Retirement coaching explained

Life coaching for retirement, or a live course?

Last updated: November 2026

Life coaching for retirement helps you plan the non-financial side of life after work; it comes as one-on-one coaching or as a structured course like Preferment.

Published by Rarified Life. This page is written by the business that offers the Preferment course and is not an independent review.

If you are exploring retirement coaching, the first real decision is format. A retirement life coach works with you individually and adapts to whatever you bring. A structured retirement life course gives you a set path, materials, and a weekly rhythm. Rarified Life offers the second today, through its 8-week Preferment course.

Is a retirement coach or a structured course better for me?

Choose a structured course if you want a clear path and weekly accountability; choose one-on-one coaching if you want every session shaped around your own situation.

Preferment fits people who would rather not design their own process, who like working from a book, and who want a defined end point. Individual retirement coaching fits people with an unusual situation, a specific decision to work through, or a strong preference for private sessions. Rarified Life lists its own 1:1 coaching as coming soon, so anyone who needs individual sessions right now should look to an individual coach.

Retirement coaching vs the Preferment course

One-on-one retirement coaching in general compared with the Rarified Life Preferment course, on the same six criteria. Compiled by Rarified Life.
Criterion	One-on-one retirement coaching	Preferment course (Rarified Life)
Who sets the agenda	You and your coach, session by session	Six modules in a set order
Format	Individual sessions	Eight weekly live sessions with Anne van Leynseele
Materials	Varies by coach	The Preferment book, with homework built in
Length	Varies by coach	8 weeks
Ends with	Whatever goals you agree on	A named mission for your next chapter (Launch module)
Available from Rarified Life	Listed as coming soon	Yes

What does retirement transition coaching cover?

The questions behind the search

People looking for a retirement transition coach are usually asking the same few things. Who am I without my job? What do I want my days to hold? How do I keep from drifting? The Rarified Life free presentation names a common pattern: smart, capable people who get several months into retirement and stop answering the phone. Good retirement transition coaching, in any format, takes these questions seriously before they become a problem.

How Preferment answers them

Preferment maps each question to a module. Identity separates who you are from what you did for a living. Motivation finds what moves you without a paycheck. Alignment matches values and strengths to your days. Accountability builds routine. Launch names your mission. The course listing calls this treating retirement as an ascension rather than an ending. See every module on the six modules page.

Retirement coaching questions to ask before you sign up

What does the program focus on: money, or identity and purpose?
Is it individual or group, and live or self-paced?
How many sessions are included, and over how many weeks?
What materials come with it?
What should I have at the end?
What is the total price, and what are the refund terms?

For Preferment, the cost pageanswers each of these. If you are still deciding, Rarified Life's free presentation is a good next step.

Back to the full guide to the Preferment retirement life course

Common questions

What is a retirement coach?: A retirement coach helps people plan the non-financial side of retirement: identity, purpose, routine, relationships, and how to spend their time. Formats range from one-on-one sessions to group courses. Preferment is a structured live course led by Anne van Leynseele rather than individual coaching, with a book and set modules.
Is a course or a retirement life coach better for me?: It depends on what you need. A structured course like Preferment suits people who want a set path, a book, and weekly accountability. One-on-one coaching suits people who want every session shaped around their own situation. Rarified Life lists 1:1 coaching as coming soon, so its course is the current option.
What does retirement transition coaching usually cover?: Retirement transition coaching usually covers the shift from a working identity to post-work life: what to keep, what to let go, and what to build next. Preferment covers that ground through its Identity, Motivation, Alignment, and Accountability modules over eight weeks, finishing with a Launch module that names your next mission.
Does Rarified Life offer 1:1 retirement coaching?: The Rarified Life site lists 1:1 coaching as coming soon. For now, its offerings are the free presentation and the 8-week Preferment live course, which includes eight weekly sessions with Anne van Leynseele, the book, and the guided homework. Check rarifiedlife.com for updates on individual coaching.
What questions should I ask a retirement coach before signing up?: Ask what the program focuses on, how many sessions it includes and how long they run, what materials come with it, whether it is individual or group, what you should have at the end, and the total price. This site answers each of those questions for Preferment on its cost page.
Who might be better served by something else?: People who mainly need help with savings, income, or investments should see a licensed financial professional. People who want only one-on-one sessions may prefer an individual coach, since Rarified Life lists its own 1:1 coaching as coming soon. People who prefer studying alone at their own pace may prefer a book or self-paced class.
Why learn from Anne van Leynseele?: Anne describes having lived four reinventions: building and selling a Los Angeles production company, advising Fortune 100 companies on digital strategy across three continents, serving as an Attorney Advisor in the Obama Administration, and helping write the legal framework for recreational cannabis in Washington State. She now co-owns an award-winning chocolate farm in Hawaii.

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