Adjustment Disorders

Adjustment disorders develop when significant life changes or stressful events overwhelm your ability to cope – whether it’s relationship breakdown, job loss, moving, health challenges, or other major life transitions. If you’re struggling to adjust, counselling can help you process change and rebuild your resilience.

What is an Adjustment Disorder?

An adjustment disorder develops when you’re struggling to cope with and adjust to a specific life stressor or major life change. This might be relationship breakdown, job loss, moving to a new place, health problems, death of a loved one, or other significant transitions. The adjustment involves emotional and behavioural symptoms – depression, anxiety, withdrawal, difficulty functioning – that emerge as a response to the stressor. Adjustment difficulties are a normal response to significant change; they become an adjustment disorder when they’re severe enough to significantly affect your functioning and wellbeing. With support, many people develop new coping strategies and adjust to their changed circumstances.

How Adjustment Difficulties Might Show Up

When you’re struggling to adjust to major change, you might experience anxiety about your new circumstances, sadness or depression, irritability, difficulty concentrating, or withdrawal from activities and people. You might struggle with daily functioning – work, self-care, managing practical tasks. Your relationships might be affected if you’re withdrawn or irritable. The adjustment period can feel disorienting – your world has shifted and you’re unsure how to navigate the new reality. Some people feel grief about what they’ve lost, even as they’re trying to move forward. Others feel stuck, unsure how to adapt to their changed circumstances. Counselling can help you process the change and develop new ways of coping and moving forward.

Our Approach to Adjustment Counselling

Working with a psychologist at Growth Psychology, you’ll receive compassionate support as you navigate and adjust to significant life change. We help you process the emotions that come with major life changes – grief, anger, fear, uncertainty. We support you in understanding what’s changed and what this means for your life going forward. We help you develop practical coping strategies and rebuild your sense of capability. We support you in reconnecting with meaning and purpose in your changed circumstances. Our approach is collaborative, focusing on your strengths and resilience even as you’re navigating difficult change. We help you move from struggling with change toward adapted functioning and renewed purpose. Learn more about our therapeutic approaches.

When to Seek Support

If you’re struggling to adjust to significant life change and your emotional wellbeing is affected – seeking support can help you move through the adjustment period more smoothly and rebuild your functioning and sense of purpose.

Ask about our Adjustment Disorders services.

If you’d like to explore how therapy might help, we’re here to talk through your needs.

Enquire today

Our practicitioners with a focus on Adjustment Disorders

Lara Patty - Psychologist

Lara is a registered Psychologist who offers a warm, collaborative, and emotionally grounded approach to therapy. She supports adolescents (16+) and adults across experiences such as anxiety, depression, stress, identity concerns, relationship and attachment patterns, the impacts of difficult childhood experiences, and life transitions. Lara integrates evidence‑informed approaches—including Schema Therapy, CBT, and ACT—to help clients explore their inner world and develop compassionate, authentic ways of relating to themselves and others.

Shelley Phillips - Psychologist

Shelley Phillips is a registered Psychologist who offers a warm, caring, and evidence‑informed approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing. She draws on CBT, ACT, Positive Psychology, and strengths‑based practices to help clients explore challenges in life and work. Shelley also supports clients navigating job selection processes, career development, and workplace stress. She has experience working with emergency services personnel and has worked as a psychology lecturer, mentor, and supervisor.

Gregory Dean - Endorsed Counselling Psychologist

Greg is an Endorsed Counselling Psychologist with more than thirty years of experience supporting people across a wide range of life challenges. He works collaboratively with clients to explore the impact of past experiences, strengthen emotional wellbeing, and navigate patterns that influence relationships and daily life. Greg uses evidence‑informed approaches tailored to each person’s needs. Greg has worked in counselling and psychotherapy private practice in metropolitan centres and remote rural areas, in schools, government organisations, emergency services, military veterans’ organisations and in industry. He has also worked as an academic, teacher and in management and specialist roles in the mining industry.

Rita Mesch - Psychologist

Rita is a registered teacher and Psychologist who offers a supportive, non‑judgemental space for clients experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, grief, difficult or traumatic events, life transitions, and relationship concerns. She works from a Process‑Oriented Psychology framework, helping clients explore inner experiences and the patterns that influence wellbeing and personal growth.

Beth Keane - Psychologist - Practice Owner

Beth is a registered Psychologist who supports adults across a range of wellbeing and mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, life transitions, and career‑related challenges. She draws on CBT, ACT, Schema‑informed strategies, and strengths‑based, person‑centred approaches. Beth also provides services under Queensland emergency services support programs and works in training, development, and career‑related support.