I once saw a fascinating exchange, where an Indian woman who was a meditation guru - shared a stage with a number of senior business people.

After being taken through a guided meditation the discussion then turned to how this stillness could be applied at work. One of the men said that he would love to experience the peace he just got from the meditation on a regular basis, but he was just too busy.

Business is for lazy people

In a very quiet gentle voice the Indian woman said “Busyness is for lazy people”. It took a while for what she said to sink in and their seemed to be silence for a full 20 seconds. She then sweetly probed “Do you have time to worry?”.

We all seem to have plenty of time to worry, but often neglect sufficient time to nurture our body, mind, and spirit. I know that just before I had my breakdown in 2000, I was stressed and anxious but still continued to work ridiculous hours in a very unproductive manner.

Mindfulness, Flow, Power of Now, In the zone, In my element

There has been a lot of talk recently about the concept of mindfulness – to be fully engaged in what you are doing and not worrying about the future or regretful of the past – Eckhart Tolle calls it the Power of Now, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls it Flow, some sports people refer to it as being in the zone. It’s kind of ironical that it is being hailed as something new, as the message originally came from the Buddha over 2000 years ago.

Whilst most people can understand the concept of mindfulness, actually living it is a whole different matter. It is so easy to get distracted by interruptions, and lose the ability to focus on the moment.

Stillness Buddy

I would like to share a resource I use that is tremendously beneficial – particularly if you spend a lot of time on a computer during the day. It is a software tool called Stillness Buddy. Once it is downloaded you have the opportunity to choose settings for a stillness break and a mindfulness break. I chose to have a 20 second break stillness break every 30 minutes and a 2 minute mindfulness break every hour. When those breaks come up a beautiful picture appears on the screen, some sounds from nature, and some guidelines on what to do for the next 20 seconds (or 2 minutes).

When the break is finished the screen disappears. I find that even when I am engrossed in something there is a huge benefit in pulling back and gaining some perspective. Sometimes it comes at an inconvenient time and you have option of closing the window immediately.

There is a free 14 day trial of the software at: www.stillnessbuddy.com If you chose to purchase it, a licence is approximately AU$40.

If you do decide to trial it, please let us know your experience on the blog.

Do you have habits at work to help you be more centred? I would love you to reply to the blog and to share it with our tribe. How do you switch off in the middle of chaos? Share what works for you.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, mindfulness, perspective, stress, worry

The single largest pool of untapped resource in this world is human good intentions that never translate into action. –Cindy Gallop

For some time now, I have been helping to organise RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo. I believe these two events could make a big difference in how people who are struggling with adversity are treated in the workplace and the community. Below is an outline of RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo and at the bottom is brief 100 word summary that could be used to describe RUOK?Arvo in a newsletter. If you have any suggestions about helping us to be successful in our quest please respond to the blog below.

RUOK?Day and RUOK?Arvo

Chances are that you know someone who is going through divorce, has lost a loved one, has a serious illness, is facing financial hardship, been retrenched, or having trouble with their children. For some people these crises can cause anxiety and a flat mood. For some it can progress into full blown clinical depression or an anxiety disorder.

Most of us would like to help, but we often opt out because we don’t know how to start the discussion, or are a little fearful that we could open a “can of worms”. The government recently announced that Medicare rebates for psychological counselling have increased 54% for 2009 over 2008. This is a problem that won’t go away unless we all take action.

This was the reason that RUOK?Day was created. We believe that a conversation can change a life and invite you to participate on Sunday Nov 29^th, 2009. Expert advice and videos can be found at www.RUOKDay.com.au

Action you could take

1.       Visit www.RUOKDay.com.au and review resources.

2.       Put Sunday Nov 29 in your diary and promise to make contact with one person you think could be struggling.

IF YOU WORK CONSIDER THIS

A 2007 Medicare Private study showed that by far the largest contributor to lost productivity in the Australian economy was caused by depression and anxiety.  Since 2007, Davidson Trahaire, by far Australia’s largest workplace counselling group, has seen client sessions for stress and anxiety increase 76% and 68% respectively.

This is why www.RUOKArvo.com.au has been created on Friday November 27 – the Friday afternoon before RUOK?Day. On this afternoon participating companies will invite all employees to reach out to one person – either a loved one or a work colleague – and ask RUOK?

