Introducing The Workplace Psychotherapist: A Newsletter for Professionals in High-Stress Environments

Welcome to the inaugural issue of The Workplace Psychotherapist.

As a psychotherapist dedicated to supporting mental health, I want to address the unique challenges faced by professionals in Business, Healthcare, Sports, and other high-stress sectors.

If you're a professional working in a high-stress environment, this newsletter will offer you brief psychotherapy strategies to overcome mental health and relationship challenges in your workplace.

The Need for The Workplace Psychotherapist

In our demanding work culture, professionals are increasingly vulnerable to mental health challenges. The relentless pressure to perform, manage complex relationships, and make ethical decisions under stress can lead to significant psychological strain.

The statistics can be sobering:

• In 2021, Safe Work Australia reported that the median compensation paid for mental health conditions was $58,615 per serious claim.
• In 2021, the government's productivity commission stated that workplace mental ill-health is estimated to cost Australian businesses up to $39.1 billion a year in lost productivity and participation.

These statistics confirm the need for greater mental health resources for professionals in every workplace. My hope is that this newsletter will contribute to this conversation.

Topics Covered in The Workplace Psychotherapist

In each newsletter edition, I will delve into critical topics essential for understanding, coping with, and overcoming workplace mental health.

Here is a sample of the workplaces challenges I will explore over the next few months:

• Burnout. Burnout is a growing problem in our workplaces. It is characterised by emotional exhaustion, detachment, cynicism, and a sense of personal ineffectiveness. It is common in professions demanding constant performance under pressure. In future editions, I will explore the signs and stages of burnout, and provide psychotherapy strategies to both prevent and recover from it.

• Compassion Fatigue (Empathy Fatigue). When professionals frequently deal with others' emotional needs, they can experience emotional exhaustion and be unable to feel empathy. This condition often affects healthcare, HR, and customer service professionals. In future editions, I will help readers understand the causes and symptoms of empathy fatigue, and provide psychotherapy strategies to both prevent and recover from it.

• Vicarious Trauma. Vicarious trauma affects those who are often exposed to the trauma of others, leading to profound shifts in one's worldview. In future editions, I will help you recognise the signs of vicarious trauma early, and implement strategies to protect your mental health while continuing to provide compassionate care.

• Moral Injury. Moral injury arises when professionals are forced to act against their ethical beliefs, resulting in the shattering of one's moral assumptions. Moral injury is common in sectors with high ethical standards but severely conflicting demands. In future editions, I will share psychotherapy strategies to both prevent and recover from this mental health challenge.
• Bullying and Gaslighting. Bullying and gaslighting in the workplace can severely impact an individual's mental health, leading to anxiety, depression, and a loss of self-confidence. These behaviours create a toxic work environment and undermine trust among individuals and within teams. In future editions, I will provide strategies to cope with and overcome these toxic behaviours.
• Interpersonal Conflict. When left unchecked, interpersonal conflicts can create significant stress and trauma at the individual and team levels. In future editions, I will delve into the dynamics of workplace relationships and provide strategies to resolve conflicts and enhance collaboration.

Why These Topics are Critical

These workplace mental health topics are not just relevant to workplaces; they are critical for maintaining healthy and productive individuals and workforces.

• Burnout and Empathy Fatigue can lead to decreased job satisfaction, increased absenteeism, and high turnover rates.
• Bullying and Interpersonal Conflicts can create a hostile work environment, reducing job satisfaction and both individual and team productivity.
• Moral Injury and Vicarious Trauma can result in long-term psychological effects, impacting both personal and professional lives.

By addressing these issues directly, my hope is to enable both individuals and teams to overcome their mental health and relationship challenges, and ultimately thrive.

Next Steps

To get the most out of The Workplace Psychotherapist, I invite you to reflect on the challenges discussed and consider how they apply to you or your colleagues. I also welcome your own experiences in the comments section.

I have provided several relevant links below in the Reference section below. These resources will add greater context on the workplace mental health challenges I mentioned above.

Stay tuned for upcoming editions.

References

Bailey, T. S., Dollard, M. F., & Richards, P. A. (2015). A national standard for psychosocial safety climate (PSC): PSC 41 as the benchmark for low risk of job strain and depressive symptoms. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 20(1), 15-26. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038166

Bercier, M. L., & Maynard, B. R. (2015). Interventions for secondary traumatic stress with mental health workers: A systematic review. Research on Social Work Practice, 25(1), 81-89. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731513517142

De Dreu, C. K., & Weingart, L. R. (2003). Task versus relationship conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(4), 741-749. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.4.741

Figley, C. R. (2002). Compassion fatigue: Psychotherapists’ chronic lack of self-care. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(11), 1433-1441. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.10090

Griffin, B. J., Purcell, N., Burkman, K., Litz, B. T., Bryan, C. J., Schmitz, M., & Maguen, S. (2019). Moral injury: An integrative review. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 32(3), 350-362. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22362

Jehn, K. A., & Bendersky, C. (2003). Intragroup conflict in organizations: A contingency perspective on the conflict-outcome relationship. Research in Organizational Behavior, 25, 187-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-3085(03)25005-X

Leiter, M. P., & Maslach, C. (2009). Burnout and engagement: Contributions to a new vision. The Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 397-421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burn.2017.04.003

Litz, B. T., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W. P., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 695-706. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.07.003

Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103-111. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311

McCann, I. L., & Pearlman, L. A. (1990). Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3(1), 131-149. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.2490030110

Productivity Commission. (2020). Inquiry Report Mental Health Volume 1 (No. 95). https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/mental-health/report/mental-health.pdf

Psychological health and safety in the workplace. (2024). In Safe Work Australia – Data Report. https://data.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-02/Psychological-health-in-the-workplace_Report_February2024.pdf

I am a Psychotherapist and the director of Intermind. I help individuals, couples, and families overcome their mental health and relationship challenges. I am also a Workplace Psychotherapist, helping professionals overcome mental health and relationship challenges in their workplaces.