May Founder’s Corner: Crossing the Bridge – Transitions, and the Space Between Being and Becoming

Each May, as Mental Health Awareness Month invites us to reflect inward, we also find ourselves collectively stepping into a season of transition. From kindergarten promotions and high school and college graduations, to pending weddings, birthdays, retirements and other systemic shifts, the months of May and June are filled with milestone moments that mark not just external change, but a deep inner movement as well—a crossing.

These transitions are more than logistical markers; they are bridges we must face, a movement from one chapter of life into another. And in the space between who we have been and who we are becoming, we often encounter emotional complexity: joy braided with grief, excitement shadowed by uncertainty. This space between being and becoming can feel disorienting, even when it’s joyful. It’s like standing at the vista point along the ocean’s edge, cool air smoothing your face and the endless horizon spilling out into the unknown. Tantalizing. Breathtaking. Frightening. This time of ‘in between’ asks us to let go of what’s familiar, even as we reach for what’s next.

College graduates, for example, face a shift that is existential. After years of striving toward the long-held goal of earning a degree, many find themselves asking: What now? This period, often called emerging adulthood, is characterized by exploration, instability, and identity development (Arnett, 2000). The loss of structure, identity as a student, and peer community can lead to anxiety, depression, and a sense of purposelessness (Schulenberg & Zarrett, 2006). Without clear next steps, it’s easy to feel lost—even if everything has “gone according to plan.” Social comparison, especially online, can further erode confidence and clarity during this vulnerable period (Frison & Eggermont, 2020).

Furthermore, neuroscience confirms that even welcome changes can be stressful. Transitions disrupt routines and activate the amygdala, the brain’s threat detection center, leading to heightened emotional responses and potential anxiety (McEwen, 2007). For children and teens, particularly those who are neurodivergent, predictable environments provide critical regulation—so the end of a school year may bring not only freedom but also disorientation (Eccles et al., 1993).

As transitions shake the ground beneath us, it’s natural to reach for something solid. Often, that “something” is a screen. Given the quick fix of free advice when we are facing a great unknown, it makes sense we seek some kind of certainty and social media and AI platforms are often the first stop for mental health questions. However, this is a dangerous trap. While online platforms may offer relatability or curiosity, they also promote oversimplification, unregulated advice, or worse – self-diagnosis. In fact, studies show that excessive reliance on digital platforms for mental health validation is linked to increased anxiety and decreased self-efficacy (Twenge et al., 2017).

A 2024 Pew Research Center study found that over a third of U.S. teens turn to social media for mental health information, and 63% of those who do, consider it an important source (Vogels & Gelles-Watnick, 2024). Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become informal “support spaces”—but they often present content with little regulation or clinical backing. The curated nature of social media also fuels harmful comparisons and misinformation, especially during identity-forming transitions.

In parallel, AI-based tools like ChatGPT, Woebot, and Wysa are being used by young adults for everything from anxiety management to eating disorder recovery. A 2024 study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that nearly half (49.3%) of participants believed AI could be beneficial for mental health care (Schweiger et al., 2024). While these tools offer accessibility and immediacy, especially in a system strained by therapist shortages, they cannot replace the attuned presence of a human who sees, hears, and holds your story with context and compassion.

Mental health is nuanced, relational, and deeply personal. There’s no substitute for human connection—real conversations with trained professionals who can hold both your being and your becoming with clarity and care. Additionally, it is crucial to know that the process of becoming is not a race—it is a movement toward unfolding, one that rarely follows a straight line. Great care must be taken with us as we work our way across these bridges.

Thus, as we navigate transitions, here are five practices to support mental health and inner grounding:

1. Name what you feel. Emotional labeling reduces amygdala reactivity and increases emotional regulation (Lieberman et al., 2007). “This feels like loss.” “This feels like freedom.” Naming helps us stay present.
2. Practice self-compassion. Research shows that treating ourselves with kindness during times of stress builds resilience and decreases anxiety (Neff, 2003). Ask: What would I say to a friend feeling this way?
3. Stay connected to meaning. Viktor Frankl (1959) reminds us that meaning—not comfort—is what sustains us. Even small acts aligned with your values can offer a steadying sense of direction.
4. Curate your digital intake. Monitoring your exposure to social comparison and “fix-it-fast” content can reduce mental noise. A conscious scroll is better than a compulsive one.
5. Seek human support. Therapy is not only for moments of crisis. It’s a space to explore the in-between—to make meaning, develop tools, and reclaim agency during change.

To cross a bridge is to trust what is unseen. It is to step away from certainty and walk toward what is still unfolding. Whether you’re watching your child grow up, closing a chapter in your career, or facing the ambiguous freedom of your twenties, know that transitions don’t require perfection; they ask for presence. This is the blend: Be as you Become. Present to your experiences. Tolerant of the change. Compassionate with the feelings. Healing happens in connection, not in isolation, and not in perfectly curated digital spaces. You are allowed to be in the in-between.

This May, let us honor the complexity of change. Let us speak openly about the emotional toll it can take. And most of all, let us remember that support—real, grounded, compassionate support—is available.

You are not alone on the bridge.

References

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469

Eccles, J. S., Midgley, C., Wigfield, A., Buchanan, C. M., Reuman, D., Flanagan, C., & Mac Iver, D. (1993). Development during adolescence: The impact of stage-environment fit on young adolescents’ experiences in schools and in families. American Psychologist, 48(2), 90–101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.48.2.90

Frankl, V. E. (1959). Man’s search for meaning. Beacon Press.

Frison, E., & Eggermont, S. (2020). Toward an integrated and differential approach to the relationships between loneliness, different types of Facebook use, and adolescents’ depressed mood. Communication Research, 47(5), 701–728. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650215617506

Lieberman, M. D., Inagaki, T. K., Tabibnia, G., & Crockett, M. J. (2007). Subjective responses to emotional stimuli during labeling, reappraisal, and distraction. Emotion, 7(3), 468–480. https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.7.3.468

McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: Central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00041.2006

Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309032

Schulenberg, J. E., & Zarrett, N. R. (2006). Mental health during emerging adulthood: Continuity and discontinuity in courses, causes, and functions. In J. J. Arnett & J. L. Tanner (Eds.), Emerging adults in America: Coming of age in the 21st century (pp. 135–172). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/11381-006

Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Rogers, M. L., & Martin, G. N. (2017). Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among U.S. adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time. Clinical Psychological Science, 6(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702617723376

Schweiger, R., Karas, M., Mavridis, A., & Gollwitzer, A. (2024). Understanding laypeople’s perceptions of artificial intelligence in mental health care: A representative cross-sectional study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, e52319. https://doi.org/10.2196/52319

Vogels, E. A., & Gelles-Watnick, R. (2024, April 22). Teens, social media and mental health. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/04/22/teens-social-media-and-mental-health/