Life Transitions & Aging
Life keeps changing—and so do we.
Some transitions are ones we choose. Others happen whether we want them or not.
Children grow up and leave home. Parents age and may begin to need our care. Relationships change. Careers wind down or end. Retirement can bring freedom along with unexpected questions about identity and purpose. Our bodies change. People we love become ill or die. And we may become more aware that our own lives have entered a different stage.
Even changes we've looked forward to can leave us feeling unsettled.
You may find yourself asking questions you didn't expect:
Who am I now? What matters to me at this point in my life? How do I stay connected to the people I love as our relationships change? What do I want this part of my life to be about?
Therapy for the transitions of adulthood and aging
I work with adults navigating many kinds of change, including:
Empty nest and children leaving home
Changing relationships with adult children
Retirement and changes in work
Caring for aging parents
Illness and changes in health
Divorce and relationship changes
Grief and loss
Changing roles and identity
Loneliness and changing social connections
Questions about meaning, purpose and what comes next
Adjusting to the realities of aging
Sometimes there is a particular event that brings you to therapy. Other times, you may simply have the sense that the way you've been living no longer quite fits.
Therapy gives us room to pay attention to both: What is happening in your life, and what is happening inside you as your life changes?
Making room for what has changed—and what might come next
Change often involves loss. Even a welcome transition can mean letting go of a role, relationship, identity, routine, or version of yourself that has mattered to you.
I don't believe the goal is to rush past those losses or immediately turn them into something positive. Therapy can give you space to acknowledge what is difficult while also becoming curious about what this stage of life might make possible.
Our work might include understanding patterns in your relationships, finding new ways to connect with people you care about, adapting to circumstances you didn't choose, or exploring questions of identity, meaning and purpose.
You don't need to have those questions figured out before you come in. That's part of what we can explore together.
Therapy that meets you where you are
My approach is warm, compassionate and collaborative. I bring curiosity and practical support to our work while also making room for deeper exploration when that's helpful.
I work with adults in person in San Rafael and Marin County, and I offer online therapy throughout California.