Life Transition Therapy in Elkton, Maryland
Life transition therapy offers a place to explore how substance use, stress, and major changes intersect, so you can understand what you are carrying and practice sustainable ways of coping.
When Everything You Knew Has Shifted
You used to know who you were. You had a routine, a role, a sense of where you fit. Then something changed, a divorce, a diagnosis, a death, a job loss, and suddenly the life you'd built doesn't look the same anymore.
Maybe you're grieving something you never expected to lose. Maybe you're facing a change you chose but still weren't prepared for. Maybe you're stuck between who you were and who you're supposed to become.
The hardest part might be that everyone expects you to have moved on by now. You're tired of pretending you have when you haven't. You might be caring for aging parents while raising your own kids. Starting over at an age when you thought you'd be settled. Wondering how to build a new life when you're still mourning the old one.
If this feels familiar, you're not alone.
Understanding Therapy for Major Life Changes
Life transition therapy is support for people navigating significant changes, whether chosen or unexpected. It addresses the emotional, practical, and identity-related challenges that come with major shifts.
Transitions disrupt more than routines. They challenge how we see ourselves. A divorce doesn't just end a marriage, it reshapes your identity, your social circle, your daily life. A career change means questioning who you are when you're not doing what you've always done. Grief means learning to live in a world that's fundamentally different.
Therapy provides space to process what's happening, grieve what's been lost, and begin building toward what comes next. It's not about rushing through or pretending you're fine. It's about finding your footing when the ground keeps shifting.
Why Choose Clearmind for Life Transitions
I'm Jessica Buranen, and I understand how life transitions can affect you in ways that may not be named yet. The disorientation of not knowing who you are anymore. The loneliness of going through something others can't fully understand. The pressure to be okay when you're anything but.
I also know that transitions often surface things that were already there, old wounds, unresolved grief, questions about meaning that got buried under busy routines. Sometimes the crisis isn't just about what happened. It's about everything it brought to the surface.
In our work together, I bring steadiness and patience. We'll make space for the grief, the anger, the fear, and the hope. Together, we'll work on finding your footing again and discovering who you're becoming on the other side of this.
Benefits of Life Transition Therapy
Working with a therapist during a major life transition can create shifts you might not expect. Some clients notice they feel less alone in what they're facing. Others find they're better able to tolerate uncertainty. Change looks different for everyone.
More Grounding
You may feel steadier even when life is uncertain, with a regular space to pause, notice your feelings, and return to yourself during difficult moments.
Space to Grieve
Loss may feel less isolating as you share memories with support, allowing your grief to be acknowledged, honored, and carried with more gentleness in life.
Clearer Direction
Next steps may feel less overwhelming as we explore your values, clarify priorities, and identify practical choices that align with the life you are building.
The Therapy Process for Life Transition Support
Sessions with me are a space to be honest about what you're going through. There's no pressure to perform wellness you don't feel or rush through emotions that need time. I show up as a calm, grounded presence who can sit with you in the uncertainty.
We'll start by understanding what transition you're facing and how it's affecting you. What feels hardest. What you're grieving. What you're afraid of. From there, we'll work together on processing emotions, building coping strategies, and making decisions about what comes next.
Some sessions focus on the practical: structuring your days, making decisions, telling people what's happening. Others focus on the emotional: the grief, the fear, the identity questions. We'll move at whatever pace feels right.
Ready to Feel More Steady in This New Chapter?
You do not have to sort through all of these changes on your own. Our first conversation is a calm place to talk about what feels overwhelming, name what you are carrying, and explore whether life transition therapy feels supportive for you.
What Life May Feel Like with Transition Support
Imagine waking up and knowing who you are again, not who you were before, but who you're becoming. Imagine making decisions about your future without the paralysis of fear. Imagine feeling like you belong in your own life, even though it looks different than expected.
With the right support, the chaos of transition may start to settle. The ground may begin to feel solid again. You may find yourself building something new, not a replacement for what you lost, but something genuinely yours.
Many clients describe a moment when they realize they've come through the hardest part. They're not just surviving, they're starting to live again. That kind of clarity is possible for you too.
Beginning Life Transition Therapy in Maryland
Getting started doesn't require having it all figured out. You don't need to know exactly what you want from therapy or have clear goals. You just need to reach out.
‣ Step 1
Schedule a Consultation
Contact me for a free consultation. We'll talk about what you're going through and whether working together feels right. No pressure.
‣ Step 2
First Session
We'll meet virtually and start exploring your transition. What's changed, what's hard, what you're hoping to find through therapy.
‣ Step 3
Build Your Path
Together, we'll create an approach based on what you're facing and what kind of support would help most right now.
Insights from Supportive Transition Therapy
As clients move through major life changes with support, they often share realizations that shift how they see themselves and their situation. Many realize that grief is not something to get over, it is something to carry in a new way. People often tell me they are stronger than they ever imagined. Clients sometimes discover that the transition has revealed what really matters to them. Many notice that they needed permission to not be okay for a while. Clients frequently tell me they finally feel like themselves again, even though they have changed.
FAQs About Transition Therapy
What kinds of transitions do you work with?
I work with clients facing divorce, career changes, grief and loss, health diagnoses, becoming a caregiver, empty nest, retirement, and other major life shifts. If you're navigating significant change, I can help.
How do I know if I need therapy for a life transition?
If you're struggling to cope, feeling stuck, or finding that the transition is affecting your daily functioning, relationships, or sense of self, therapy can provide valuable support.
Is life transition therapy available virtually?
Yes. All sessions are conducted via secure video, making it easier to access support during an already demanding time.
How long does life transition therapy typically take?
It depends on the transition and your needs. Some clients find several months helpful; others benefit from longer-term support. We'll regularly check in about what's working.
What if my transition happened a while ago but I'm still struggling?
There's no expiration date on needing support. Many clients come to therapy months or years after a transition, when they realize they never fully processed what happened.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
You Do Not Have to Navigate This Change Alone
Major life shifts can leave you feeling unmoored, even when you are doing your best to cope. If you are adjusting to a move, loss, relationship change, or a new season of life, support can help you feel more grounded and understood. The first step is a free consultation to see how therapy might fit what you need right now. Reaching out can be the start of feeling more like yourself again.
