You want to change career, but fear weighs heavily
Changing role, sector or profession is one of the most important decisions of adult life. I explain why it creates so much uncertainty, what psychology says about transitions and how I help you decide and take action.
A career change is a life transition
In psychology, a life transition is a change of status or roles that opens a new stage. Starting a new job, changing sector or reinventing yourself requires readjusting to new demands: it is therefore potentially stressful, even when the change is wanted.
What makes it difficult
Uncertainty
Not knowing how it will go, whether you will make it or whether you will regret it. The more uncertainty and ambiguity there is, the stronger the stress.
Identity
Your profession is part of who you are. Changing it can shake your self-esteem and your place among others.
What you have at stake
Financial stability, status, years of experience… These weigh heavily in the balance.
Feeling afraid of such a change does not mean it is a bad idea: it is an expected reaction to something new and uncertain.
Situations where I can support you
Every career change is different:
I want to change, but I don’t know what to
Dissatisfaction, the feeling of stagnating or that your work no longer makes sense, without a clear alternative.
I know what I want, but I don’t dare
Fear of failure, of getting it wrong or of what others will think paralyses you.
The change was forced on me
A redundancy, a restructuring or a health problem that forces you to reinvent yourself.
I have already changed and it is hard
Starting from scratch, feeling like a beginner again or doubting the decision you made.
How to get through a transition well
What the psychology of change says
The transactional model of stress explains that the impact of a change depends on how you appraise it, on your sense of control and on your resources and support. That is why the same change can be an opportunity for one person and a threat for another.
Appraising the situation
Do you experience it as a threat or as a challenge? What depends on you?
Clarifying what matters
Your values: what kind of life and work you want to build.
Deciding methodically
Defining the problem, generating alternatives, weighing the pros and cons, choosing.
Acting and adjusting
Taking concrete steps and correcting course along the way.
Two strategies are useful when facing obstacles: changing the situation when possible (for example, training for the new sector) and adjusting your goals when it is not (for example, considering a more gradual change). Flexibility between the two is what helps most.
In acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), the goal is not to wait for the fear to disappear before acting, but to move towards what matters to you with the fear present: this is called committed action.
Validated tools
There is no single treatment for a career change, but there are proven psychological tools:
Problem solving
A structured method to define the problem, generate solutions, decide and evaluate the result. It reduces unproductive rumination.
Values clarification (ACT)
Identifying what really matters to you in the medium and long term, so that the decision reflects who you are.
Cognitive restructuring
Reviewing thoughts such as “at my age it’s too late” or “if I fail, it will be a disaster”, which feed fear.
If the change comes with anxiety or low mood, these are also worked on with the usual validated approaches.
How I support you
Taking stock
Your path, what satisfies you and what no longer does, your skills and what holds you back.
Clarifying your direction
Values, priorities and real constraints (financial, family) to define where to go.
Deciding and planning
Comparing options methodically and turning the decision into concrete, realistic steps.
Supporting the change
Supporting you through the first steps, the doubts and the fear, and adjusting the plan.
Before dedicating myself to clinical work, I worked for many years as a senior manager and changed profession: I know these doubts well.
What you can start today
Write down what matters
Three things you want to find in your work in five years’ time. Without thinking yet about how.
Find out little by little
Talk to someone who already works in what attracts you. It reduces uncertainty far more than ruminating.
Take a reversible step
A course, a side project, an exploratory interview. Testing without risking everything.
Separate facts from fears
Write down what you know and what you imagine. Fear often lives in the second list.
Gonzalo Garzo
Clinical psychologist · former senior manager
I have been a clinical psychologist since 2018, and I am also an anthropologist. For years I combined psychology with management positions (see my LinkedIn profile), before dedicating myself fully to clinical work.
I work with an integrative approach: third-wave CBT (ACT, DBT, mindfulness) and EMDR, adapted to each person’s needs.
I have lived in several countries and I work in English, French or Spanish, online or in La Rochelle.
Frequently asked questions
Is it therapy or coaching?
It is psychological support: as well as the practical side, we work on the fear, self-esteem or anxiety that often come with these decisions, using validated methods.
Is it too late to change at my age?
There is no age limit. What matters is assessing your real constraints and planning a realistic, sometimes gradual, change.
Will you tell me what to do?
No. I help you see your options and what matters to you clearly, so that the decision is yours.
What if I have lost my job?
It is a particularly stressful time. We work on both the emotional impact and the plan for what comes next.
Shall we talk?
Sources
- Robertson, G. J. (2014). Transitions in later life. Scoping research. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
- Sandín, B. (2008). El estrés. In Belloch, Sandín and Ramos (Eds.), Manual de psicopatología, vol. II. McGraw-Hill.
- Brandtstädter, J. and Greve, W. (1994). The aging self: Stabilizing and protective processes. Developmental Review, 14(1), 52-80.
- Barona, E. G. (1996). Salud, estrés y factores psicológicos. Campo Abierto, 13(1), 51-69.
- Caballo, V. (Dir.) (2002). Manual para el tratamiento cognitivo-conductual de los trastornos psicológicos, vol. 1. Siglo XXI.
- Ruiz, M., Díaz, M. and Villalobos, A. (2013). Manual de técnicas de intervención cognitivo conductuales. Desclée de Brouwer.
This page is for information only and does not replace a professional assessment.