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SEVEN
Young Adulthood
Henry was 33 years old when his boss called him into the office and told him that he
would be losing his job of 8 years. The economic downturn and firm’s lack of finan-
cial resources meant he would need to “pack up his office” and leave immediately.
The firm was concerned that he might take clients with him because he was very
talented at attracting new clients and selling them a variety of financial packages.
Henry was shocked and devastated upon hearing this news. He had worked hard on
his professional development and believed he had “financial security” for himself,
his wife, and his two young children. That evening Henry went home in a very
depressed mood. Fortunately, his wife of 9 years was compassionate and offered to
return to work despite the fact that they had wanted Rose to be a “stay at home” mom
for the early years of their children’s life.
Henry began searching the Internet for other positions in his field but every
invitation to apply turned into a dead end. Henry became discouraged and quite
depressed. He did get calls for some interviews, and even second interviews, but the
jobs never came through. Rose wanted Henry to go to a therapist but he was very
resistant. As the months wore on, Henry became despondent and finally agreed to
take any job that he could find. He found a part-time job working for an insurance
company 10 hours per week. He became a househusband and found that he enjoyed
cleaning the house, making the meals, and working out for long periods of time. He
also enjoyed spending more time with his daughter.
Rose found a full-time job at a hospital within 6 months, but her salary was
much lower than what Henry’s had been. Henry grew so despondent that Rose urged
him again to contact a therapist. Henry did, and found that he enjoyed talking with
someone who could help guide him through this process.
After a year of job-hunting, Henry and his wife began having marital problems
and his wife wanted a separation. Due to their financial difficulties, Henry moved
into another bedroom within their small house in preparation. His youngest daugh-
ter experienced severe anxiety during this time. Henry and his wife entered marital
counseling, hoping they could make things work for the good of their young children
and themselves. After a year of counseling, Rose decided to stay in the marriage and
Henry made some radical changes to his dominating, controlling behavior. Their
daughter’s anxiety problems diminished.
Henry, with his wife’s support, went back to school to receive a master’s in
accounting. Although the couple had to use savings to pay for school, they both
agreed this was the best path. After getting his degree and more job searching, he
found an interesting job as an accountant. Life finally returned to a normal state for
Henry and his family.
