Embracing Change: How Therapy Can Help With Life Transitions
By a trauma therapist offering psychotherapy in Washington, DC and Virginia
Change can feel both exciting and terrifying. Whether you’re starting a new job, ending a relationship, moving to a new city, or simply questioning what comes next—life transitions have a way of stirring up anxiety, self-doubt, and overwhelm. For high-achieving, deeply feeling people (like many of my clients), these moments often come with an inner pressure to “handle it all” perfectly.
As a trauma therapist specializing in mental health counseling and psychotherapy in DC and Virginia, I see time and again how major life shifts can unearth old patterns.
You might notice perfectionism ramping up. Or you might freeze, procrastinate, or spiral into self-criticism and confusion. That’s because transitions—no matter how positive—can activate parts of us that feel unprepared, unworthy, or even scared to succeed.
But here’s the truth: change doesn’t have to break you. With the right support, it can grow you.
What Do Life Transitions Look Like?
Life transitions come in many forms, and they don’t always have to be dramatic to feel disorienting. Common examples include:
Starting or leaving a job
Moving to a new city or country
Beginning or ending a relationship
Becoming a parent—or deciding not to
Losing someone you love
Starting grad school or leaving academia
Shifts in identity, beliefs, or values
Recovery from illness or navigating new diagnoses
Even transitions that seem “good on paper” (like a dream job or a new relationship) can feel destabilizing. That’s because transitions shake up our routines, identity, and sense of safety—and if we didn’t grow up in environments that nurtured emotional resilience, navigating these moments as adults can feel overwhelming.
How Therapy Supports Growth Through Change
Therapy can help you meet transitions not with fear, but with self-understanding. In my work with clients navigating life transitions, therapy becomes a space where we unpack:
Why certain changes feel so triggering
What parts of you are activated (the perfectionist, the avoider, the over-functioner, etc.)
How past experiences may be shaping your present responses
What coping strategies you can build to feel grounded and capable
How to reconnect with your sense of purpose and possibility
In other words, we turn a moment of “I feel like I’m falling apart” into a moment of “I’m finally understanding myself.” And from there, true growth becomes possible.
Stories of Growth Through Transition
One client came to me feeling stuck in a job that looked great from the outside—but left her drained, anxious, and disconnected from her creativity. Through our work together, she realized that her fear of change wasn’t about the job itself—it was about a core belief that she had to earn her worth through overachievement. We used IFS (Internal Family Systems) to explore that inner pressure, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to help her feel what safety and calm actually felt like in her body. With time, she built the courage to take a creative risk—and discovered a sense of energy she hadn’t felt in years.
Another client, after a painful breakup, struggled with intense self-blame and loneliness.
We used EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to process past relational wounds and release long-held feelings of not being "enough." She didn’t just recover from the breakup—she began building relationships from a place of self-trust, not fear.
These transitions weren’t easy. But with the right therapeutic support, they became meaningful turning points.
Why a Therapy Intensive Might Be Right for You
If you’re in a life transition and feel like you’re spinning your wheels, a therapy intensive might be the reset you need. In my DC and Virginia-based practice, I offer therapy intensives ranging from 90 minutes to 6 hours. These sessions are designed to help you go deeper, faster, in a safe and structured environment.
Unlike traditional weekly therapy, where it can take months just to warm up to the real issues, therapy intensives give you space to dive into your story and access real shifts—without constantly stopping and starting.
They're particularly powerful for transitions, because you can:
Untangle the past from the present
Reconnect with your purpose and identity
Release limiting beliefs and trauma held in the nervous system
Build new internal pathways of safety, clarity, and confidence
I integrate EMDR, IFS, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy into these intensives because these methods target how trauma and emotional experiences are actually stored in the brain and body. This is often far more effective—and more ethical—than just talking about your pain.
Talk therapy can provide insight, but insight doesn’t always lead to change. These brain-and-body-based modalities are designed to actually process the stuck emotional material, not just analyze it.
But Isn’t a Therapy Intensive… Intense?
Yes—and that’s not a bad thing. :)
It’s totally normal to feel nervous about the idea of doing deeper work in a longer session. But nervous doesn’t mean it’s not for you. Nervous means it matters. It means something in you wants to move forward—and maybe another part of you is just scared. That’s a very human response.
As part of the intake process, we’ll talk about whether an intensive is the right fit for you. We’ll consider your time, your nervous system, and your goals—and we’ll build something that works with your life, not against it.
Therapy for Personal Growth: Not Just for Crisis
Sometimes people think you have to be falling apart to start therapy. That’s just not true.
So many of my clients come to therapy not because things are “bad,” but because something’s missing. They want to feel alive again. Inspired. Energized. Connected to themselves and their relationships in a way that feels authentic.
Life transitions give us an invitation to do just that. And therapy gives you a roadmap.
Takeaways
If you’re navigating a life transition and feeling overwhelmed, I want you to know: you don’t have to go it alone.
I work with clients across Washington, DC and Virginia who are ready to face the unknown with more support, more tools, and more self-trust. Whether you're moving, changing careers, recovering from a loss, or trying to figure out what's next—I’d be honored to help you make meaning of this moment with holistic mental health counseling.
Therapy isn’t just about surviving transitions. It’s about using them to grow into the person you’re becoming.
Ready to get started?
Contact me to explore whether weekly sessions or a therapy intensive (90 mins–6 hours) is right for you. We’ll collaborate on a plan that fits your life and goals.
Looking to connect with a therapist who can help you work through life transitions and move forward with confidence?
Reach out today to talk about how therapy with me can help you expedite your healing.
(Washington, D.C. and Virginia residents only)
About the author
Margot Lamson, LICSW, is a licensed psychotherapist offering in-person and virtual therapy in Washington, D.C. and Virginia. She is trained in multiple trauma-focused approaches, including EMDR, IFS, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to support clients seeking meaningful and lasting healing. Margot also provides intensives, combining evidence-based and holistic techniques, to help clients achieve significant progress and feel better faster in a focused, supportive setting.
