We all go through change as part of growing and living. Turning points in our life include:
- starting school, going off to college
- death of someone close to us.
- a new relationship
- becoming a parent
- losing one’s job
- engaging in a committed relationship, getting married
- graduation
- end of a relationship, separation, divorce
- empty nest
- new job or career
- retirement
We go through many emotions during a life transition. Some of the feelings may be joy, anticipation, excitement, disappointment, anger, sadness or grief. Often we will experience a mixture of positive and negative feelings. Sometimes we remember more vivid dreams during transition times. Our emotions are like waves in the ocean, they can come upon us gradually or suddenly; they peak and decrease and retreat. More waves follow. For many of us, we can experience the waves with the support of friend, family, or even a counselor. We make sense of the emotions, let them go and continue on with our life. We are enriched by the experience.
However, sometimes the feelings are intense and get in the way of living our life. We feel overwhelmed and overcome by strong emotions that go on and on. Or the opposite may occur: we are numb and do not experience any emotions. We may become stuck. At transition points in our life unfinished emotional business from our past comes up, sometimes without our recognizing what is happening. We then have to face not only the present situation but also past emotional business. This makes for a confusing time.
In counseling I will help you sort the feelings that come with life’s turning points, and help you move through your life transition.