Jim always referred to himself as a workaholic and his family were used to him working on holiday. So much of his identity was wrapped up with his job. Having to leave at 60 was a bit of a shock and he found it difficult to make the adjustment.
He needed to have an intellectual challenge, but recognised the need to adapt to this new life stage. He was proud not to have hobbies, so we used the Highlands Ability Battery and Strong Interest Inventory to identify other interests. Following 4 sessions he was able to create a balance of part time paid work, and to develop an interest in family history.
Mike had worked in journalism, but with his complex personal life he was not going to survive on his pension. We discussed alternatives, and took a creative look at how he wanted his life to be in 10 years time. He then created a plan to pay more attention to his finances and other areas of his life.