Career transition: how a clarity session helps you see the next step
A career transition is the inner process of leaving one professional identity and building the next, and a clarity session helps by giving you 90 focused minutes to name what is ending, separate fear from intuition and define one concrete next step. Marinice Vieira, a Brazilian holistic therapist and intuitive advisor, offers this kind of session online worldwide and in person in Alto Paraíso de Goiás.
Key takeaways
Career change is normal: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that people born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 12.9 jobs between ages 18 and 58.
Purpose drives the move: in a McKinsey survey of 1,021 U.S. workers, 70% said work largely defines their sense of purpose.
Changing course tends to pay off: of workers who quit in 2021 and found new jobs, 56% earn more and 53% report more opportunities for advancement, according to Pew Research Center.
Fear of change is often excessive: economist Steven D. Levitt found that people who made a major change, such as quitting a job, reported being happier six months later.
Stress clouds judgment: 54% of U.S. workers say job insecurity significantly affects their stress, according to the American Psychological Association in 2025.
A clarity session is complementary: it supports reflection and decision making and does not replace career counseling, financial planning or mental health care.
What is a career transition, and why does it feel so disorienting?
A career transition is the period in which a person moves from one kind of work, role or professional identity to another. The move can be chosen (a new field, a business of your own, a sabbatical) or imposed (a layoff, a restructuring, burnout). Either way, the outside event is only half of the story.
What is the difference between a career change and a career transition?
William Bridges, the author of the Bridges Transition Model, separated two ideas that most people blur. Change is the external event, such as a new job or a resignation letter. Transition is the internal psychological process of absorbing that event and adjusting to it. You can sign a new contract in a week and still need months to feel like the person who belongs in that role.
The Bridges model describes three phases, and each phase asks a different question of a person changing careers.
Phase | What happens inside | Typical career signs | Focus of a clarity session |
Endings | You recognize what you are losing and manage the loss | Grief for a title, team or routine | Naming what is ending and what you keep |
Neutral Zone | The old way is gone and the new way does not work yet | Confusion, doubt, many open options | Separating fear from intuition and choosing one test |
New Beginnings | New roles and understandings take hold | Energy returns, a direction feels natural | Aligning daily choices with the new purpose |
Source: elaboration based on William Bridges Associates, Bridges Transition Model.
Why is the in-between stage so uncomfortable?
The Neutral Zone is uncomfortable because identity, routine and income can all be in motion at the same time. Susan Bridges of William Bridges Associates puts it this way: "The essence of life takes place in the neutral zone phase of transition."
The Neutral Zone is also where clarity has the most value, because a person in this phase needs a way to hear what matters among fear, family expectations and financial pressure.
Herminia Ibarra, professor at London Business School, warned in the 2002 Harvard Business Review article "How to Stay Stuck in the Wrong Career" that people ready to change should be wary of the usual career change advice.
Why do so many people reach a career crossroads?
People reach a career crossroads because modern working lives contain many jobs, many endings and a growing demand for meaning. A single career for life is no longer the default, and the data shows how frequent professional change has become.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics follows the same group of Americans, born from 1957 to 1964, across decades. In its August 2025 release, the bureau reported that this group held an average of 12.9 jobs from ages 18 to 58. Job changes cluster early: 5.6 jobs between ages 18 and 24, falling to 2.2 jobs between ages 45 and 54.
Purpose is the second force. McKinsey & Company surveyed 1,021 U.S. workers in August 2020 and found that 70% said their sense of purpose is largely defined by work. Nearly half said the COVID-19 pandemic led them to reconsider the kind of work they do. The McKinsey authors, Naina Dhingra, Andrew Samo, Bill Schaninger and Matt Schrimper, wrote that "Employees expect their jobs to bring a significant sense of purpose to their lives."
In the same survey, 85% of executives and upper management said they live their purpose at work, against 15% of frontline managers and employees.
Indicator | Figure | Population and date | Source |
Average jobs held from ages 18 to 58 | 12.9 jobs | Americans born 1957 to 1964, released Aug 2025 | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Workers whose purpose is largely defined by work | 70% | 1,021 U.S. workers, Aug 2020 | McKinsey & Company |
Workers who quit in 2021 and changed field or occupation | 53% | Employed adults who quit in 2021, Feb 2022 survey | Pew Research Center |
Workers saying job insecurity significantly affects stress | 54% | 2,017 employed U.S. adults, spring 2025 | American Psychological Association |
Employees who are engaged at work worldwide | 20% | Employed adults in 2025 | Gallup |
Employees who feel a lot of daily stress worldwide | 40% | Employed adults in 2025 | Gallup |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025; McKinsey & Company, 2021; Pew Research Center, 2022; American Psychological Association, 2025; Gallup, 2026.