At www.RUOKArvo.com.au you will find:

1.       Simple instructions on how your team or company can register and participate in RUOK?Arvo

2.       A downloadable  “How to ask RUOK? and support guide” and related video – for those concerned – see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koEjNP6H-sg

3.       A downloadable “I’m not OK and support guide” and related video – for those struggling

4.       A downloadable “Team Leaders Meeting Guide” and related video plus RUOK?Arvo Poster – on how to present RUOK?Arvo and engage the team

The organisations below have between 30 and 25,000 employees and have decided that these issues are so universal, that they will invite all their employees to ask RUOK? on Friday November 27.

FOUNDING SUPPORTERS OF RUOK?ARVO

Alexion, APN  Media, AT Kearney, Australian Human Resources Institute, Black Dog Institute, CareerOne, Cbus Super, Cochlear, Davidson Trahaire Corpsych, DLA Phillips Fox, Freehills, Inspire Foundation, Investment and Financial Services Association, Lifeline, Lundbeck, Mental Health Association of NSW, News Limited, Ramsay Healthcare, Reach Out, SANE Australia, Sex Discrimination Commission, Simon & Schuster, STW Group, Talent2,  The Next Step, Toll Holdings, University of Western Sydney, Zurich Financial Services

Action you could take:

1.       Discuss RUOK?Arvo with 2 work colleagues and your team leader. If you decide you would like to participate as a team why not register at:  www.ruokarvo.com.au

Turn your good intentions into action by asking RUOK? - nothing changes until someone acts.

100 word summary

Do you know someone who is struggling?

RUOK?Arvo  - a conversation could change a life

November 27, 2009

Do you know someone who is struggling with depression or anxiety but don’t know how to open a conversation with them.  Organisations with between 20 and 25000 employees have already agreed to invite everyone to ask RUOK?  to a loved one or work colleague on November 27. For a 3 minute video on how to ask RUOK? see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koEjNP6H-sg

 To register and find full resources and support to help you start a conversation that could change a life, please go to www.ruokarvo.com.au 

 As I mentioned before, please let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions by responding to the blog below.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, depression at work, depression treatments, work stress

This is the first of a 2 part article for Lawyers Weekly magazine. Although there are some aspects relating to the legal area, the message is applicable to all workplaces

Feeling like you are treading water in a whirlpool? Are you struggling with continued interruptions that leave your mind always cloudy? Finding it difficult to switch off from work and sleep properly? Wound up like a spring?

Rest assured, you are not alone.

In 2007 Medibank Private commissioned a study by Econtech which found the cost to the Australian economy of absenteeism was $ 7 billion and presenteeism amounted to a staggering $26 billion. The report concluded that by far the biggest contributor to this productivity loss was depression and anxiety disorders.

Stress has ballooned in the last year

Since the GFC, the strain has been building rapidly with the number of people seeking Medicare rebates for psychological services growing by a staggering 54% from March 2008 to March 2009. Australia’s largest workplace counselling provider, Davidson Trahaire Corpsych reported that sessions related to stress, anxiety and depression were up 62% from last year.

What makes this even more concerning is that in research undertaken for my book BACK FROM THE BRINK only 9% of people living with depression and anxiety disorders in Australia felt comfortable discussing it with their work colleagues.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that managers are very reluctant to initiate a discussion with someone who is struggling with depression and anxiety as they fear they “may open a can of worms”. This avoidance strategy couldn’t be more wrong with clinicians unanimously agreeing that the earlier an episode is addressed the better the outcome for the employee and the organisation.

The high rate of depression and substance abuse by lawyers is well documented. In the recent survey conducted for the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation, 35% of law students recorded High to Very High Kessler-10 Distress, solicitors scored 31%, barristers 17%, versus a general population of 13%.

It is beyond the scope of this article to propose long term solutions to this complex problem, but I would like to contribute some short and medium term strategies that can significantly improve people’s mood and performance in the workplace. Before discussing these recommendations however, I need to discuss levels of distress.

The moodometer

I find people can relate to the concept of a moodometer. A moodometer is marked from 0 - 10 where 10= when you are physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually thriving, 5= is when you are stressed. You probably aren’t sleeping well, are having headaches or digestive problems but are still hopeful of getting better, 0 = suicidal - you are relying on drugs to get through the day and have lost hope of improving. For the purpose of qualifying advice, 0-4 is red zone, 4-6 amber zone, and 6-10 green zone.

