The counselor will help you to prepare for the financial and emotional changes that occur during retirement for you and your partner/spouse.

Common psychological factors influencing retirement decisions are stress and anxiety as well as feeling insecure about how the spouse or children will react to the client upon retirement. In our Sri Lankan culture, the role of provider largely rests with the Husband. The client’s life purpose may have been encapsulated inside the ‘provider’ frame. When this role is diminished upon retirement, a person suddenly finds himself without purpose or meaning. Or a person may feel the respect he once commanded is no more. The counselor will help the client to look forward to the future by finding new meaning to life and exploring all other options that are now open to the client because of the availability of time.

The counselor will also help the client to transition smoothly into home life and to minimize conflict with others who are at home. Retirement is a significant change for the worker as well as for those who live at home – the spouse, children, grandparents, etc. Sometimes, it is beneficial for the family to have a counseling session as well.

Another aspect of pre-retirement counseling is that a client may gain valuable insight into available sources of further work and opportunities for teaching or consultations. A part-time occupation makes it easier to transition from a hectic work-life into retirement.