Career Change Counseling
Changing careers can be even harder. Maybe you’re a lawyer unfulfilled – or perhaps even burnt out – by your legal career. Or maybe you’re a professional in another field who feels dissatisfied with your work or disheartened or deflated when you think about your career trajectory or envision the years of work ahead of you
You can take batteries of tests – which can be helpful to give you ideas or direction – but planning and executing a career-change plan is rarely so simple. To begin with, you may think you know where you want to end up, but starting down that path may be complicated for you. It can be tougher still when you aren’t sure whether to even begin to start.
And once on that path, emotional and psychological roadblocks, obstacles and detours, may arise. This can be intimidating, even paralyzing. I know – I’ve been there myself.
If you find that you are stagnating in your transition efforts, working through your mental blocks with me can help. Through my practice, I offer dynamic and interactive counseling to support you and help you manage the emotional and psychological obstacles that may stand in your way. I don’t use pre-existing templates or specified steps. Rather, I will work with you one-on-one to address your personal situation and needs. We will identify the challenging thoughts and emotions that come up during the job or career change process, and keep you moving forward.
Ultimately, if you are thinking of moving, or of moving on, a supportive and trained partner can be invaluable – there’s no need to do this alone!
Career Coaching vs Counseling During a Job Change
A career coach can help with the tangible aspects of finding a new job or career. This can include things like creating an action plan, practicing job interviews, brainstorming new career ideas or providing accountability.
However, a career coach typically lacks the training needed to go beneath the surface.
I can help you to understand the emotional and psychological dynamics that underlie your decisions and actions, and to help you identify the emotions that may arise during the process. Working with me can help you to identify what feelings are getting in your way, and to find new thought patterns to move through them.
The Hidden Stress of Career Changes and Job Transitions
Our jobs and careers often become part of our identity, who we see ourselves as. Thus changing – or even considering changing – that identity can be emotionally disruptive.
For example, you might feel some fear or discomfort around “putting yourself out there,” and hold yourself back from those tasks to avoid that feeling. Perhaps you are finding you lack confidence in your decisions. Counseling can help you to identify negative feelings and attitudes and help you to navigate through them.
Challenges may also arise once you have made the decision to leave your current position or profession. Even as you begin the exciting prospect of finding new and better opportunities, your motivation may wax and wane. Energized one day, paralyzed the next – maintaining forward momentum can be difficult. A dynamic mix of career coaching and counseling can help you feel motivated to continue through the steps down your new path.
You may find that it’s hard to find a safe space to discuss your fits and starts and surrounding emotions. Loved ones or friends may be generally supportive, but you may feel concerned that you are trying their patience. You may also fear being stigmatized or judged for discussing something sensitive. I create space for all of the feelings that can arise during the job search, without judgment or censure. Giving the full range of your emotions the time and space they need will help you to work through them.
How Counseling Can Help During a Career Transition
As you learn about new and potential career options, there is often a lot of information to process. I can be your sounding board, and help you to structure your thinking – to make sense of the information you are processing. Together, we can flesh out your new path. I can provide a positive, steadying influence to help you – as you move forward, or as you decide to stay where you are.
I offer a dynamic mix of career coaching and counseling. You are on your own unique career path – one that you create for yourself. There is no set methodology that works for everyone, no pre-determined path to simply follow. So our work will be tailored to you. I will help you to identify the feelings and emotions, the motivations and obstacles that are arising where you are, and then help you figure out and arrive at where you decide you would like to go. The idea is to develop and travel the path that feels right and most aligned with your life and goals.
Call me today at 914-295-2764 or email joelkosman@kosmantherapy.com to learn more about working together during your job change or career transition.