Life Transitions
Therapy for Life Transitions and Turning Points
It might be a break-up, a move, a new job, or a new baby at home. Marie Sarte, LCSW, especially enjoys working with adults at turning points like these. Each one can reshape your routines, your roles, and your thoughts, even when the change is welcome. Marie's CBT approach can help you find your footing again, one small step at a time.
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When a Wanted Change Feels Hard
A turning point can be something you chose and still leave you off balance. Old routines may stop working: the morning rhythm built around your last job, the friend you used to see because you lived nearby, the way a shared home used to run. Roles can shift too, from coworker to manager, from partner to single, or from a couple to a household with a new baby. Feeling unsteady does not, by itself, mean the change was a mistake.
Worry and Second-Guessing Get Louder
Change can turn up the volume on worry. You may replay the decision to move or take the job, or run through what-ifs about money, time, and whether you will manage. Relationships can shift at the same time. Friends may drift, a partner may need different things from you, and people who knew you before may not see the new shape of your life. Naming what has changed, piece by piece, can be a useful place to begin.
The Story About the Change
Marie's CBT approach starts with noticing the story you are telling yourself about the change. It might sound like "I should be used to this by now" or "Everyone else adjusts faster than I do." Together, you slow that story down and question it. What has actually happened so far? What does the story leave out, such as the things you are already handling? The point is a fairer read on where you are, so your next choice rests on more than the loudest thought in the room.
Routines That Bend
After a turning point, the aim is a few routines that bend on a messy week instead of breaking. You and Marie choose one small experiment at a time, sized to the change you are in: a steady start to the workday at a new job, a standing call with an old friend after a move, a plan for the time that used to be shared after a break-up, or ten quiet minutes of your own with a new baby. Next session, you look back at it together, without grading, and adjust.
Starting Without a Crisis
You do not need a crisis, or a clear name for what is bothering you, to reach out. Wanting support while your life rearranges itself is reason enough. Marie offers a free 15-minute consultation to talk about the change and whether working together makes sense. Individual sessions are $200 for 50 minutes, usually weekly, online for clients located in Oregon or in person at 1125 SE Market St, Portland, OR 97214. A few lines through the contact page are enough to begin.
Questions You May Have
Should I wait until life settles down?
There is no need to wait. You can reach out before a change, in the middle of one, or after it has settled and something still feels off.
Is this only for adults?
No. Marie also works with teens and young adults, who face turning points too, with many life decisions still ahead. She has worked with teenagers throughout her career.
Marie Sarte, LCSW
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