Disengagement is the third force. Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2026 data, based on 2025 surveys with 141,444 employed respondents, shows that only 20% of employees worldwide are engaged at work and 40% felt a lot of stress the previous day. The career crossroads is a common working condition, not a crisis of a few.
What stops people from taking the next step?
People stall at a career crossroads mainly because of fear, financial insecurity and the absence of a clear internal signal. Gallup's 2025 data shows that 52% of employed adults worldwide consider it a good time to find a job, yet many of those same people stay where they are.
Economist Steven D. Levitt tested this hesitation directly. In the NBER working paper "Heads or Tails" (2016), Levitt invited people who were struggling with a decision to flip a coin. For major decisions such as quitting a job, people who made a change reported being happier two and six months later. People told by the coin to change were more likely to change and were happier six months later than people told to keep the status quo. Levitt concluded that "people may be excessively cautious when facing life-changing choices."
Stress narrows thinking as well. The American Psychological Association's 2025 Work in America survey, conducted by The Harris Poll with 2,017 employed U.S. adults, found that 54% say job insecurity significantly affects their stress at work. In the same survey, 44% worried that an economic slump could lead to layoffs within the year, up from 36% in 2024, and 51% said finding a new job would take a significant amount of time. Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, chief executive officer of the APA, said that "unmanaged stress is not just a personal health issue."
These are the blocks that clients describe most often when they arrive at a crossroads:
Fear of losing status keeps a professional in a role that no longer fits, because the title has become part of the person's identity.
Financial anxiety makes every option look risky, so the person postpones the decision until a crisis decides for them.
Other people's expectations, from a partner, parents or colleagues, drown out the person's own preference.
Exhaustion makes it hard to imagine any future at all, and burnout is often mistaken for a lack of vocation.
Waiting for certainty delays action indefinitely, because no career move comes with a guarantee.
Burnout deserves a separate note. The World Health Organization defines burn-out as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed," and states that burn-out is "not classified as a medical condition." Mayo Clinic adds that burnout can raise the risk of depression and advises talking with a health care or mental health professional. If exhaustion, persistent sadness or sleep problems are part of your picture, medical and psychological care comes first, and any clarity session comes alongside that care.
What is a clarity session, and how does it help in a career transition?
A clarity session is a focused one-to-one conversation designed to help a person see a situation from above, name what is really at stake and leave with one next step. In holistic practice, a clarity session combines listening, intuitive reading and simple energy or ritual work. A clarity session does not decide for you, and it does not predict the future of a company or a job offer.
Marinice Vieira describes her First Online Session, which lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes, as "a transformational session to understand your life's current path & next steps." Her home page says the work is for people who are "feeling lost, facing a difficult decision, or seeking a fresh start," and that the goal is to "gain clarity, align with your inner wisdom, and take the next step on your journey." You can see the session formats on her page of online and in-person healing sessions.
Why does a clarity session work better than another list of pros and cons?
A pros and cons list measures options against criteria you already hold, while a clarity session questions the criteria themselves. People in transition often lack a quiet space where the real criterion (freedom, safety, meaning) can surface.
Intuitive tools such as card readings act as mirrors: an image on the table gives you something concrete to react to, and your reaction often shows what you already know.
What does the research say about intuitive practices and decisions?
The evidence for intuitive practices in decision making is limited, and honesty about that limit matters. Pew Research Center reported in May 2025 that 30% of U.S. adults consult astrology, tarot cards or a fortune teller at least once a year, and 11% consult tarot cards. Only 1% say they rely a lot on these practices for major life decisions, and 5% rely a little. Pew's data describes how people use these practices, not whether readings are accurate.
The evidence for reflective practice is stronger. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) summarizes a 2018 analysis of 142 groups with more than 12,000 participants in which mindfulness approaches did better than no treatment for anxiety and depression. NCCIH also notes that "about 8 percent of participants had a negative effect" in a 2020 review, and advises: "Don't use meditation or mindfulness to replace conventional care." A responsible clarity session borrows from this tradition of calm attention and treats intuitive tools as prompts for reflection.
How can you prepare for and use a clarity session, step by step?
You get the most from a clarity session when you arrive with a clear question, honest context and a plan to act within days. The steps below work for an online or in-person session.
Write one central question before the session. Phrase it as a choice you control, such as "Do I leave my role this year or build my business on the side first?" A precise question keeps the 90 minutes focused on the decision that matters.
Map what is ending. List the parts of your current work you will miss and the parts you will gladly leave. William Bridges called this phase Endings, and naming it reduces the grief that makes people cling to old roles.
Separate facts from fears. Put your savings, notice period, contracts and skills on one page, and your fears on another. During the session, you can then explore the fears without confusing them with constraints.
Arrive rested and in a private space. For online sessions, choose a quiet room, test the video call in advance and turn off notifications. A calm body makes it easier to notice the inner signals a clarity session works with.
