Life Transitions –
Finding Your Way Forward

There is a way through with self-care, kindness and compassionate support.

Change is a part of life — sometimes welcome, sometimes unexpected. Even the most positive transitions can leave us feeling unsteady, uncertain, or overwhelmed.

If you’re navigating a life shift and wondering how to move forward — or even where to begin — you’re not alone. Therapy can help you process what’s changing and reconnect with your strength, clarity, and sense of direction.

Navigating Life’s Turningpoints

                 

Change is part of life — sometimes welcome, sometimes unexpected — and even the most positive transitions can stir up feelings of loss, uncertainty, or overwhelm.

Whether you’re facing a new chapter or closing an old one, it’s normal to feel unsettled. You might be wondering who you are now, what’s next, or how to move through this season with strength and grace.

You don’t have to navigate this alone.

What Life Transitions Can Look Like

Transitions can be sparked by many life events, such as:

Relationship Changes
 A divorce or relationship ending
 The birth of a child or becoming an empty nester

Career & Life Role Shifts
 Career changes, retirement, or job loss

Lifestyle & Relocation
 Relocation or major lifestyle changes

Health & Caregiving Challenges
 Illness, caregiving, or the death of a loved one

Identity & Personal Growth
 Questioning identity, values, or purpose

Even positive changes — like a promotion, a new relationship, or a long-awaited move — can be emotionally complex.

Why Life Transitions Are So Challenging

 When life shifts, the ground beneath us can feel unsteady.
You might experience:

Anxiety or fear of the unknown
Grief over what was
Guilt, self-doubt, or second-guessing
A sense of disconnection from yourself or others
Difficulty making decisions or trusting your own voice

These feelings are not signs of weakness — they’re natural responses to disruption and the loss of familiarity.

Life transitions often trigger uncertainty and overwhelm. If anxiety has become difficult to manage, explore how I support women with anxiety, or learn more about maternal mental health if parenting or postpartum challenges are part of your story or how to heal trauma.

• Slow down and listen to yourself
• Clarify what this transition means for you
• Recognize your strengths — even the ones you may not see
• Work through fear, grief, or resistance
• Envision what you want this next chapter to hold
• Move forward with more confidence, clarity, and compassion

Transitions are an invitation to realignment — a chance to reconnect with what matters most.

If you’re curious about the science behind gratitude, resilience, and emotional growth during times of change, the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley offers insightful articles and research-based practices to support your journey.

Therapy for life transitions offers a grounded, supportive space to help you:

You’re Not Alone — And You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

Life doesn’t come with a roadmap, but you don’t have to walk this path without support. Therapy can help you reconnect with your resilience and your sense of direction — even when things feel uncertain.

If you’re in the midst of change and looking for solid ground, I’m here.
Let’s talk about how we can work together to support you through this season — and into what’s next.

Interested in how I work? Learn more about Iris Hogan, or explore EMDR therapy for deeper healing from past pain.

 

Why Work With Me

As your therapist, I’m here to support you through life’s transitions — with both compassion and expertise.

With decades of experience helping women navigate pregnancy, birth, grief, relationship shifts, and personal reinvention, I’ve developed a grounded, evidence-based approach that meets you where you are.

I blend mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and compassion-focused tools to help you process emotions, build resilience, and move forward with confidence.

This is a warm, welcoming space — where you’re invited to show up just as you are.

Schedule your first session or reach out with any questions.

What Clients have said:

I can think back about what happened to me, but the memory is no longer alive.”

I used to have to worry all the time about something triggering me and feeling upset.  Now, I don’t even think about triggers anymore.”

I thought about what happened to me every single day for 20 years. Now, I don’t even think about it unless I want to.”

I used to believe that I caused what happened to me. I now understand that it was not my fault.”

Thanks to EMDR, I feel like I have a whole different future.”

Common Questions You May Have

Will Therapy Work for Me?

I want to be straightforward with you. Neither I nor any other clinician can promise that therapy will change everything or help you be completely symptom-free. I do have good reasons to be positive. The treatment modalities I use have excellent success rates. Many of the women I work with develop the skills to overcome stress and anxiety. They feel calmer and more self-compassionate and balanced. The tools acquired during therapy last a lifetime and can lead you into a fuller, more intentional, and satisfying life.

How Common is Anxiety with Women?

