Life Changes and Transitions
We all face life changes – some are presented by new stages of life – starting college, getting married, beginning a new job, having children, taking care of aging parents, experiencing “empty nest,” retiring. Other life changes result when we encounter a health problem, physical injury or trauma.
Whatever the source, life transitions can be difficult because they represent a change from the known to the unknown – a change that often makes us feel unsure, unsafe and less than confident. If life changes are negatively impacting your day to day life, a trained mental health provider can help you cope, adapt and strive in the midst of life transitions.
Researchers have extensively explored the characteristics that resilient people leverage in the face of change. At Endeavor Psychology, we help clients build resiliency and implement strategies to successfully navigate life transitions. We focus on working with clients to achieve and maintain mental and physical health, wellness and happiness.
Life Changes and Transitions
Psychotherapy with a licensed clinical psychologist can be a critical tool to help you deal with a wide range of life changes and life transitions. These include:
- Life stage transitions – starting or graduating from college, getting married or starting a family, moving to a new location, dealing with divorce, caring for an aging parent
- Health transitions – implementing healthy lifestyle changes (changes to diet and exercise), dealing with a health issue or diagnosis, coping with disease and health treatments, becoming a caregiver for a loved one
- Career transitions – starting a new job, pursuing new opportunities at your current employer, changing careers, preparing for life after retirement
Regardless of the kind of change, transitions are often accompanied by stress, anxiety and feelings of loss. A skillful psychotherapist can help you understand and manage the thoughts and feelings resulting from life changes and implement strategies and supports to cope with and succeed in the face of change.
At Endeavor Psychology, therapy is tailored to the client’s specific needs and the life transitions they are facing. We use therapy approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy, to help clients, their partners and families:
- Understand the psychological, behavioral, interpersonal and environmental factors that may impact their ability to cope with and adapt to changes;
- Identify and address thoughts, beliefs and feelings about the life changes they face;
- Set goals and identify strategies to help clients enhance emotional and mental wellbeing;
- Disempower negative or disorganized thoughts that may cause feelings of helplessness;
- Develop strategies to manage and cope with transitions related to health issues, relationships, career changes, and others;
- Understand and cope with mental health issues (e.g., depression and anxiety) that may be triggered by life transitions.
Health Transitions
The Endeavor Psychology practice was founded by a clinical health psychologist – we have a fundamental focus on helping people identify and address health goals and challenges. At Endeavor Psychology, we have extensive professional training and clinical experience counseling clients dealing with a broad array of medical conditions and health challenges. These include, but are not limited to:
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke
- Connective Tissue Disorders
- Chronic Pain
- Headaches
- Smoking cessation
- Weight loss
- Bariatric surgery
- Pre- and post-surgery adjustment
- Cancer
At Endeavor Psychology, we are trained to help clients understand health, disease and treatment – and the ways that their mental and emotional health impacts and is impacted by health transitions. Our approach to therapy is tailored to clients’ specific needs and the health challenges they are facing. We use empirically validated (research-based) therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy, to help clients, their partners and families:
- Understand the psychological, behavioral, interpersonal and environmental factors that may impact their ability to cope with and adapt to health challenges
- Deal with the emotional weight of health transitions – which may include feelings of confusion, shock, worry and despair
- Set goals and identify strategies to enhance physical and emotional wellbeing
- Disempower negative or disorganized thoughts that may cause feelings of helplessness and potentially negatively impact health outcomes
- Develop strategies to manage and cope with transitions related to health issues, including the impacts health transitions can have on relationships
- Understand and resolve mental health issues (e.g., depression, anxiety, mood disorders) that may be triggered or amplified by health transitions
- Identify internal strengths and external support networks that the client can leverage to build resiliency and cope with health concerns
- Work with medical providers to consult on psychotropic medication management
Depression, even in its most severe form, is highly treatable under the care of a licensed clinical psychologist; getting quality depression treatment is critical. If depression is untreated, it can impact and worsen other areas of life, including physical health, relationships, and success at school or work.
At Endeavor Psychology, we use a number of proven psychotherapeutic techniques to treat depression. These include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy and various kinds of talk therapy to help clients:
- Understand and address the psychological, behavioral, interpersonal and environmental factors contributing to their depression
- Set goals and identify strategies to help clients enhance emotional and mental wellbeing
- Disempower negative or disorganized thoughts that may cause feelings of helplessness
- Develop strategies to alleviate pain and prevent later bouts of depression
- Cope with depression that may be affecting a loved one, family member or coworker
We can also refer clients to a medication provider or consult with a client’s current medication provider to help clients explore medication options.
Life Coaching & Counseling
If you are seeking professional help to address personal issues, work through life transitions, or implement strategies to achieve personal or professional goals it is important to consider: training and experience; philosophy and approach; therapeutic orientation; and personality fit.
At Endeavor Psychology, we offer a free consultation to help you evaluate your needs and whether our practice and our approach to therapeutic life coaching is right for you.
Career Transitions
Whether you are just finishing a degree and entering a challenging job market, starting a new position, or considering a career change – it is common to experience anxiety. Unfortunately, we also frequently hold ourselves back in the face of professional change and/or opportunity due to:
- A desire to cling to the certainty of routine and the stability of one’s current position
- Anxiety about taking “risks,” – even those that are calculated
- Fear of failure and/or success
- Concern with being judged not capable enough to seize an opportunity, advance a goal, achieve success
At Endeavor Psychology, therapy is tailored to the client’s specific needs and transitions they are facing. We use therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy to help you:
- Identify personal and professional goals related to career transitions and work/life balance;
- Understand the thoughts and feelings you experience as a result of career transitions;
- Disempower negative thoughts that may cause feelings of anxiety, helplessness, unhappiness and that may diminish your ability to achieve your goals;
- Implement strategies and leverage your resources to advance your personal, professional and work/life goals.