How I can help
Counselling for life after retirement in Pontefract
In the words of someone adjusting to retirement
At first it felt like a long holiday. The lie ins, the free time, the relief. Then, somewhere along the way, the days started to feel long, and oddly empty.
I worked for decades, and a lot of who I was came with the job: the routine, the purpose, the people, the sense of being needed. Now it has gone, more or less all at once, and I am not sure who I am without it. I feel restless, flat or quietly low, and feel I have no right to, because this was meant to be the reward.
People tell me to enjoy it. I am trying to. But underneath, something feels untethered.
If this feels like you
Retirement is one of the biggest changes a life can hold, and feeling adrift in it is far more common than people admit. It is not ingratitude. It is adjustment. If any of this is familiar, it may help to know what counselling can offer.
How counselling can help
Counselling gives you space to take this change seriously, rather than brushing past it.
Together we can name what has gone along with the work, the structure, the identity, the daily contact, and let you feel that loss honestly, instead of telling yourself you should simply be glad. From there, we can look at what you want this next chapter to hold, and how to build a sense of purpose and routine that is yours, and not your employer's.
This can be a rich and open part of life. Sometimes it takes a little support to find your footing in it.
I'm Alison, a BACP registered counsellor. I offer counselling in person in Pontefract and Wakefield, and online across the UK. We can start with a free, no pressure 20 minute call so you can decide if I'm the right counsellor for you. Sessions are 50 minutes, at a pace that suits you.
If this feels familiar and you'd like support, please get in touch. A short, no pressure call or a simple message is enough to start.