Let's not mention the "R" word.

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the experiences of professional women in transition to retirement in New Zealand. Six women aged between 58 and 68 years took part in two one-hour, one-on-one interviews during which they described a succession of transitions they had undertaken, where they success - fully integrated professional, personal, and domestic domains, and carried skills and experience over into new stages of their lives. This experience of successfully managing significant transitions gave the women confidence that they might anticipate periods of exploration in retirement, where resumption of a career might be contemplated, where greater family engagement might prove reward - ing, where further academic and creative endeavours might be possible, and where community and networks might present opportunities for new directions. As they looked ahead, they were anticipating continuity and change: continuity in the way they would exercise control and have choices, and change in the ways in which they would meet new challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)