Overworked, feeling bad about herself, sleeping poorly, Claire came to therapy wanting help to figure out her problems at work. We began with the ABC’s of stress management.
Therapy for tackling “small t” trauma
Disclaimer: Names and details have been modified for confidentiality. The article below is brought to you with the full consent of the patient. An impressive number of people have contacted me over the past few years in my capacity as a psychologist asking me to help them through a sticky situation. Some have come through the Counseling Center at the …
Therapy case study: “My job is killing me”
Showing signs of depression, tense, discouraged and tired from disturbed sleep, a teary-eyed man came into therapy for the first time and told me about his impossible job. With neither education nor training to meet the expectations placed on him, he was supposed to manage, despite inadequate software, complex regulations, an understaffed office and a hiring freeze, the pay and promotions of about 2000 salaried workers. Workdays were often eaten up by managerial meetings or phone calls from irate workers, behind in their pay.
How could he use what we know about psychology to handle this work stress?
Therapy case study: “I should be happy”
People sometimes make a statement that startles me and leaves me reflecting on how I can help them clear up their thinking.
In response to a piece of good news a terribly unhappy young woman once told me,“I should be happy” obviously omitting the tacit end of her statement, “but I am not.” The good news alone could have brought happiness but did not because of her life circumstances. Instead, the result was a flood of tears.