Life Transitions as Invitations to Grow: A Depth Psychotherapy Perspective
Life rarely follows a straight path. It bends, twists, and surprises us with moments that call for profound change. Marriage, divorce, raising children, watching them leave home, retirement, or midlife crisis that asks, Is this all there is? These transitions can feel exhilarating, terrifying, or both at once. Beneath the surface, they’re more than “life stages”—they’re thresholds into deeper layers of who we are.
Why Transitions Shake Us at the Core
Any major transition carries two movements at once: an ending and a beginning. Something familiar falls away—an identity, a role, a way of living. And something new emerges, often undefined and uncertain. Even happy milestones like marriage or having children can stir unexpected grief or anxiety. These events mark the end of an old self. Divorce, retirement, or an empty nest may bring feelings of loss, failure, or emptiness.
From a depth psychotherapy perspective, these feelings aren’t signs of weakness. They’re signals from the unconscious. Carl Jung wrote that life’s turning points often summon us to grow beyond the roles and masks we’ve worn for years. When the outer structure of life changes, the inner self speaks up: Who am I now? What do I truly value? What have I neglected in myself?
The “Midlife Awakening”
Many people expect midlife to be a crisis, but Jung reframed it as an awakening. The first half of life often focuses on building—careers, families, reputations. The second half invites us to deepen, to integrate the unlived parts of ourselves. That may look like shifting careers, exploring creative passions, or pursuing spiritual questions we’ve long ignored. Sometimes it feels like discontent or restlessness. Underneath is a call to become more whole.
“Life really does begin at 40. Up until then you are just doing research.”
Personal Growth Therapy: Navigating the In-Between
Depth psychotherapy provides a space to explore these transitions. The goal is not only to “cope,” but to understand what they’re asking of you. Unlike quick-fix approaches, depth work doesn’t rush to silence discomfort. It treats anxiety, sadness, or confusion as meaningful messages from the psyche. As poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.” This patient, curious stance allows life’s thresholds to become invitations rather than obstacles.
A personal growth therapist trained in Jungian ideas will help you:
Honor both loss and possibility. Every ending carries grief, even when it’s chosen.
Listen to dreams, symbols, and intuition. Your unconscious often points the way forward through images and stories.
Explore shadow and neglected parts of the self. What qualities have you disowned or put aside for the sake of roles and expectations?
Reclaim a sense of purpose. Transitions can clarify what really matters—and what no longer does.
Different Transitions, Shared Themes
Marriage: Beyond the romance, marriage is a profound psychological commitment. It asks two people to face not only each other’s best qualities but also their shadows. Sharing a life together means sharing your habits, fears, and unhealed wounds. Couples therapy can help couples navigate this shared growth process, rather than falling into patterns of projection and blame.
Divorce: The end of a marriage can feel like failure, yet it’s often the doorway to a more authentic life. Depth therapy can help you move through grief, reclaim disowned parts of yourself, and re-imagine love on new terms.
Having children: Parenthood reshapes identity in ways few expect. The joy of nurturing a child often comes with exhaustion, anxiety, and the loss of old freedoms. Exploring these conflicting feelings in therapy helps parents stay grounded and connected to themselves as well as their family.
Empty nest: When children leave home, many parents feel disoriented. Who am I if I’m not caring for them every day? This phase can be lonely—but it’s also a chance to rediscover passions, relationships, and inner life.
Retirement: Beyond financial planning, retirement asks deeper questions of purpose and meaning. Without the structure of work, old ambitions fall away. Therapy can help uncover new forms of contribution, joy, and wisdom.
Jung’s Map for Transformation
Jung saw these passages not as random upheavals but as part of the psyche’s natural drive toward individuation—the process of becoming fully oneself. The psyche often uses external change to draw attention to internal growth. If you’re willing to engage with the discomfort, transitions can lead to:
Greater authenticity. You shed outdated roles and live closer to your true nature.
Deeper relationships. As you grow more whole, you connect with others from a place of honesty rather than performance.
Renewed vitality. Midlife and later years can open up surprising energy when you’re no longer bound by old scripts.
Practical Ways to Engage With a Life Transition
Reflect rather than react. Instead of rushing to “fix” the discomfort, allow time for introspection. Journaling, dream work, or guided imagery can help surface insights.
Seek supportive relationships. Whether through personal growth therapy, trusted friends, or spiritual mentors, share what you’re going through with people who actively listen. Group Therapy can be incredibly helpful.
Stay curious about your feelings. Instead of labeling emotions as “bad,” ask what they’re trying to show you.
Create rituals for endings and beginnings. Marking these passages with intention—through travel, creative projects, or personal ceremonies—can help anchor you.
Choosing Depth Therapy
If you’re standing at a threshold—marriage, divorce, parenthood, empty nest, retirement, or an undefined midlife shift— depth therapy offers more than advice or coping strategies. It’s a relationship that supports inner exploration and transformation. A depth-oriented therapist will walk with you into the unknown, helping you discover not only how to adapt, but who you are becoming.
Life transitions are not detours from your path; they are the path itself. When you approach them with curiosity and support, they become opportunities to grow into a richer, more authentic you.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your personal growth journey, it might be a good time to enter therapy at Rezak Therapy in Pasadena, CA. With professional guidance, you can navigate self-reflection, shadow work, and transformation in a supportive and nurturing environment. Reach out for a free consult call at Rezak Therapy and begin your path toward self-discovery and healing.
Other Services Offered at Rezak Therapy in Pasadena, CA
At Rezak Therapy, we’re here to help you grow into the most authentic version of yourself. Our holistic therapy approach includes talk therapy, somatic therapy, and depth therapy. In addition to personal growth therapy to help facilitate your personal transformation, we also offer services for those struggling with anxiety, couples therapy for those looking to improve intimacy in their relationships, and The Artists Way Workshop which is a 12-week adventure of artistic discovery and personal exploration. Our therapy services are available in-person in Pasadena and online for clients in Los Angeles, throughout California and Florida. For more on personal growth therapy and our other services check out our blog.
