Identity Journeys

Here’s something most people believe that simply is NOT true: Your identity is established through the process of navigating adolescence, and once you are an adult, you have “arrived” at your true self.

On the contrary, identity – even adult identity – is fluid.  What this means is that you’re never really a finished product, and there’s always room for growth and change.  It also means you can peel back layers and discover something new about yourself all the time.

In short, across our entire lifespan, we’re asking: “Who am I and where am I going?”

This applies in a lot of different areas: career, relationships, sexual orientation and gender identity, your values, the way you express yourself, the people you want to spend time with, the things you focus on, and on and on and on.

This might feel terrifying or overwhelming.  If your identity isn’t stable or fixed, then who the heck are you anyway?  But it can also feel liberating.  You are not required to be who you have always been.

Every client I have ever worked with (and, indeed, every person I’ve ever known) is on an identity journey, and sometimes that’s secondary to what brings them into therapy.  But the clients who seek therapy specifically for support in this area are looking for help with questions such as:

• Am I allowed to change now that I’ve established who I am?
• How do I find the courage to make a major life change, or to embrace a piece of my identity?
• Is the way I’m living my life aligned with my value system?
• Is the possibility of losing people worth the opportunity to live authentically?
• How do I get other people to stop treating me as the person I used to be instead of the person I am?
• Can you help me grieve the loss of my past self?
• Can you help me forgive myself for past choices?
• If my identity changes dramatically, how do I know who I am?
• How can I block out the noise of societal pressures and learn to listen to my inner voice?
• When I’m standing at a crossroads, how do I know which way to turn?

Therapy can help you to consider different perspectives on these tangible and spiritual questions of identity, purpose, and direction.  I can help you work towards answers to these questions, weather the shifts while maintaining a cohesive narrative, and manage the impact of identity transitions on your relationships with the important people in your life.

For help navigating your identity journey and writing your own story, schedule a free phone consultation now!