Women-Focused Facts and Statistics About Anxiety

  • As women between puberty and age 50, we are almost twice as likely as men to develop an Anxiety Disorder.
  • Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental disorders and concerns reported in the United States.
  • Women experience more body-based symptoms of anxiety than men.
  • Women who suffer from panic attacks experience more shortness of breath, faintness, and smothering sensations than men.
  • Women with OCD report that their obsessions are often more focused on cleaning, while men’s obsessions focus seems to be around symmetry.
  • Panic disorder tends to be more chronic in women.
  • 40 million adults, Americans, suffer from anxiety disorders. That’s 18% of the adult population in the US!
  • People with anxiety disorders are five times more likely to seek medical intervention.
  • Anxiety responds well to treatment but tends to remain unchanged without new tools and insights.
What causes anxiety disorders?

Anxiety disorders are the effect of a unique combination of live events genetic heritage, brain chemistry and personality.

Why are women more likely than men to experience anxiety disorders?

There has been a lot of research to understand why women experience anxiety more often. Yet, there is no conclusive answer to this question. Research indicates that there are several factors at work. Biological (genetic, hormonal), socio-cultural (gender-specific learning to respond to our emotions from our environment), and psychological factors.

When Is My Anxiety Too Much, and I Should You Get Help?

8 Signs that Your Anxiety May Be a Problem?

  1. Do your worries keep you awake at night; do you have a hard time keeping negative thoughts at bay?
  2. Have you experienced a panic attack: racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, or feelings of terror?
  3. Do you feel like an outsider even with friends, like you don’t quite fit in anywhere?
  4. You’re distracted by a stream of intrusive anxious thoughts.
  5. Does your Anxiety at work, home, or socially making it challenging to excel and perform?
  6. Do you avoid activities you might enjoy because of a feeling of dread?
  7. You suffer from headaches, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, or stress-related health concerns.
  8. Is my Anxiety is hurting my relationships?
What Can I do to Feel Better Now?

10 Things You Can Do Right Now To Feel Better

  1. Cut down your caffeine intake. Caffeine can interfere with sleep, make your anxiety worse, and even lead to panic attacks.
  2. Get enough sleep. Anxiety can lead to insomnia, and not sleeping enough decreases your ability to cope with stress and anxiety.
  3. Eat healthily. Eat well and often. Several smaller meals during the day are often better than three big meals for people with anxiety. When you go without food for long periods, your blood sugar drops, leaving you anxious and irritable and eating complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, and vegetables). Complex carbs stabilize blood sugar and boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter with calming effects.
  4. Avoid alcohol and nicotine. Alcohol makes anxiety worse! It offers the lure of reducing anxiety and worry short-term. Still, it causes anxiety symptoms to intensify as it wears off. Nicotine is a potent stimulant that leads to anxiety.
  5. Learn to use deep breathing and relaxation techniques. Techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and meditation have all been proven effective.
  6. Getting daily exercise can make a big difference in lowering your anxiety level. Exercise releases tension and reduces stress levels, which makes it a natural antidote to anxiety; it also releases endorphins, our brain’s “feel-good chemicals.”
  7. Limit your sugar intake.
  8. Connect with others. Spending time with other people in a meaningful way has been shown to lower anxiety.
  9. Do what’s meaningful to you. Make time for activities that nurture you and matter to you.
  10. Practice self-compassion-Having anxiety is challenging! Listen to how you speak to yourself and ask, “would I talk like this to a friend?” Try speaking with yourself in a more accepting way and observe how you feel.

Contact me with questions! I would be happy to connect.

How Much Anxiety is Too Much?
If your worrying or anxiety interferes with your daily life
—whatever that might look like to you—
That is Reason Enough to Get Help.

Relevant Articles by Iris Hogan

Eco-Anxiety & Wildfire Season in Seattle: A Women’s Guide

Eco-Anxiety & Wildfire Season in Seattle: A Women’s Guide

Facing Climate Stress and Fire Season with Compassion If you're a woman living in Seattle or Washington State, you're likely familiar with the eco-anxiety and wildfire season that returns almost every summer. The smoky skies, air quality alerts, and canceled outdoor...

Read More
Healing Birth Trauma with EMDR | Postpartum PTSD Support for Moms

Healing Birth Trauma with EMDR | Postpartum PTSD Support for Moms

Experiencing birth trauma can leave lasting emotional wounds—but healing is possible. EMDR therapy is a gentle, research-backed approach that helps mothers process and recover from postpartum PTSD. Whether your trauma is fresh or years old, EMDR offers a path to peace without reliving every painful detail.

Read More