• Are you overwhelmed with everything going on in your life?
  • Do you worry you won’t be able to get through it?
  • Experiencing short-lived relationships, bouncing from one to another?
  • Are you confused as to how to handle work, life demands?
  • Is it more and more difficult trying to have a work, life balance?
  • Are you feeling somehow confused, restless or bored at work?
  • Do you doubt your work skills or experience in meeting new expectations?
  • Has the experience of an “empty nest” started now that there are no children at home?
  • Are you concerned with changes in your health?
  • Have all the changes around you left you tired, sleepless, angry or confused?

If you have answered “yes” to a few or most of these questions, there is a strong indication you are in a transition on your life’s journey. Realize this: you are not alone. Transition is a part of life for all of us and for most it is ongoing. However, when transition produces instability in your life, confusion, anger, anxiety, and even depression, you are at the cusp of things breaking down and in need of some help. If you are stuck emotionally, having jumbled, racing thoughts that just irritate and annoy you, or losing track of time or forgetting things, we are here to help.

Why we do what we do is to hear your story from an objective, empathetic and compassionate standpoint while bringing hope and restoration, as well as clarity, peace of mind and dialogue with you possible solutions. It is our passion and delight to be here for you in this transition. To walk alongside of you to provide a listening ear, to encourage and at times confront things that are not working well for you. We want you to find solace, strength, hope, and direction toward a better you….stronger to cope with the changes and transitions of life.

Life on hold

You may have put your personal life or relationships on hold while you try to navigate through the malaise of transitions. You may wonder if you are making the best choices. Whether these changes are planned or abrupt, life transitions may blindside you and cause a lot of fear, anxiety, worry, and anger. If you find yourself struggling to adjust after a change in your personal life, work-life or relationships, this is when old and perhaps dysfunctional habits emerge. You certainly may not mean to overly snack, drink a couple of beers or so to relax, watch television, spend hours on the internet, social media, play video games, and in general ignore the changes that seem to be forced upon you. These are signs you need to pay attention to.

You may also feel isolated after going through a difficult or ugly break up or divorce. It is common for “friends” to seem distant or not knowing how to approach you and visa versa.  After all, they knew you as being a partner in a relationship or marriage and now things are pretty different.

If you are losing a loved one or have lost a loved one, this is also part of change and transition. Depending on the relationship with him/her, you may find yourself stunned or disillusioned by the loss or shocked how fast life has changed. Anger, frustration with those around you, snapping “for no reason” seems to happen more often than you can count. This too may bring about much stress and confusion. Sadness may also be part of the changes you are experiencing.

Transition may also be…

planned (or not) when it comes to your children becoming young adults and move out. When they are gone, you may find yourself struggling with being in an “empty nest”. Even these changes that are usually understood as positive can create new and at times overwhelming stress and self-doubt. You may see that your identity as a mom or as a dad is a bit different now that the kids are off doing their own thing.

Each of these situations occur and you may have experienced one, two, most or all of them. We have seen many clients who have been faced with these and many other changes in their lives. Together we have journeyed with our clients to find a path through the storms, through the pain and struggles to a place of hope, dignity, joy, and peace.

Doesn’t Everyone Go Through Difficult Life Transitions?

Change is normal but normal does not equal comfortable or even reassuring. Most of us aren’t well equipped to get through transitions too well. We may have had great role models in our lives or maybe not. In the middle of the storm is much different than when we are in front of it or after it has passed.

The truth is that we all go through times when we need help managing change in one or more aspects of our lives. Connecting with one of our counselors can give you guidance, support, and an objective view to help you identify and recognize your own values, needs and goals in order to move forward with stronger confidence, focus and direction.

Giving Yourself Permission to Experience Counseling

It starts with choice. Sometimes you may wonder why you need to give yourself permission to seek out counseling. In this, it’s about your self-care. Taking time to be cared for. Consider counseling to be a positive, revealing and encouraging experience. We provide a safe, genuine and warm space where you can tell your story any which way you feel best. We look to help you sort it out, make sense of all the stuff that’s been building up for quite a while. Our role as counselors is to listen, reflect, clarify, summarize and begin to interpret what you are expressing. No judgment. Rather, we help you define your goals in such a way that you take ownership for them. We also develop objective, definable steps you can take to work toward these goals. This way each time we meet change and transition becomes clearer with a sense of balance and direction. Through this counseling process, you are apt to rediscover and cultivate your strengths, bring renewed energy and motivation to your work and relationships.

Then there are questions…questions or concerns about counseling such as…

Shouldn’t I Be Able To Deal With Change On My Own?

 It is human nature to want to do things ourselves…to fix the mess we are in. The harder one tries to get things turned around, it seems the worse the problems become. Further, it is easy to get stuck in the same patterns or habits of how you do things how you think and feel about the transitions. When you seek out an objective counselor who can help sort out your personal, relational, and work-like routines, goals and needs from a professional outlook, things begin to become clearer. A new angle to the chaos emerges. When seeking support before making a change—or as soon as possible after a transition or loss—you can gain a sense of healing, learning new and more effective ways to cope with the changes.

I’m Too Ashamed to Share My Story…Filled with Doubts and Fears.

 Your story is yours…unique to you regardless of others who may be involved in your life. Their story is their story and yours is yours. You have a perspective, a way you view the changes in your life that is your own. It is normal to experience fear, self-doubt and uncertainty during a difficult transition, which is why we are here for you working well to create a safe place where you can feel comfortable exploring what it is you need in order to regain that sense of self and unearth satisfaction in your work, harmony in your relationships. Reading through this blog post, discovering there is hope, help, and the opportunity to regain the strength, tenacity, and drive are great first steps. Surfing this website for other info, finding a counselor that you want to talk to, giving us a call or sending us an email.

Everything Passes with Time, so Why Counseling?

True…time marches on with or without us. We grow older, life happens. Consider what your time is filled up with right now. How much time does it take to worry about the unknown? How much time do you spend feeling anxious or depressed? Think about a time when you had a problem that came up you didn’t know how to solve. Maybe a problem you were not expecting. How long did it take you to figure it out or consult with someone else about it? What did you learn from it? For everything, there is a season under the sun. We know that when it rains, we open the umbrella, when it gets cold or hot we dress for the weather. When in a season of being overwhelmed, get the help and support you need to get through it.

If I Adjust To All These Changes, How Will It Affect Others?

Many time, when we have clients begin to make apply healthy coping habits in their lives, become more balanced in their lives, others around them take notice. We invite our clients to seek healthy, good support from those they trust. It isn’t always easy sharing your needs with your partner or close friends but you can invite them to be there for you…to just listen. They don’t need to have solutions or even know what to say.

You Can Overcome

You’re ready to do something fantastic, ready to make a difference in your life, ready to be empowered with positive, effective, confident choices about your now and the future you. If you may have questions about anything you’ve read, are at the point of giving us a call or email, just do it. We can be reached at 520-292-9750 or joel@pathwaystucson.com.

For pages of interest…

Go to Grief Loss Counseling page

Breakup Counseling page

Divorce Counseling page

Anxiety Therapy page

Depression Therapy page