What happens when faced with adversity

Most people’s response to adversity is to slide down the moodometer. This is understandable, but our fulfilment and success in life is ultimately determined by how quickly we can bounce back from these challenges. The focus of my recommendations is for individuals in the red and amber zones (63% of solicitors versus 37% for general population).

I have been at the lowest levels of the red zone and it is a place of great despair. What makes it particularly dangerous is that when I was there, I had given up hope of getting better, and couldn’t remember being mentally healthy. My mind was cloudy and I had difficulty in making decisions as quickly as I once did. I mention this for those that may be feeling this way, because after some changes in my lifestyle, I now live my life almost entirely in the green zone. I firmly believe that you can not only bounce back to where you were before, but if you are open to the lessons presented in these challenges, you may come out the other side thriving. You have no choice but to act now – no one deserves to dread each day.

Rarely do things improve by themselves

For those in the amber zone, you may be tempted to keep hanging in there hoping that things will turn around by themselves – they probably won’t. You can’t keep doing the same thing and be hopeful of getting a different result. You are in survival mode and probably can’t see options available that may help improve your life.

No matter what you know intellectually, when you are going through hard times there is a strong tendency to believe that you are the only one going through it. I know I felt this way. Since I have told my story of battling depression in the work place so publicly, I have found that every person I meet has someone close to them with a similar experience. Believe me – you are not alone.

Short term action

If you have been feeling in the red or amber zone every day for two weeks, the first thing you should do is to see your GP, a psychologist, or counsellor from your EAP provider (if you have one). If you are reluctant to do that you should at least consider an anonymous self test for depression at www.BlackDogInstitue.org.au  If the test suggests you need to speak to a mental health professional then organise an appointment immediately.

Exercise is essential

The second thing you should commit to doing is at least 30 minutes exercise each day. This doesn’t have to be a marathon – a 30 minute brisk walk in a park amongst nature at lunch time is enough. When you walk try to be in the moment and observe the plants, birds, animals and insects along the way. If you prefer swimming, cycling, aerobics, or dancing, do that. Research by the Black Dog Institute has shown exercise to be the most effective strategy (with no negative side effects) for improving depressive symptoms.

Emotional support 

Your third strategy should be to share you situation with someone you trust. This could be your spouse or partner, family member, or a friend. If your low mood is impacting your productivity at work, I would also strongly recommend talking to your manager. They have mostly likely already noticed the changes and it is better that they are aware of the real issue and don’t dismiss it as just a performance problem. Besides, you will need their support and approval if you are required to take time off to see doctors and to exercise.

Follow guidance

It is important in the next 4 weeks that you follow your doctors advice, exercise 30 minutes per day 6 days per week, and plan to meet with loved ones at least 2-3 times per week. I found it helpful to sit down on a Sunday and plan when I was going to schedule these activities in my diary for the week ahead. If you don’t plan for it in advance – it won’t happen. You need to do these things even if you don’t FEEL like it. The opposite of resilience is rigidity.

Next week

In the next issue I will be covering the remaining 4 essential strategies for bouncing back from adversity and specifically focusing on medium term action plans. I will also be outlining what managers, team mates and organisations can do to assist someone who is struggling.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE

If you have any comments or questions about what has been outlined above please reply to the blog below. You only need to put your first name and email address (which isn’t made public) to register.

I look forward to your input.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: adversity, anxiety, depression treatments, work stress, workplace stress

Research has shown quite clearly that for the majority of people looking for a therapist, the rapport he or she feels is influenced more by compatibility of personality, than professional qualifications, experience, age or gender.

This is not to say that the latter qualities are unimportant, indeed they are!

However, most would agree that: if you experience a strong aversion to a particular therapist, it is highly unlikely that you will want to engage in a working relationship with this therapist.

Good Therapy Australia, a not-for-profit health promotion charity, has designed a therapist profile page and directory search facility that maximises the chance of a “good match” between therapist and client.

Their website – www.goodtherapy.com.au – includes information on the various approaches to therapy. Educating one’s self about the different orientations can be helpful because what appeals to one person will not necessarily appeal to everyone.

While some therapists work primarily with dialogue – the session is essentially a conversation – others, who have trained in complementary modalities such as Art Therapy, Gestalt, Psychodrama or HeartMath; may incorporate therapeutic processes that engage us in a number of different ways.

