Midlife Crisis Counselling Canberra
It’s Not Just a Crisis. It’s a Call for Change.
It’s Not a Crisis. It’s a Signal.
You’ve ticked all the boxes. Career, stability, life. But instead of feeling satisfied, you feel... empty.
Do you wake up at 3am wondering“Is this it?”
In our culture, we joke about the "midlife crisis" - buying the sports car or making rash decisions. But the reality is often quieter and more painful. It feels like a loss of identity, a lack of direction, and a deep sense of loneliness, even when you are surrounded by people.
We often label this as a "breakdown," but at Motive Counselling, we view it as a breakthrough waiting to happen. These feelings are your internal alarm system, signalling that your old ways of coping and living no longer fit the person you are becoming.
Make the move from Coping to Living
Signal
Identifying the unease not as a failure, but as a cue for change.
Shift
Stripping away the "shoulds" and external expectations.
Strategy
Building a roadmap for a life that feels authentic to you.
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While the core feeling of "stuckness" is universal, the triggers can look different.
For Men: It often manifests as an "internal pressure cooker" - a silence around struggles with purpose, career achievement, or feeling trapped by the provider role.
For Women: It may coincide with perimenopause, children leaving home ("empty nest"), or a sudden urgency to pivot careers after years of prioritising others. Whether you are searching for "midlife crisis women" or "male midlife crisis," the goal is the same: moving from a life of obligation to a life of intention.
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Absolutely. We are seeing a rise in the "Millennial midlife crisis" or "quarter-life crisis."
Whether you are 25, 35, or 55, the internal experience is often the same: a sinking sense of a crisis in life where the path you are on feels wrong.
You don’t have to wait until you are traditionally middle-aged to make a change. These are valid transition points that deserve support.
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Restlessness or boredom with a "perfect" life: Everything works on paper, but nothing feels deeply satisfying.
A deep Crisis of Identity: Asking yourself questions like, "Who am I now that the kids don’t need me?" or "Is this job all I am?" You may feel like a stranger in your own life.
Looking back with regret or forward with dread: Grieving the life not lived, or fearing there’s not enough time left to change.
Relationship strain or withdrawal: This is common for the married man in midlife crisis or the partner feeling disconnected, leading to a sense of isolation even when together.
Feeling invisible or undervalued: Especially after years of defining yourself through roles, achievement, or usefulness.
A loss of meaning rather than a loss of function: Life continues, but it no longer feels purposeful or aligned. This is often the core feeling of a crisis in life.
An increase in numbing or escape behaviours: Drinking, scrolling, overworking, withdrawal, or impulsive changes to avoid inner discomfort.