LIFE TRANSITIONS
Life is change. How it differs from the rocks.
– Jefferson Airplane
Actually, rocks change, too.
– Geologists (See “The Rock Cycle”)
What do you think of when someone says, “Life transition”? Possibly turning 40. Graduation. Marriage. Divorce. Retirement. But those are just the obvious ones. The milestone transitions.
Other unexpected transitions may be equally as transforming.
A STORY:
My father and mother were married 43 years. During the last two of those, my mother was battling cancer. Initially her passing was a relief: her pain, particularly during the final months, was unbearable both for her and for us to watch.
Naturally, grief followed. But about six or eight months after, my father began to experience an unexpected feeling.
“I don’t know why I’m here,” my father said. “So much of my life was spent thinking about Mom. Every day I would think about how to make her happy. And you guys are all grown up now. You don’t really need me anymore.”
It wasn’t that my father had no interests. He was an active retiree – a healthy 72-year old who tutored in the public schools, wrote columns for local publications, took classes, and continued to enjoy nearby New York City. But suddenly, he lost a primary role – loving husband. It was the beginning of a huge, seemingly sudden transition.
Not all transitions are as dramatic.
A lawyer finds herself making partner, only to wonder: Is this all there is?
A father, busy working and raising children, wakes up to an empty house, his children grown – and an unexpected lack of purpose.
A social worker, once full of passion for changing the lives of the disadvantaged, slowly realizes that it all seems like meetings and red tape. So now what?
Sometimes it feels sudden. Sometimes not.
But we are always transitioning. Old goals or roles come to fruition or outlive their usefulness. Other priorities grow. New roles present themselves.
How Therapy With Me Can Help
At the heart of therapy is awareness. I will help you build your awareness of where you are right now: What you are feeling. What your values are. Your thoughts about where you’ve been and where you want to go. Your priorities.
Through our work, we will discover what an authentic life looks like to you right now. What it’s like to have a clear intention and live that intention. It would be my honor to help you in this process.
Contact me now at (646) 957-3380 to get started.