These processes, often experiential in nature, enable us to become more aware of the emotional/physical/mental blocks that keep us stuck.

Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, or self-destructive patterns, what you ultimately find helpful will depend on your openness to moving beyond your present situation, and the quality of connection you create with your therapist.

To explore what is meaningful for you, you may want to participate in Good Therapy’s online surveys: Looking for a Therapist; The Therapeutic Space; Questions for Therapists.

http://www.goodtherapy.com.au/flex/surveys/253/1

Also, an article that addresses some of the issues relevant to Choosing a Therapist:

http://www.goodtherapy.com.au/flex/choosing_a_therapist_title/101/1

END OF ARTICLE

I think this provides some excellent insight and advice. I would also suggest asking the following questions after the first visit:

1. Did the therapist strive to fully understand your situation?
2. Did they outline a plan you had confidence in?
3. Did you trust them and feel positive about returning?

 A good GP can be a fantastic guide to a good therapist as they regularly hear the feedback of patients who have been referred. Another source of psychologists that have a special interest in depression and anxiety and are in your area can be found at www.beyondblue.org.au

My recommendation is that if your therapist doesn’t tick all the above boxes after your first visit you should find another. This is much easier said than done when you are feeling very low which brings me back to my first point, that you should seek out a therapist before it gets to a crisis situation.

What has been your experience in finding a therapist? Do you have any suggestions? What do you like best about a therapist? What do you like least?

Please add your contribution by responding to this blog. Your responses are anonymous as you just need to enter your first name and email address (which won’t be published).Your suggestion could really help someone else.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, depression treatments, finding a mental health professional, finding a psychologist, finding a therapist, psychology, therapists

I was recently asked to be one of the judges for the Black Dog Institutes writing competetion entitled “Tackling Mood Disorders in the Workplace”. The winners were announced yesterday by the Minister for Mental Health The Hon Barbara Perry.

PRIZES

1. Maree Matic - Sydney
2. Daniel Taylor - Adelaide
3. Rowena Harris - Tasmania

In addition to these 3 there were 10 “Highly Commended”

JUDGES SUMMARY

The judges were very impressed with the standard of the 200+ submissions to this years contest. Entries came from those living with mood disorders, their work colleagues, and managers. When assessing each contribution we decided to place equal weight on relevant ideas raised, writing style, and practical suggestions to improve the current situation.

The vast majority of entrants still feel very reluctant to disclose their illness for fear that it will have an adverse effect on their career prospects. It seems that a “work mask” is still very much the norm. Comments such as “the act is taking its toll” and “hiding in the toilet is not a long term solution” reflected the quiet despair.

The occupations most frequently represented in the submissions were teachers, lawyers, and recruitment consultants.

It was very difficult to narrow the final field down to the 3 winners and 10 “Highly Commended”, but they provided some clear messages.

Organisations need to be much more proactive in educating employees and managers, in how to recognise and support those with a mood disorder. Whilst the importance of appropriate policies was highlighted, contributors stressed that the most crucial element was a compassionate manager who reached out to address the issue quickly. Many lamented that “values on the wall were not lived on the floor”.

Whilst diversity in gender, ethnicity, and physical disability, is actively encouraged in many organisations, it is sadly lacking for those with mood disorders. In addition to supportive work colleagues, the other critical organisational requirement is flexible hours to allow for doctors/therapist visits, and low mood in the morning, when required.

Those working with mood disorders stressed that they also have an obligation to balance their lifestyle and manage their mental health – “Ironically it was only when I started working on my wellness that my work performance improved.” Many also explained that their mental health was made worse by pursuing the wrong career. Despite the challenges of work, the vast majority stressed how important it was to their self esteem.

It was extremely difficult to pick a final winner, but we felt that the contribution chosen, could well act as a summary for all 200+ entries.

Graeme Cowan, Judges Chairperson May 28, 2009

I couldn’t help but think that this competition was so important as it raised so many ideas regarding how things could be improved in the this area of where we all spend so much time, yet as I have highlighted previously, only 9% of those with depression feel comfortable discussing their condition with work colleagues - how absurd is that.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING

If a genie suddenly granted you one wish about how you would change the workplace to be a better place for those who live with depression and anxiety, what would it be. I would love you to respond to reply to this blog with your thoughts.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, burnt out, depression, depression cure, depression help, depression treatments, work stress

I recently read last Saurday’s Los Angeles times

To read the full article go to the news section of www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com

It provides some pretty startling results from a recent survey:

• 70% of US residents are experiencing significant stress due to the current state of the economy
• 49% say they have regular anxiety
• 48% are sad or depressed
• 33% are experiencing insomnia

A 2007 Medicare Private funded research study showed:

Absenteeism costs the Australian economy $7 billion whilst presenteeism (where workers are not fully engaged due to distress or illness) accounts for $25billion. They found that the greatest contributor to this lost productivity was depression.

