Counselling for redundancy, retirement and loss of work
Work gives many of us structure, purpose and company. When it ends, the loss can go far deeper than income.
Whether work ends through redundancy, ill health or retirement, people often describe feeling as though they have lost part of who they are.
Redundancy can bring shock, anger and a sense of rejection, even when you know it was not personal. Retirement is expected to be a happy time, which can make it harder to admit that you feel adrift.
Before I trained as a counsellor I spent years working in management, project management, research and development, and industry. I understand how much of ourselves we put into work, and what it can mean when that changes.
How counselling can help
- Space to acknowledge what the job or career meant to you
- Working through shock, anger, shame or loss of confidence
- Separating who you are from what you did
- Coping with uncertainty about money, role and routine
- Thinking about what a meaningful next chapter might look like
Losing work is a real loss. It is reasonable to need time and support to come to terms with it.
Not all loss is bereavement, but all loss can bring grief.