Pamela felt desperate.   “I’m 28.  When will I figure out what I want to do?”  She had bounced from job to job while waitressing in New Haven, CT to pay the bills.  “I don’t want to feel this way for the rest of my life.”

As someone a bit older than 28… .:)  I was quite certain that she was overreacting.  But I also fully understood the feeling both from years of running Career Counseling Connecticut and my own experience as a career changer.  Sure, I had been “a lawyer” which is a a something but I didn’t want to practice law. So my situation many moons ago was a better version of the same problem.

Pamela and I got to work.  She was surprised at how little she had actually done to figure out her career path.  After she went through our career personality/skills battery, she had a deeper sense of what could work for her.  After we discussed actual careers that could match her interests, she felt “hopeful”.

Then she stopped talking.  She smiled and said “this is the first time I’ve felt hopeful in years.”  She then noted that her anxiety had increased since she left college and that she was barely able to function without medication lately.  She continued that the rest of her life was in fine order.  She had good relationships with her parents and friends and was now in a committed relationship.  She exercised, ate right, and enjoyed being with her dog.  “Life is pretty good… actually pretty great.. except my career but feeling lost has brought me down.”

I see this all the time and know that my work has become more than career guide but rather career/life counselor.

If you or someone you care about are facing mental health challenges that emanate from your job (work/career), we can help.