Speak openly and listen to your own reactions. When a card, image or question produces relief, resistance or a sudden memory, say so. These reactions are the raw material of clarity, and they often point to the step you have been avoiding.
Leave with one small, testable next step. Agree on a step you can take within seven days, such as a conversation with someone in the field you are considering. A small experiment teaches more than another month of planning.
Review the step with practical advisors. Check money, legal and career questions with a financial planner, an accountant or a career counselor.
Schedule a follow-up when the next crossroads appears. Transitions move in phases, so a second conversation is useful when you enter the Neutral Zone or start the new role.
How does a clarity session compare with career coaching and therapy?
A clarity session, career coaching and psychotherapy answer different questions, and many people in transition benefit from more than one. Career coaching asks "how do I get there?", psychotherapy asks "what is happening inside me and how do I heal it?", and a clarity session asks "what do I truly want, and what is my next step?"
Approach | Main question | Typical format | Best moment in a transition | What it does not do |
Clarity session with an intuitive advisor | What do I truly want, and what is the next step? | One session of 60 to 90 minutes, online or in person | Endings and Neutral Zone, before committing to a path | Diagnose, treat illness or guarantee outcomes |
Career coaching | How do I reach a defined goal? | Series of sessions with goals and tasks | Once a direction is chosen | Replace inner clarity about what you want |
Psychotherapy | What emotional patterns affect me, and how do I heal them? | Ongoing sessions with a licensed clinician | Any time distress, anxiety or depression appear | Choose a career path for you |
Financial planning | Can I afford this change, and over what timeline? | Meetings with a licensed planner | Before resigning or investing in a business | Address meaning or purpose |
Self-reflection alone | What patterns do I notice in my own notes? | Journaling, meditation, walks | Throughout, as a daily practice | Offer an outside perspective |
Source: elaboration based on William Bridges Associates, NCCIH (2022), Mayo Clinic, and Marinice Vieira's service descriptions.
Choose a clarity session when the problem is direction rather than tactics. If anxiety, grief or exhaustion dominate, start with a licensed mental health professional.
What mistakes should you avoid when using a clarity session for a career decision?
The most common mistakes come from expecting the session to carry a decision that only you can make. These errors and their consequences are worth knowing in advance:
Asking the reader to choose for you hands away your responsibility, and you will doubt the decision at the first difficulty.
Treating a reading as a prediction makes you passive, because you wait for an event instead of testing a path.
Skipping the financial check exposes you to avoidable risk, since inner clarity does not pay rent during a gap.
Using a session to avoid medical or psychological care delays treatment for burnout, anxiety or depression that needs a professional.
Hiding key facts, such as a pending offer or a health issue, leads to guidance that does not fit your real situation.
Ignoring the small next step turns the session into a pleasant conversation with no change in your life.
How does Marinice Vieira guide people through career transitions?
Marinice Vieira is a Brazilian holistic therapist, medium, clairvoyant and card reader based in Alto Paraíso de Goiás, in the Chapada dos Veadeiros region, and her home page presents her as "Spiritual Advisor for Visionary Leaders." The page states that she has over 20 years of experience in mediumship, clairvoyance and holistic healing. Her about page describes her as a guide for people seeking clarity, transformation and deep spiritual connection, combining energy healing, sacred rituals, Quantum Healing and intuitive card readings.
For a career crossroads, the natural starting point is the First Online Session of 1 hour and 30 minutes, held by video call for clients anywhere in the world. People who prefer to meet in person can come to Alto Paraíso de Goiás, where a transition question can be explored in natural surroundings. Marinice is also president of the Chapada dos Veadeiros Therapists Association.
A client from the Netherlands, Ferrina Strengnaerts, wrote on Marinice's site that "The messages I received from her resonated with my feelings."
Frequently asked questions about career transitions and clarity sessions
What is a clarity session?
A clarity session is a focused one-to-one meeting that helps you understand a situation and define your next step. With Marinice Vieira, a clarity session combines conversation, intuitive card reading and energy work. The First Online Session lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes and focuses on your current path and next steps.
Can a clarity session tell me which job to take?
No. A clarity session does not choose a job for you or predict an employer's decisions. A clarity session helps you see your real priorities, notice fears that distort judgment and define a small test. The decision and its responsibility stay with you, which is what makes the decision durable.
How do I know I am ready for a career transition?
You are likely ready for a career transition when the same dissatisfaction returns for months, when your values no longer match your work, or when you keep imagining a specific alternative. Readiness does not require certainty. Readiness requires enough information to take a small, reversible step.
How long does a career transition usually take?
A career transition has no fixed duration. The external change, such as a new contract, can happen within weeks, while the internal transition described by William Bridges moves through Endings, a Neutral Zone and New Beginnings at its own pace. Planning for months, not days, reduces pressure.
