Career Transition and Job Loss Counselling in Vancouver

You aren’t just trying to update your resume. You’re trying to figure out who you are when you aren’t doing that job.

When the ground beneath your career suddenly feels shaky.

Whether you were caught in a round of corporate layoffs, unexpectedly let go, or you simply woke up and realized you cannot spend another decade in your current field—the ground beneath you suddenly feels shaky.

When society constantly asks “what do you do?” as a shortcut for “who are you?”, losing or leaving a career is a profound disruption. You are dealing with the loss of routine, the loss of a professional community, and the anxiety of financial pressure, all at once.

You don’t just need a career coach to review your cover letter. You need space to process the shock, manage the panic, and figure out what actually comes next.

View current session rates and availability.

What does a career crisis actually feel like?

A major professional shift rarely feels like an exciting new adventure right away. Usually, it feels like survival mode. If you are in the middle of it, you might be experiencing:

Identity whiplash: Feeling entirely lost without your title, schedule, or the status that came with your previous role.
The rejection spiral: Struggling with intense feelings of betrayal, anger, or inadequacy after a sudden layoff or termination.
Action paralysis: Staring at job boards for hours but feeling too overwhelmed, exhausted, or cynical to actually apply.
Interview anxiety: Feeling panicked that your confidence has been shattered just when you need to “sell yourself” to a new employer.

If these resonate, it’s important to know that the grief of job loss is real. It is completely normal to feel unmoored when the structure of your daily life disappears overnight.

Your identity is not your job title—but rebuilding takes time.

It is easy to tell yourself that you should “just bounce back” or treat a layoff as a “blessing in disguise.” But toxic positivity doesn’t pay the rent, and it doesn’t honour the very real stress of a disrupted career.

As a Vancouver-based counsellor, I approach job loss and career transitions not as a failure, but as a critical pivot point. Together, we will step away from the panic of the immediate job hunt to look at the systemic pressures of the current market, the grief of what you left behind, and the core values that will guide your next move.

How counselling can help you navigate the shift

Therapy for career transitions is highly practical. We aren’t going to spend weeks just talking in circles while your anxiety spikes. We will work directly on the psychological blocks standing between you and your next step.

Navigating the immediate fallout

We will look at the actual logistics of this transition. This means building a sustainable routine for your job hunt, setting boundaries around how much time you spend scrolling LinkedIn, and developing strategies to manage the financial anxiety that threatens to drive you into making panicked decisions.
Processing the shock and grief

Losing a job is a loss. We will create space for the anger, betrayal, or embarrassment that often accompanies a termination or layoff. If a past toxic workplace or a particularly brutal firing is making it hard to trust a new employer, we can use EMDR to process those specific memories so they don’t hijack your upcoming interviews.
Unhooking from the hustle narrative

Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we will explore the narratives you hold about productivity and worth. If you feel useless when you aren’t producing, we will work on unhooking from that belief so you can rest, recover, and interview from a place of grounded confidence rather than desperation.
Designing a values-led pivot

Once the immediate panic settles, the real work begins. We will clarify what actually matters to you in this season of your life. Whether you are seeking higher compensation, better work-life balance, or a totally new industry, we will build a psychological roadmap that aligns with your values, not just what looks good on paper.

How would therapy look with Theekshitha?

I don’t just study career transitions; I lived one. Before moving into clinical psychology, my background was in computer science. I know exactly what it feels like to realize the ladder you are climbing is leaning against the wrong wall, and I know the profound fear—and logistics—involved in walking away from an established path to start over.

I take a direct, evidence-based approach to help you get your footing back. We will look at what the current job market is demanding of you, and what you are demanding of yourself. My goal is to help you process the disruption so you can move forward with clarity, rather than just running toward the first life raft you see.

We might not be a good fit if:

You are exclusively looking for resume writing, portfolio reviews, or interview networking connections. You need a career coach, not a therapist.

Frequently asked questions about career transition therapy

What is the difference between a therapist and a career coach?

A career coach focuses strictly on the mechanics of getting a job: resume formatting, LinkedIn optimization, and interview prep. As a clinical counsellor, I focus on the psychological aspects of the transition: processing the trauma of a bad layoff, managing crippling interview anxiety, untangling your identity from your job title, and figuring out what you actually want to do next.

Are sessions online or in person?

All sessions are virtual. I work with adults located anywhere in British Columbia, including Vancouver.

What does it cost?

Current session rates and availability are shared on the contact page. You are welcome to reach out with practical questions before deciding whether to book.

Ready to find
your next step?

You don’t have to navigate the uncertainty alone.

Book a free 15-minute consultation