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Psychologist Target Senior Executives with Retirement Counseling

Date Added: 25-04-2005

April 22, 2005 – It first struck me as odd, then, after more careful consideration, the new psychological counseling program to help senior corporate executives meet the challenges of retirement may have potential. Moore & Associates is targeting the leading edge of baby boomer executives that are now turning 59.

Being a senior citizen well passed 65, I have watched dozens of my friends and associates wrestle with the decisions that have to be made about retirement. The biggest is a basic questions, “What am I going to do?”

Most of my friends have continued to work at something. When you have worked all your life, it is difficult to just turn off that drive. And, it seems to me, that my friends who have continued to “work” have done better in retirement than those who chose leisure and hobbies to fill their days.

My father chose leisure but was not happy and tried to go back to work. But, he was not physically or mentally able to work successfully. He dropped back to the retired life but I don’t think he was happy.

Today, most of us are much more able - mentally and physically - to continue to work than were our fathers. Yet, the work opportunities for many senior corporate executives are going to be very different than what they have been experiencing. They are not likely to find jobs where they command hordes of workers, solve million dollar problems or enjoy the everyday esteem of a high corporate position.

Most likely, judging from my acquaintances, they will adjust to something a less demanding employment. Teaching, for example, seems to be popular. Or, they will try to turn some hobby, like painting, writing or collecting, into a business.

 
Many, too, have turned to more aggressive entrepreneurship. One of my friends found a new business that was for sale and has launched a new successful career.

My point is that facing retirement is a challenge and if there is expert guidance it could be helpful to many.

Moore & Associates, says they are a leading industrial psychology firm, and have introduced a post-career transition planning program for senior corporate executives -- LifeShift: Your Best is Yet to Come.

LifeShift, they say, is a “first-of-its-kind, one-on-one program that fulfills an unmet need in the marketplace to deliver insight, validation, achievement, and hope for those who plan to transition to post-career life.”

“When executives are done building their company, LifeShift helps them build a life,” says their promotion. “LifeShift is designed to help executives shift from enjoying ‘what they do’ during their corporate career to enjoying ‘who they are’ in their post-career life.”

Moore & Associates says the program received “rave reviews” at the Society of Psychologists in Management annual conference in March 2005.

"Typically, senior executives are self reliant and excellent planners. For the most part they have taken significant steps towards financial planning for retirement, but have not generally considered how to deal with their identity and feelings after their transition from corporate life," contends Dwight Moore Ph.D., industrial psychologist and President of Moore & Associates. "This program helps them plan for success in building a life after they've built a career."

LifeShift participants are generally anticipating retirement in one to two years and currently employed as executives or professionals. "LifeShift addresses these executives primary concerns: losing their corporate identity; having others not take their transition seriously; changing their support group and friend networks; perception of having no problems to solve, and not knowing what to do with their free time," says Moore. "LifeShift is a personalized 10-15 hour program guided by a carefully developed and proven process that focuses on the participant's unique needs. All of our LifeShift professionals are certified to deliver professional counseling services."

For More Information:

http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Retirement/5-04-22Psychologist.htm