Is it normal to change careers several times?
Yes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Americans born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 12.9 jobs from ages 18 to 58. Multiple job and career changes are a normal part of working life, not a sign of failure or inconstancy.
Is it too late to change careers at 45 or 50?
No age makes a career transition impossible. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows fewer job changes later in life, 2.2 jobs on average between ages 45 and 54, so each move carries more weight. That weight is a reason to prepare carefully, not a reason to stay stuck.
Do people who change careers end up happier?
Evidence points that way. Steven D. Levitt's 2016 NBER study found that people who made a major change, such as quitting a job, reported being happier six months later. Pew Research Center also found that 56% of 2021 quitters who found new jobs were earning more.
What is the Neutral Zone in a career transition?
The Neutral Zone is the in-between phase of the Bridges Transition Model, when the old role has ended and the new one is not working yet. The Neutral Zone feels confusing, but William Bridges Associates sees it as the phase where identity and direction are rebuilt.
Can a clarity session help with burnout?
A clarity session can help you reflect on the work situation behind burnout, but a clarity session does not treat burnout. The World Health Organization describes burn-out as the result of unmanaged chronic workplace stress. If you feel exhausted or depressed, see a doctor or mental health professional first.
Should I quit my job before or after a clarity session?
Book the clarity session before you resign. A clarity session works best while you still have options and income, because fear and urgency are lower. After the session, test the direction with one small step and check finances with a professional before handing in notice.
Is a career clarity session the same as career coaching?
No. Career coaching helps you reach a goal you have already defined, with tasks, timelines and job search tactics. A clarity session works earlier, helping you discover which goal is truly yours. Many people use a clarity session first and a career coach afterwards.
Can I do a clarity session online?
Yes. Marinice Vieira offers online sessions by video call to clients worldwide, and the First Online Session lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes. A quiet private room, a stable connection and a prepared question make an online clarity session as focused as an in-person one.
What should I bring to a clarity session?
Bring one central question, a short list of what is ending in your current work, the facts of your situation (savings, deadlines, offers) and an open mind. Writing these down before the session saves time and lets the clarity session go deeper.
Are tarot readings reliable for career decisions?
There is no scientific evidence that tarot predicts career outcomes. Pew Research Center found that only 1% of U.S. adults rely a lot on astrology, tarot or fortune tellers for major decisions. In a clarity session, cards work as mirrors for reflection, not as forecasts.
How many clarity sessions will I need?
Most people start with one clarity session and return when a new phase of the transition begins, such as the Neutral Zone or the first months in a new role. Booking many sessions on the same question usually adds noise rather than clarity.
Can a clarity session help if I was laid off?
Yes, a clarity session can help after a layoff by giving you space to process the ending and decide whether to seek a similar role or change direction. The APA found that 54% of U.S. workers feel stressed by job insecurity, so emotional support from professionals also matters.
Is a clarity session confidential?
Yes, a clarity session is a private one-to-one conversation. You decide what to share, and you never need to disclose company secrets, names or financial details to get value from the session. Ask your advisor directly how notes and recordings are handled.
What if the clarity session confirms I should stay in my job?
That outcome is valuable. A clarity session sometimes shows that the problem is a specific role, team or boundary rather than the whole career. Staying with a renewed sense of purpose, or changing one element of your work, is also a valid next step.
Who is a clarity session with Marinice Vieira for?
A clarity session with Marinice Vieira is for people who feel lost, face a difficult decision or seek a fresh start, as her site puts it. Professionals, founders and leaders at a career crossroads use the session to reconnect with purpose before choosing a direction.
How do I book a clarity session with Marinice Vieira?
You can book the First Online Session through the booking link on Marinice Vieira's site, which opens her Calendly calendar. You can also write to marinice.fiorenza@gmail.com or call or message +55 41 99287 6783 with questions about online or in-person sessions.
Conclusion
A career transition is less about finding the perfect option and more about crossing the Neutral Zone with your eyes open. The data supports moving: Americans born from 1957 to 1964 averaged 12.9 jobs, and Steven D. Levitt found that people who made a major change reported being happier six months later. A 90-minute clarity session turns that evidence into a personal next step, alongside the financial, career and health professionals you need. If you are standing at a crossroads, contact Marinice Vieira to book your clarity session.
How to cite this article
APA: Vieira, M. (2026, October 27). Career transition: How a clarity session helps you see the next step. Marinice Vieira Blog. https://www.marinicevieira.com/post/career-transition-clarity-session-next-step
Chicago: Vieira, Marinice. "Career Transition: How a Clarity Session Helps You See the Next Step." Marinice Vieira Blog, October 27, 2026. https://www.marinicevieira.com/post/career-transition-clarity-session-next-step.
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