Career transitions are an important reason that people come to see me in my Pasadena individual psychotherapy office. Career transitions are often a stressful time in people’s lives. Navigating a career transition successfully, however, will lead people to a more fulfilling life and better self-esteem and confidence. As people live longer, people often find that career transitions can occur later in life after many years spent successfully in their first career. An interesting article in the New York Times tells the story of how a few people have successfully made this career transition later in life [www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/business/retirementspecial/retired-and-back-in-school-for-the-degree-not-just-the-fun.html]

The story describes a lawyer, who was a partner at a law firm in New York for 32 years. The lawyer said that he enjoyed practicing a lot, but at a certain point he felt he didn’t need to keep doing it. He left the law firm after retirement, and started taking college classes and eventually this led to a Masters degree in classics at the city University of New York, and eventually to teaching positions.

Many people in this lawyer’s position, have a determination to do more than just simply taking courses. People who have completed many years of work in one career and want to explore another career often find auditing classes too passive, and want to play a role in another field. Many people are in this position because the lifespan has increased and there are people live longer, with good health and mental abilities. Marc Freedman, who is interviewed in the article and CEO of a company that helps baby boomers find second careers, suggests that the older model where people work 30 or 40 years and then get a balloon payment of leisure at the end is not designed for our longer life spans.

Often, people who go back to school at a later age may have to make some adjustments in their lifestyle. One person highlighted in the article was a physician who retired, and then fell in love with French literature. He has chosen to complete his doctoral program in French literature at the City University of New York, and stays with one of his sons overnight to control costs. He lives in Pennsylvania because it is less expensive, and has also gone to a less expensive university.

As an individual psychotherapist, I find it extremely rewarding to help people navigate these career transitions. People often have some anxieties and trepidation about making these transitions, and as a therapist I can help them learn ways to adjust and complete their transition successfully. Once you make this career transition, a new road towards life fulfillment will open for you.

If you are facing a similar situation in your career, call Pasadena individual psychotherapist Patricia Hecht at (626) 657-8638 now to discuss your current concerns and schedule an appointment.