Demanding or unpredictable life changes often trigger emotional responses that exceed what we might expect. Psychoanalytic therapy helps understand why a particular change affects us so deeply.

What happens during life changes

Changes such as moving, separation, a new job, the birth of a child, illness or retirement ask more of us than they seem to at first. Even when we want them, they mean saying goodbye to something familiar. People often describe feeling overwhelmed, angry or sad even though they believe they should be happy, and this reaction confuses them. Such feelings are not contradictory: they show that a change has more layers than we can consciously keep track of.

A psychoanalytic view of life transitions

Every major life change is, psychically, also a loss — of a familiar identity, familiar roles, a familiar relation to the world, even when the change appears positive from the outside.

Therapeutic work creates a space where it is permitted to grieve what has passed, regardless of how sensible or desired the change itself was.

Psychotherapy for life transitions in practice

In practice, this means a space where it is permitted to acknowledge that a change which 'should' be good is also a loss.

How I work with life transitions

In therapy we try to hold all the layers: what you have gained and what you regret losing. When all feelings are allowed, deciding how to go on often becomes easier too. Individual sessions are weekly, in Ljubljana or by video call.

Help with life transitions in Ljubljana

I offer psychoanalytic psychotherapy for life transitions in Ljubljana or online (by video call). At the beginning we agree on three introductory sessions (45–50 minutes each), in which you see how I work and whether psychoanalytic psychotherapy suits you. After that we agree on regular weekly sessions.

If you are facing a move, a break-up, a new life role or another turning point, psychotherapy can offer a space to understand together what the change means for you.

More about how psychotherapy works and how to book an appointment.

Frequently asked questions about life transitions

Does psychotherapy help with life transitions?

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy for life transitions does not look only for a way to ease the difficulty, but for an understanding of what it is communicating. I work with the causes of distress and not only with the distress as expressed. Once we find the cause, and during the psychotherapeutic process, symptoms often ease or disappear.

How long does psychotherapy for life transitions take?

Duration is individual and depends on the therapeutic goal and on how long the difficulties have been present. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy can last from a few months to a few years. One session lasts 45 to 50 minutes; usually once a week, and by arrangement sometimes several times a week.

Why do changes affect me so much, even when I chose them myself?

Every change is also the loss of something familiar, even when it is wanted. Sadness, fear or ambivalence may arise. Psychotherapy helps to understand everything the change means for you.