Two pages, letter size. The plain set is free to share. All handouts
The Group Guide
Connecting people to community
Client and Family Education
What to know about

Retirement Transition Groups

These groups bring together people approaching, navigating, or adjusting to retirement, offering peer support, psychoeducation, and in some settings structured skills training for one of the biggest life transitions adults face. Retirement is not simply the end of work. It is a reorganization of identity, time, social connection, purpose, and daily structure that can be both liberating and destabilizing. For some it brings relief and freedom; for others, lost identity, reduced purpose, and vulnerability to depression and anxiety. The psychological side is consistently named as harder than the financial one, yet it gets far less preparation.

Who it's for, and who it's not

A fit for anyone wanting peer support through the psychological side.
Works best alongside financial planning, not as a substitute for it.
Significant depression or anxiety may need individual care as well.

What it's for

People approaching, in early adjustment, or long retired but still struggling.
For identity and role change, meaning and purpose, and social connection.
Some focus on pre-retirement planning, others on ongoing community.
What to expect
1Pre-retirement groups: 4 to 8 weekly sessions, 90 minutes to 2 hours.
2Post-retirement peer groups: weekly or monthly, 60 to 90 minutes, open.
3AARP and similar groups offer workshops and resources in person and online.

Group-based support helps with the psychological side of retirement.

A systematic review found psychosocial programs improved wellbeing, life satisfaction, and mental health in the transition, with group-based programs especially valuable.1
A meta-analysis of 22 studies found involuntary retirement, lost social connection, and poor health raise depression risk afterward.2
Making the most of it
New structure, new community. A group replaces some of what work provided.
Honesty helps. Peers admit what was harder than they expected.
A reason to show up. Scheduled time steadies the disorienting open days.
Questions to ask before you join
1Is it pre-retirement planning or post-retirement adjustment support?
2Is it a structured curriculum or open peer discussion?
3Does it address identity and purpose, not just finances?

Ready to find a group?

Browse 2,000+ therapy and support groups in all 50 states.

Free to browse  ·  No account needed  ·  thegroupguide.com

In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

The Group Guide is a directory, not a clinic. This handout is general education, not medical or mental health advice. Listings are written by group leaders and are not endorsements. Confirm details, cost, and fit with any group you contact. Sources on page 2.

The Group Guide
Connecting people to community
Client and Family Education

Sources

Retirement Transition Groups · references keyed to the numbers on page 1.

1Cassanet, A., McKenzie, W. A., & McLean, L. A. Psychosocial interventions to support retirement well-being and adjustment: A systematic review. Educational and Developmental Psychologist (2023), 40(2), 214–231.

2Odone, A., Gianfredi, V., Vigezzi, G. P., et al. Does retirement trigger depressive symptoms? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences (2021), 30, Article e6.

In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

The Group Guide is a directory, not a clinic. This handout is general education, not medical or mental health advice. Listings are written by group leaders and are not endorsements. Confirm details, cost, and fit with any group you contact.