The Space Between: Finding Stillness in Transition

There are moments in life when everything feels in-between. Where you're no longer where you were, but still not yet where you want to be. These seasons can appear after endings, changes, or decisions that shift how we understand ourselves. They may follow a loss, a career move, a relationship transition, or simply a felt sense that something within you is ready for more.

These periods can feel uncertain or disorienting because they invite us to pause. To slow down before clarity arrives. Yet the space between what was and what’s next is not empty. It’s an active, living process of reorganisation on a psychological, emotional, and biological level.

The Role of the Nervous System
From a nervous system perspective, transition involves both letting go and recalibrating. The brain and body are adjusting to a new internal and external reality. Old patterns of safety (relationships, environments, and routines) may no longer fit, while new ones haven’t yet formed. This is why transitions often bring heightened emotion, fatigue, or even self-doubt. Your system is doing the hard work of integration: unlearning what no longer serves and building capacity for what comes next.

In therapy, we often see that the in-between space is where deep growth happens. When there’s no clear direction, the mind is more open to reflection, and the body can begin to release old patterns of protection. The nervous system learns that it can experience uncertainty without losing stability. This process, sometimes called “window of tolerance expansion”, helps us hold a wider range of emotional experiences with less reactivity and more calm.

It’s also a time when parts of you that were quiet or hidden may begin to surface. The part that fears change, the one that longs for certainty, or the one that remembers past disappointments. These parts aren’t obstacles; they’re signals. They tell us what still needs care, understanding, or regulation. Through compassionate attention, these inner experiences integrate, allowing a stronger and more cohesive sense of self to emerge.

Transitions can also stir existential questions like, who am I now? What do I value? What feels meaningful? which are natural markers of growth. Rather than rushing to define new answers, it can be helpful to stay with the questions. With time, the nervous system’s capacity to rest in uncertainty grows, and so does trust in your own inner wisdom.

In therapy, we can support this phase by helping you:

• Build nervous system awareness and grounding skills during times of uncertainty
• Identify old patterns that are ending and the emotions connected to them
• Strengthen internal safety and self-trust as new chapters begin
• Explore emerging values and directions from a place of stability rather than urgency

Change doesn’t always announce itself as progress. Sometimes it feels like stillness, or even loss. But stillness is not stagnation, it’s integration. The space between is where your system learns balance, your perspective widens, and your sense of self deepens.

You don’t need to rush this process. The in-between is not something to fix, but something to experience.

In therapy, we make room for that experience. Helping you find steadiness amid uncertainty, compassion for what’s ending, and confidence in what’s unfolding.

In the space between, you are not lost. You are becoming.

Ready to take the next step?
If something here resonates with you, it might be the right time to explore what support could look like. Therapy can help you understand yourself more deeply and make the changes that matter most to you.

Email: info@nvpsychology.com.au

This article provides general information only and is not a substitute for personalised psychological or medical advice, assessment, or treatment. If you are in crisis or feel unsafe, please call Triple Zero (000) in Australia. You can also contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) for 24/7 confidential support. For further resources and support options, please see our referral directory listed on our 'Contact' page.