It seems like no matter where I look or listen these days, I am hearing something about how so many of us are suffering from a loss of community. The list of causes is exhausting, and probably every one has been a factor to one degree or another, but when you put them all together what you get is where we find ourselves today with many seeking meaningful change as a solution.

“Geographic therapy” is a term often used in the world of mental health that refers to when people move to a different place to solve a serious life problem. Unfortunately, this choice does not aways work very well as no matter where you go there you are.

If you read this far and might be considering making one of these big changes yourself, don’t be discouraged. There are things you can do to
help you proceed in finding out how to create the best-case scenario for yourself and maybe your partner/family as well. There are definitely steps you can at least take to ensure you are on the right track.

• Are you a grandparent or grandparents wanting to live closer to your adult children and grandchildren? Maybe they are looking forward to moving closer to you? How could this possibly go wrong? It can go wrong if all parties involved do not have a clear picture of exactly
  what they are signing up for, like will grandparents replace the nanny or will they be at school events and holidays when they are not on a vacation somewhere out of the country? Time for a Family Meeting with all adults present, especially in-laws who have their own ideas, too. Look at pros and cons. Make sure everyone is on board, maybe even write it down to ensure agreement. Do you really need to buy a house a block or two away, or could there be such a thing as too close?
• Are you feeling homesick and giving serious thought to going back to your roots? Make certain you have done your homework because
  while you’ve been changing so has home. Be careful to seek comfort in the familiar versus falling in love with a memory. I still picture my grandmother in her kitchen with the plaque on the wall that said “No Matter Where I Serve My Guests They Seem to Like My Kitchen Best” that I bought for her, despite the fact she’s been gone a very long time, the house was sold, and I have no idea what ever
  happened to the plaque. I have never driven by when I visit because I don’t want to see someone else living there. My fantasy and reality
  are diametrically opposed.
• You might be looking to move to a better economic area to improve your financial wellbeing, only to find more homework would have
  revealed costs never considered. Make sure you cover all your bases before making a decision because two moves are a lot more
  expensive than one.
• It isn’t uncommon these days to look for a place that offers more like-minded people in regard to culture, religion and politics. What a
  perfect way to find an instant community, right? Well, I know two totally different people who have never even met that would beg to
  differ. Again, do your research to make sure you’ve covered the good stuff and the not-so-good.
• Finally, and one of the mantras I’ve had in my therapy practice for decades is: MAKE SURE YOU ARE GOING TO SOMETHING AND
  NOT JUST AWAY.