April 2025.
There’s a weight many of us are carrying.
It hums just beneath the surface of daily life — in the quick glances at news headlines, in the tightness in our conversations, in the uncertain pace of our hearts.
Economic instability is looming. Political tensions feel more volatile than ever. Some days, it seems as though the ground itself might shift under our feet.
If you feel anxious, discouraged, or overwhelmed, know this: you are not alone, and you are not broken.
You are living through a time that demands resilience — and more importantly, demands meaning.
And though it may not feel like it now, these uncertain times offer a hidden invitation: the invitation to build a life that is not dependent on external stability but rooted in something deeper, something no crisis can ever take from you.
At Beyond the Couch Counseling , we see this every day: the fierce, quiet courage it takes to live meaningfully when the world feels chaotic.
This is not easy work.
It is sacred work.
The Givens of Life Have Never Been Louder
Existential psychotherapy — a foundation of my work — teaches that human beings must face certain “givens” of existence: death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness.
Most of the time, daily routines shield us from these realities. We busy ourselves with schedules, errands, small dramas.
But now, in this moment of collective uncertainty, the givens of life are louder.
They press against the thin skin of normalcy.
Rather than seeing this as purely frightening, I invite you to see it for what it also is: an awakening.
We are being called to wake up.
To live intentionally.
To forge meaning not because the world is stable, but because it is not.
Meaning Is Created, Not Found
It’s tempting to believe that meaning is “out there” — something we stumble upon when the circumstances are just right.
But the truth, as Viktor Frankl so often emphasized, is that meaning is something we create through the way we live, especially when times are hard.
Frankl saw firsthand that even when everything external is stripped away, the final freedom is choosing one’s attitude, one’s values, and one’s response.
Today, facing uncertainty in our own ways, we are offered the same choice.
You can create meaning by:
- Showing up for someone you love.
- Speaking truth with kindness.
- Taking one small step toward a long-held dream.
- Offering your presence to someone who feels unseen.
Meaning is built like a stone wall, one stone at a time, with hands that tremble but persist.
Take a breath right now.
Ask yourself: “What is one small act I can take today that reflects who I want to be?”
Let that be your beginning.
Awe and Beauty Are Still Here
When everything feels heavy, we can forget that awe — that sudden expansion of wonder — is still available to us.
Awe reminds us that we are part of something vast and mysterious. It interrupts fear’s tight spiral and places us gently back into the living, breathing world.
We are surrounded by it if we know where to look:
- Your dogs wagging tail when you get home from work.
- The sound of your children laughing.
- The warm sun touching our skin as we transition into this beautiful spring and then summer.
Even in the middle of a tense news cycle, even when the future feels unclear, life continues to unfold in quiet miracles all around you.
Practice awe today: pause, lift your gaze, notice the life that exists beyond human conflict and economic forecasts.
Let it steady you.
Let it nourish you.
You Are Not Alone in This
Isolation is one of the great dangers of difficult times. It whispers that no one else feels what you feel, that your fear or weariness is yours to bear alone.
But connection is always possible.
At Beyond the Couch Counseling, we see it often: people finding their way back to themselves and to each other. Through therapy. Through community. Through the simple, courageous act of reaching out.
If you find yourself feeling isolated, please know: it is not a sign of weakness to need others.
It is a profound expression of strength to say, “I don’t want to carry this alone.”
Whether through a trusted friend, a supportive group, or therapy, let yourself be witnessed.
Let yourself be held in the shared humanity of these times.
Responsibility Over Control
One of the central tensions of today is the illusion that if we just tried harder, thought faster, worried more, we could control the chaos around us.
But existential wisdom teaches something far more liberating:
You cannot control the external world.
You can only control the way you meet it.
Freedom, as Frankl described, is found precisely in that gap between what happens to us and how we choose to respond.
You cannot dictate political outcomes.
You cannot fix the economy singlehandedly.
But you can decide:
- To live aligned with your deepest values.
- To speak truth with love.
- To nurture resilience in yourself and others.
This kind of freedom is immune to headlines.
It is the birthplace of meaning.
Pause now:
Ask yourself, “In the face of uncertainty, how do I want to live?”
Not what outcomes you want — but what kind of person you want to be.
That is the true measure of a meaningful life.
Existential Anxiety Is Not a Problem to Fix
In therapy, many people share some version of this:
“Why can’t I just relax? Why am I so anxious all the time?”
The truth is, existential anxiety is not a malfunction.
It is a sign that you are deeply engaged with life’s real questions.
It hurts, yes.
But it also clarifies. It strips away the noise and leaves you face-to-face with what truly matters.
In therapy, our work is not to “make it go away,” but to walk with you through it — to help you find the gold hidden beneath the discomfort: deeper love, deeper purpose, deeper living.
You are not here to have a comfortable life.
You are here to have a real one — vibrant, heartbreaking, beautiful, and true.
An Invitation to Healing
If these words resonate with you — if a part of you aches for a space to breathe, to sort through the weight you’ve been carrying — we invite you to reach out.
At Beyond the Couch Counseling in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we offer a sanctuary for this very kind of work:
- Individual therapy for adults navigating anxiety, grief, life transitions, and existential dread.
- Couples therapy for those trying to hold love steady in turbulent times.
- Family therapy spaces for connection, reflection, and renewal.
You do not have to do this alone.
You are not meant to.
If you are ready to begin, or even if you’re simply curious about what healing could look like for you, we are here to listen.
We are here to walk beside you.
We are here to help you build a life of meaning — no matter what the world outside may bring.
Contact Beyond the Couch Counseling today.
Let’s begin this sacred, necessary work together.
You are not alone.
You never were.
And together, we can build something lasting, something beautiful, even in uncertain times.