itself.

Psychotherapy can be useful for people who are attempting to cope with, manage, and grow from significant life transitions.

Initially, treatment can assist in helping the patient “settle in” to the new circumstances or situation. Whether it is starting college, bringing home one’s first baby from the hospital, or beginning a job search after being laid off by a company where one has worked for many years, the therapist helps the patient acclimate to the new reality. Even in the most positive of scenarios, the patient must mourn their previous life as they adjust to their new life; previously-held personal beliefs, principles and convictions now must be refined and updated with new expectations and outlooks. Consequently, this “new life” is often experienced with ambivalence, i.e., it is both embraced and resisted, desired and feared.

For many of my patients who have addressed life transitions, as psychotherapy unfolds the focus of the work moves to the recognition of one’s inherent weaknesses and limitations. Their new situation exposes areas of pragmatic skill and emotional wherewithal that may be weak or under-developed, and that were not likely visible in one’s previous circumstances.

For some, this is why the significant life transition, finally occurring, may have been delayed: perhaps a certain degree of anxiety or hesitation limited the person’s capacity to make the progression. Now that the step forward has finally been taken, the patient is compelled to recognize his or her competencies and limitations, and make the necessary efforts to improve.

De-stabilizing and infused with a mixture of emotion, significant life transitions can inspire profound growth. Utilized effectively, psychotherapy can support the patient’s acclimation and adaptation to new life circumstances, while also providing a framework to consider the arc of one’s life and what can be learned from its inflexion points.

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15615 Alton Parkway
Suite 450
Irvine, CA 92618

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Monday: 8am - 8pm
Tuesday: 8am - 8pm
Wednesday: 8am - 8pm
Thursday: 8am - 8pm
Friday: 8am - 8pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed