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Even positive life changes can bring grief. Retirement, divorce, an empty nest, a move, a new career, becoming a parent — these transitions shake our sense of identity and purpose, often in ways we don’t expect.
Dr. Sally Hackman, PhD, MFT, helps adults in Santa Monica and the greater Los Angeles area navigate major life changes with clarity, resilience, and a renewed sense of direction. Managing life transitions is not just about surviving change — it is about understanding what the change means to you, and who you want to be on the other side of it.

Major transitions often unearth old patterns and feelings we thought we'd left behind. Therapy helps you understand what's being stirred and develop the resilience to move forward.

In-person in Santa Monica or via Zoom — a confidential space to process the complexity of change without judgment or pressure.

Dr. Hackman helps clients at every stage of adult life — from young adults navigating early career and relationships to older adults facing retirement, loss of role, and the transitions of aging.
Transitions are turning points — and the right support at a turning point can change the entire trajectory of what comes next. Dr. Hackman brings 35 years of experience helping adults make the most of life’s biggest changes.
Because transitions — even welcome ones — involve loss. The end of one chapter, even a painful one, requires grieving before you can fully inhabit the next. Dr. Hackman helps you honor what was while building what's next.
A: Retirement, divorce, remarriage, empty nest, relocation, career change, loss of a role or identity, becoming a parent or grandparent — and any other major shift in life's structure.