The big return to school and work . . . September Transitions . . .
I think of September as the ‘transition month’. Some adults go back to work after a long break, kids return to school after the summer holiday, some children will go from ‘little’ to ‘big’ school, or will change year groups, people will start university courses, new jobs often start in September. . .
The season around us also begins to change . . . We notice that summer is ebbing and a cooler Autumn is around the corner. We also become aware that the end of the year, seemingly so far away in the middle of summer, sun and sandals, seems much closer.
These seasonal and practical changes around us can stir up feelings about our own lives.
Endings and beginnings can be the catalyst that cause us to wonder if we are where we want to be in life . . . What have I done with this year? Where am I going? How happy am I with x, y or z?
Individuals often come into therapy at a point of ‘transition’ in their lives. The context of the transition can be absolutely anything. What is important is understanding ‘what’ I am transitioning ‘from’ and ‘where’ will I transition ‘to’, and this is the essential element of therapy, acknowledging how we feel about the changes that are occurring …What has ended? What are we grieving? What is beginning? How do we feel about the beginning?
Sometimes the individual is aware they’re transitioning but often transition stages in life are subtle and we do not realise what is occurring. It is the process of counselling that can reveal this to us.
Transitions are one of my favourite areas of therapy. The work that I do with clients can feel exciting, as we discuss the possibilities that this period of transition might offer and it’s also highly rewarding to work with a client as they begin to understand their feelings about the changes that are occurring in their lives, and begin to embrace and understand the direction they want to move in with more confidence.
Are you facing change in the coming month?
