Career & Job Counselling

Loss counselling services for those experiencing redundancy, dismissal & career bereavement

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Enduring the loss of a job can be an emotionally challenging experience regardless of the reason

Enduring the loss of a job can be an emotionally challenging experience regardless of the reason for the loss.  In the current economic climate, this is unfortunately a commonplace occurrence. The frequent issues are seen with this kind of bereavement:

Loss of identity; Loss of status; Loss of purpose; Loss of income – financial difficulties; Isolation; Shock – like any kind of loss – this is natural, as is feeling angry and questioning why me? Lead to depression, negative thinking, loss of self worth, feelings of failure.

You may be thinking that it will not happen to you, that they will choose someone else instead

Like any other loss there are emotional stages in this loss: 

Denial – this is usually when the company first announces that there are expected job losses.  You may be thinking that it will not happen to you, that they will choose someone else instead; that you are too vital to the business.

Disbelief – this stage occurs once the selection process is complete and you are confirmed as being made redundant.  Surely they have made a mistake?  They will realise that they need me? However deep in your heart you know that they won’t call you back.  This then leads to the next stage of the process.

Surely they have made a mistake? They will realise that they need me?

How can they be so stupid to let me go when they are retaining Joe Bloggs

Anger – this can take on many forms.  Commonly this is directed to the boss – thoughts such as “How can they be so stupid to let me go when they are retaining Joe Bloggs who doesn’t work as hard.” Other anger may be directed to include the company as a whole and the economy or any other handy outlet quite often a family member or friend.  This is the stage where seeking support is useful and finding support from the family and friends can help.  This will help the anger stage to subside and movement to the next stage can occur.

Self criticism – Self blame for the situation you now find yourself in. “What did I do wrong?” “I cannot be any good if they are making me redundant.”  This is the most difficult of the stages and typically this leads to the self confidence and self worth diminishing.

Other anger may be directed at the company,  the economy or any other ‘outlet’ – quite often family & friends.

There may be a general lack of activity, you may have gained weight

Like any other loss there are emotional stages in this loss: 

Withdrawal – This is the stage where you just want to disappear and you may start to avoid contact with family and friends, experiencing periods of depression. There may be a general lack of activity, you may have gained weight.  This is where support systems and the family and friends network are vital, as activity in this stage means that it passes more quickly.  Due to this stage six can take place.

Reflection – You begin to think about what has happened so far and that being depressed is not a good place to be.  It is the period to take stock of what you have achieved and want to achieve in the future.  Looking at qualifications and experience and seeing if there are other opportunities out there – the process of looking forward and planning for the next steps begins.

Acceptance – This is the stage where you can see that this is a great opportunity for new experiences, new friends and maybe that chance to really do something that you’ve wanted to do but have not had the chance to do before.