How Counseling Can Help With Big Life Changes
Every person goes through changes in life. Some of those changes can be significant.
Whether you are graduating, starting a new job, moving to a new city, or ending a relationship, you may find dealing with change to be stressful. But there is good news. Counseling can absolutely help you navigate these big life changes so you can make the absolute best decision for you.
Here are some ways counseling can help with big life changes:
Managing Expectations
There’s the change itself, whatever that may be and then there’s what we expect life to look like during and after the change. Often we can feel in a state of alert or danger when reality does not align with our expectations of reality. Counseling can help you manage your expectations and emotions so that the transition is peaceful and realistic. Along with changes can come a grieving process of what was or use to be. For some making sense of these feelings of loss and finding a healthy outlook and purpose for your future can help reduce anxiety, depression, and overall stress levels.
A Positive Framework
Change means one door closes as another one opens. But many people put all of their focus and attention on that closing door. Focusing on an ending can make us feel depressed and anxious.
A counselor can help you focus on the new opportunities ahead of you. This can improve your state of mind, which will ultimately help you make the most of the current situation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be very helpful in recognizing unhelpful beliefs and ways of thinking about our circumstances and finding strategies in challenging and replacing with more realistic ways of thinking.
Self-Care
For many of us, change means burning the candle at both ends and not taking care of ourselves. Counseling can remind us (as many times as needed) that we need to make our physical and mental health a priority during this transition. Identifying the various realms of self care that need more attention and include physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and relational then coming up with individual goals together in counseling to address these areas.
Now that you see some of the ways counseling can help you through the biggest changes in your life, it’s time to find a counselor who can help you find insight and fresh perspective. If you’d like to explore counseling further, please reach out to me. I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
SOURCES:
https://onlinedegrees.bradley.edu/blog/six-ways-counselors-can-help-clients-dealing-with-major-change/
http://creativeresolutionsinc.com/2021/07/20/how-counseling-can-help-you-through-life-changes/