New Delhi, Feb. 25 -- Over the last 10 years, much of my work as a therapist has been with clients who decided to retire early, in their late 40s or early 50s. Those most frequently seeking assistance during this transition have been men. Women have been a very small demographic when it comes to seeking therapy during this transition. Whether they had been in corporate roles or in entrepreneurship, these individuals felt they had built an adequate financial corpus to support them through their post-working life.

I often hear people across genders describe early retirement and financial independence as inspiring. What is less visible, however, are the emotional complexities, strains and existential questions that often accompany this shif...