I am often asked, what are you doing about mental health at work? You say you are not a psychologist, yet you accompany people in a state of psychological distress, right? I answer that we are mental health coaches, we are motivated by the return to balance of our participants and by their quality of life at work, and their overall quality of life of course. My purpose in this blog: Provide insight into the practice of individual mental health coaching.
But first, isn't mental health all about balance?
There are several definitions of mental health. According to a short definition from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), ““Mental health means striking a balance in all aspects of one’s life: social, physical, spiritual, economic and mental (1). »
Therefore, we can deduce that certain factors such as a divorce, the death of the spouse, a bankruptcy, a conflict at work or even a genetic predisposition can cause an imbalance of mental health. The intensity of this imbalance will vary, it may include diagnoses such as: burnout, depression, anxiety, etc. Some people will need a psychologist or a psychiatrist. They will receive medication and psychotherapy. They will be absent from work and will also need to make lifestyle changes to regain the proper balance.
Others will face workplace violence, harassment. They will develop exhaustion, distress, hardship, or discomfort, but they will stay in their workplace! This is where the mental health coach comes in. With my team, we have developed a coaching program based on proven coaching techniques. Our goal: to enable coached individuals to regain their potential and better physical and mental health by following a good action plan.
In our action plans, we can find strategies to: • Increase your energy • Prevent stress • Structure your days • Work on a better family organization • Identify pleasant activities that can allow you to rediscover the joy of living and the motivation to get involved
• Work on self-confidence and self-esteem • Increase your cognitive abilities • Get back to sleep • Discuss with your supervisor the prevention of stress at work, professional risks, workload, the improvement of working conditions, and psychosocial risks at work.
We provide individual support and appropriate tools to develop better self-knowledge and personal and professional cohesion. Thanks to this support, our clients are motivated and supported, which helps them achieve their goals of return to balance.
But we are not psychologists!
Of course, psychologists work with the goal of relieving mental suffering. They are legally and professionally empowered to make a diagnosis under DSMV. In addition, they are licensed to provide the type of therapy that meets the needs of their clients. Consult an individual coach The mental health coach does not diagnose, does not properly treat, but the coaching relationship is complementary. He provides individual coaching, support, and helps his clients implement the recommendations of doctors and psychologists.
The coaching program is intended to support the individual through regular or ad hoc meetings. The goal is to develop and maintain coping strategies. We provide reassurance, advice and information related to the participant’s situation. We ensure the supervision and quality of work necessary to achieve the professional and personal objectives of the participant.
At the employer level, we forge relationships with human resources management or certain actors in the company. We support managers with a coaching process to improve working conditions and employee health. We also act as a consultant in the assessment of occupational risks and psychosocial factors. But let’s come back to individuals.
Sometimes people need a specialized coach to learn to be resilient or to let go in the face of life’s difficulties, to take charge of themselves to contribute to their own health and, finally, to find their place in their personal and professional lives. We have found that many people do much better if they can rely on personal coaching.
In fact, some insurance companies now include mental health coaching services in their group insurance benefits. Among other things, they noticed that the use of coaches makes it possible to offer a helping relationship to people who do not want or need medical services. The use of coaching sessions, even remotely, would prevent the development of more severe pathologies while preventing absenteeism.
Among people who used a coach, it was reported that 89% of participants with depression and 91% of those with anxiety saw “great improvements (2)”.
Combining work and health with ease and allowing you to return to a fulfilling professional life, that’s what working with a mental health coach is all about.
Amélie, the head coach
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