Written by Online therapist Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, Ph.D.

Puzzles help with Pieces of Memory, Growth, and Everyday Mastery

Puzzles aren’t just games, they’re metaphors for life. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection explores how puzzles shape our thinking, organize our experiences, and help us make sense of complexity from childhood to adulthood.

Do you remember your first puzzle? Or the first puzzle you purchased for your child?

Puzzles are fascinating.

I remember the big, clunky pieces of the first puzzles we bought for my daughter. They had small handles, and each piece fit separately into a board with cut-out shapes. The colors were bright, and the whole presentation was perfect for little hands.

When we go on vacation to the beach, every home seems to have a few jigsaw puzzles. Our family’s favorite spot is always the big coffee table in the living room. You can leave a puzzle out for days, using coasters for drinks or plates for food on top of it. Inevitably, while doing something completely different, you’ll spot a piece and know exactly where it goes.

As you advance in school, the puzzles advance with you. Formulas in math become the new puzzles to solve. The parts of the human body in anatomy seem to fit together like one giant puzzle. Balancing your need for grades, sleep, friendships, and sports can be a puzzle of its own.

At the college level, everything feels like a puzzle. How will I ever learn calculus? When will I have time to read all that poetry? And don’t get me started on memorizing music for theory class. Who can hear thirty seconds of a piece and identify it?

Puzzles are about fitting things together. Even your closet can become a puzzle, especially if you’re trying to fit your summer wardrobe into a 6-by-8-foot room that serves as your space for the summer while nannying for a family in New York City, where every inch of space is at a premium. You’d be surprised how many clothes fit under a single bed, and it saves you from buying anything new while you’re there.

Understanding how to balance work, family, friends, and time alone is a vast puzzle. No one gives you a roadmap for this, and life doesn’t come with a handbook. You have to figure it out, often alongside someone else who’s working through the same puzzle in their own life.

Go back to that first chunky puzzle where every piece had a place. Because each piece was different, you could figure out where everything fit. Life is very much like that first puzzle. Every piece is different. Every piece has a place in the bigger board. Only one piece fits in each spot, and there’s plenty of space between them.

Want to explore how puzzles support cognitive development and emotional insight? Visit Psychology Today’s article on why puzzles are good for your brain and Greater Good’s guide to how puzzles help us think about life.

If you’re navigating life’s puzzles—emotional, relational, or practical—therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support clarity, creativity, and connection.