Redundancy & Career Change Coaching

If redundancy or a career change has left you feeling lost, stuck or unsure what comes next, I offer counselling and therapeutic coaching in Buckhurst Hill.

We can make sense of what has happened, explore what you want from the next stage of your working life and find practical ways forward.

Whether you are coping with redundancy, facing a career crisis or thinking about a new direction, you do not need to have the answers before we start.

Redundancy and what comes next

Redundancy can take away more than a job.

Perhaps you spent 20 or 30 years building your career. You knew your role. You knew what you were getting up for each morning.

Then it stops. Suddenly, your routine has gone. The people you saw every day are no longer part of your life. You may even be wondering who you are without the job.

You may be trying to stay positive while thinking, “What am I supposed to do now?”

Dealing with redundancy can quickly become about much more than finding another job.

When we work together, we can explore:

• How losing your role has affected you
• The uncertainty about what comes next
• A loss of routine, purpose or direction
• Who you are now, after work has been such a big part of your life
• What you want the next stage of your working life to look like

You do not need to rush into another job. First, we can work out where you are and what you want next.

When you start questioning your career

A career crisis can make you question more than your next job.

You may start wondering what you want from work now. Or whether the career you have built still feels right for you.

You may feel overwhelmed. You may struggle to make decisions. Perhaps your confidence has taken a knock. Constant stress or anxiety can also make every choice feel harder.

You may even wonder why you cannot work this out for yourself. You do not have to.

We can:

• Explore what is keeping you stuck
• Look at the thoughts, feelings and patterns involved
• Consider what matters to you now
• Consider the direction you would like to take
• Find practical ways to start moving forward

Understanding how you reached this point matters. So does looking ahead.

Changing career later in life

A career change at 40 can feel risky.

A career change at 50 can feel like a much bigger decision.

You may be in your 60s and facing a change you did not expect or plan for.

Whatever your age, changing direction after years in the same career can feel daunting. You have experience behind you. You may also have financial commitments, family responsibilities and a working identity built over many years.

Leaving behind what you know can feel frightening. Staying in a career which no longer feels right can feel just as difficult.

I understand some of this uncertainty from personal experience. I made a significant change in my own working life during midlife. With the support of a coach, I worked out what I wanted and found it in myself to make the change.

If you are considering a new direction, we can:

• Explore what you want from work now
• Look at what is making change feel difficult
• Consider what matters to you at this stage of your life
• Talk through the options you are considering
• Break the next steps down into something more manageable

A career change does not always happen on its own. You may also be dealing with other changes in your life.

Midlife counselling for men or midlife counselling for women can give you space to explore what else is going on and how it may be affecting what you want next.

Do you need counselling or a career transition coach?

You may not be sure, and that’s OK. You do not need to decide before we meet.

Counselling can help us make sense of what has happened and why you feel the way you do.

Coaching gives us a way to look ahead. My work brings both together.

We can make sense of what has brought you to this point. Then, when you are ready, we can look at what you want next and how you might get there.

Our work may include:

• Processing the impact of redundancy or unwanted change
• Understanding thoughts and patterns which keep you stuck
• Exploring what matters to you now
• Looking at different perspectives
• Finding useful tools and strategies
• Working out practical next steps

I will listen, but I will not sit and nod along with everything you say. You can expect warmth, honesty and gentle challenge.

I do not expect you to fit into one way of working. How we work together will depend on what you bring to each session.

This may include integrative counselling when you need space to understand yourself. At other points, you may want support with finding a new direction in other parts of your life.

Finding your way forward after redundancy

You do not need a five-year plan before asking for redundancy support.

You may know exactly what you want. You may have three competing ideas. You may have no idea.

Wherever you are, we can start there.

Coping with redundancy can leave you worrying about practical matters while also dealing with the emotional impact of losing your role.

You may be thinking about your next role while also missing the routine and structure your old job gave you.

We can work on:

• What you need from your working life now
• Any fears you have about making a change
• The options you are considering
• Whether another role or a wider career change feels right
• Practical steps you could take next

Start with where you are now

I offer face-to-face counselling and therapeutic coaching in Buckhurst Hill for adults dealing with redundancy, career change and other major life transitions.

My background includes 28 years working in healthcare. I later trained as both a counsellor and coach after making a significant midlife change myself.

My approach is warm, open and grounded. I want you to feel listened to, while also helping you explore what is keeping you stuck and how you might move forward.

If redundancy has knocked you off course, or you are unsure what you want from your career now, we can start from there.