How Supportive Therapy and Counselling Can Help Health Workers?
Mental health is extremely important for all of us, but for those who work on the frontline, this is even more the case. Police officers, social workers and those in the health sector face considerable pressures in their everyday working lives. These can take a toll on their health, but also on the wellbeing of their families. Therefore it’s important to manage these pressures when they occur.
One of the problems that can arise is emotional stress. Living through difficult situations over time can build up significant psychological pressures. In this blog, we will talk about how these pressures manifest themselves, and how supportive therapy can help you to overcome them.
The Signs Of Emotional Stress
When you are put under significant stress, your mind and body will respond in certain negative ways. SSome of the common signs of emotional stress include suffering from anxiety or depression, being quick to anger, and finding it difficult to focus and put in the same amount of effort at work. Addiction can be exacerbated by stress as well, which can lead to other health problems, such as alcohol or drug abuse.
It’s also important to keep in mind that some symptoms of stress can lead to others developing, and this can quickly make the situation appear too difficult to cope with.
What Causes Stress?
These symptoms also have their causes. These will vary depending on the particular kind of work you’re in, but for workers in some of the most difficult professions, there are specific reasons that can lead to stress. Being in potentially risky situations, having to work for many hours, and having a heavy burden of work can all contribute to a feeling of burn out. And once you have experienced this, you can become excessively worried about the future and what may happen to you if you continue feeling this way at work.
There are also broader reasons that can cause stress, such as challenging circumstances in your everyday life. Examples include moving to a new location, needing to care for an unwell relative, dealing with bereavement or the end of a relationship, or having to cover unexpected expenses. And these can and do happen to all of us in our lives, no matter what job we work in.
So it is important to ensure that you can manage your health and wellbeing, and balance that with your career obligations when you’re experiencing stress symptoms.
How Does Supportive Therapy Work?
One of the most effective ways for people in Calgary to help with stress caused by a difficult and risky career is supportive therapy. This is a form of counselling in Calgary that works by combining several approaches to help deal with mental health problems comprehensively.
However, there is also an emphasis on building a deep and trusting relationship with your therapist, so that you feel able to share your inner thoughts and feelings. This is particularly beneficial for helping with the emotional aspects of stress because it helps to uncover the root causes of the problems, and the particular circumstances and psychological responses that are exacerbating them.
There are two main uses of supportive therapy. The first is to provide relief from overwhelmingly intense emotions and responses, and the second is to build solutions to the conflicts within your mind. This can help you to move toward a more optimistic worldview, knowing that you are being supported to reach your goals and overcome the problems you’re currently facing.
Is Supportive Therapy Evidence Based?
But it’s important that you know the process has been tested and is proven to get results for those who go through it. For supportive therapy, it took time to distinguish the discipline from others which are similar. This is because as we mentioned, the process combines multiple approaches.
However, it has now been established for several decades, and as early as 2000, specific strategies were outlined for helping patients undergoing therapy. These include forming a full and exhaustive understanding of the person, along with taking an almost familial role in guiding the patient.
This demonstrates that evidence has been presented and analyzed regarding supportive therapy. The results show that it is a legitimate and helpful intervention for those suffering from work-related stress.
Our team of Counselling specialists are here to listen. We offer online counselling sessions for anyone in need. You can click here to make an appointment or send an email to Phoenix Massage and Wellness for any questions.
