The Changing Work Environment

New norms surrounding flexible hours and locations that support hybrid work are in discussion. Companies focus more on creative productivity than how many hours a person puts in (yet many companies have software that tracks hours.) Healthy boundaries, work-life balance and sensible workloads are in focus and firms that overwork their workforce are in disapproval. Organizations are investing in strategic practices to reduce burnout. Many companies provide employee assistance programs (EAP) offering complimentary in-person or digital therapy. Organizations do not just see these changes as an HR benefit but strive to embed mental health in the company culture. Managers are asked to be part of psychological safety and emotional intelligence training to spot burnout. Normalizing dialogues about the topics of therapy, mental illness and neurodiversity are encouraged. Stress level check-ins and wearable biofeedback tools tied to Human Resources departments are used to take the temperature of employee stress. To mitigate workplace stress companies even create restorative places, such as quiet rooms, in their facility sites.

Resiliency in Challenging Times

Resilience is necessary now. Trying to be toughly impervious to our serious changes is not rational, as change is the only thing we can really expect in life. With a rigidly resistant attitude, one could become unnaturally inflexible and be unable to adapt to life’s sudden twists and turns. Realistically, we must honor what is taking a real toll on us all. It may be better to think of the tree that bends and flexes with a strong gale so as not to ultimately collapse.

Mental Health Apps

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the clinical development of a host of self-help apps. Possibly it is due to disruptions in mental health services, economic or convenience factors, but our populace is adopting this form of care. Drawbacks of using apps are that some software is unregulated prior to hitting the market, which may render them ineffective or even risky. If a person is already in therapy, the use of undiscussed external programs can muddy the waters of the person’s clinical treatment plan, which would be a problem. In psychotherapy a good deal of work is done outside the session. In my experience, clients have trouble enough completing outside tasks (even with therapeutic support). There may be less resolve towards homework success left to their own devices – pun intended.

How Therapy is Changing with the World

How Therapy is Changing with the World

Kinder Aspirations for the New Year

It is time to say farewell to the chaos of 2021 and look toward setting smart goals for safety, health and happiness in 2022. But instead of the usual self-critical New Year resolutions based on ‘not being enough,’ why not use a gentler approach to set simple objectives with individual wellbeing in mind. Forget what others are doing to self-improve, as comparison frequently leaves people feeling just that…’less than.’

National Psychotherapy Day - September 25, 2021

National Psychotherapy Day - September 25, 2021