Retirement Experiences of Psychologists and Lessons Learned
Includes a Live Web Event on 11/12/2025 at 2:00 PM (EST)
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Description
The perceptions and experiences of retirement by psychologists have not been given much attention in either study or theory.
The webinar summarizes cross-cutting observations of retirement stories collected by Rodney R. Baker and Patrick H. DeLeon from psychologists who described their retirement experiences in ten APA annual meeting symposia for different APA divisions from 2014 through 2025.
In these and other retirement stories of psychologists, several observations stand out. Most psychologists give little thought to their retirement prior to some event that requires consideration such as health changes in self or a spouse or eligibility for retirement benefits. Most psychologists do not initially consider retirement a positive period in one’s life but rather suggest to some a lack of value or worth and no longer contributing to society. Many choose to define themselves as partially retired by “slowing” down and reducing time at work to do other things do so to avoid being thought of as retired.
The challenge and lessons learned described by many who told their retirement stories in the book becomes a need to be useful, relevant, or doing something of value to replace those attributes in the work environment. The stories further indicate the importance of “retiring to” something instead of “retiring from” something to provide a new perspective in examining and shifting life and work goals in later life.
The book co-authors acknowledge that they do not have answers to all retirement planning questions.
Continuing Education Information
This program is not offered for continuing education.
Disclosures
Merry Bullock and James Jones do not have any conflicts of interest to disclose.
Rodney Baker and Patrick DeLeon both receive royalties for sales from the book on which today’s discussion is based.
Special Access to Retirement Experiences of Psychologists
The findings discussed will be largely based on the book Retirement Experiences of Psychologists edited by Drs. Baker and DeLeon.
The publisher has a promotional offer allowing anyone to download the first 30 pages of the book at no cost. Go to https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-6767-2 and click on "Read Sample" for free download of the first 30 pages of the book.
Source citation: Baker, R. R. & DeLeon, P. H. (Eds.). (2021). Retirement Experiences of Psychologists. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Rodney R. Baker, PhD
Rodney R. Baker, PhD, retired in 2004 as Mental Health Director and Chief of Psychology at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. In retirement, he co-authored a history of VA psychology and edited and co-edited four books of career stories of VA psychology leaders in both a designated and later volunteer VA psychology historian role. He received the 2017 American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Practice of Psychology. He also writes novels and chooses other activities that interest him in retirement.
Patrick H. DeLeon, PhD, MPH, JD
Patrick H. DeLeon, PhD, MPH, JD, is a former president of the American Psychological Association, member of the National Academy of Medicine, and honorary fellow of several national nursing associations. Beginning with the first day of the Watergate hearings in 1973, he served on Capitol Hill for nearly four decades, retiring as chief of staff for U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye.
Merry Bullock, PhD
Merry Bullock, PhD’s work addresses international engagement in research, teaching, application and policy. She has held leadership positions in psychology and science organizations, and is currently Secretary-General, International Council of Psychologists and Co-Chair, Steering Committee for the Global Network of Psychologists for Human Rights. She recently co-edited the Handbook of International Psychology, which surveys psychology in more than 100 countries/territories around the world. Dr. Bullock has lived and worked in university and policy settings in Canada, Estonia, Germany, and the USA. She currently splits her time between the United States and Estonia.
James Jones, PhD
James Jones, PhD, is Trustees Distinguished Professor, emeritus of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the Universality of Delaware. His BA is from Oberlin College and his Ph.D. in social psychology from Yale University. He is author of Prejudice and Racism, and The Psychology of Diversity (with Dovidio and Vietze). He is past-President of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology and Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issue, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