An estimate of the cost of depression in Australia is $6.3billion.

A 2007 report ”How to improve the behavoural health of an organisation” by the global consulting firm Sibson showed:

• Mental health issues (of which depression and anxiety contribute the vast majority) account for 47% of all lost productivity compared to 26% for physical illnesses.

So how comfortable are people with depression talking with work colleagues about it?

With the level of stress faced by the workforce highlighted above, you would hope that employees would feel comfortable dsicussing their depression with work colleagues. In research I did for my first book I found the disturbing result that only 9% could discuss this situation with confidence it would not adversely affect how their peers viewed them.

I have recently been asked to be a judge for a writing competition by the Black Dog Institute called “Tackling mood disorders in the workplace”. The 100+ essays I read revealed the sad situation where people with mood disorders are on the whole, terrified of revealing their conditon to fellow employees for fear it will jeopardise their career prospects.

This situation is untenable, and on April 1st I will be speaking at a forum for 100 HR professional hosted by the outplacement, and career planning organisation www.Directioneering.com  to highlight the absurdity of this.

I will also be outlining what I believe is an achieveable path forward to make the workplace as friendly to those with mental illness as it is to people with cancer, a broken leg, blindness or any other physical disability.

In my next blog entry I will address this way forward. If you have any comments regarding what has been outlined, please respond to this blog.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, burnt out, depression, work stress

Through me time with GROW, I have learnt about the “4 Stabilizing Questions”. I have not only found these to be extremely helpful to me but have also seen them work well in the lives of hundreds of others.

These questions are asked when you are worried or stressed about something.

THE 4 STABILIZING QUESTIONS

1. WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT?

It’s amazing how things can seem out of control when they are swimming around in your head. Talk with a friend about what specifically you are worried about. Writing the problem down can also be very helpful. Properly clarifying this can definitely make the problem seem smaller.

2. HOW LIKELY IS IT? IS IT CERTAIN, PROBABLE OR ONLY POSSIBLE?

This question highlights that you should only invest time on those things that are certain or at least probable.

3. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT?

Don’t invest time and energy into things that are not important. GROW has another saying - “Be content to be discontent in many (minor) things”.

4.WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?

Important problems start to shrink when you take action. Remember action is the enemy of depression and anxiety. Try this approach and let me know how you find it by responding to this blog.

Kind

Regards

www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com

Tags: anxiety, depression, stress, worry

What is spirituality?

I believe spirituality is identifying the things that are truly important to you and giving them the priority they deserve.

How to overcome depression?

Some time back I was asked to speak regarding spiritual solutions to depression. Now I know more than most that the word depression covers a myriad of conditions and I hesitate to talk about simple cures. For those that know me I believe there are 6 strategies you need to focus on when trying to manage/ overcome depression: exercise, support from family and friends, psychological counselling, fulfilling work, relaxation/meditation, and medication.

What underpins all these things?

In my own recovery, I found that when I was severely depressed, I was best to focus on exercise and contact with family and friends. As I started to improve, I embraced meditation and this really helped with being centred and seeing things with new clarity. I came to realise that when I looked back to my past, much of my self esteem was tied up with external achievements. When things were going well I was fine and when they weren’t I crumbled. I now believe that striving to be of service to others is the key to my mental health. I’m not saying that this is the case for everyone but I have certainly found it to be true for me.

Who am I?

I have spoken on several occasions with Charlie Hogg, The Director of the Brahma Kumaris in Australia. Over the years Charlie has helped thousands of people learn how to meditate. He says that 80% of the people who come to learn are struggling with depression and/or an anxiety disorder. Many have been trying to find happiness and peace through achievements and material possessions and have found that to be a losing battle. They think of themselves as their gender, occupation, marital status, income level etc. When these don’t measure up with their expectations of the perfect life they feel disillusioned.

Source of Happiness

Charlie has no income, and no traditional material possessions, yet he is one of the happiest and most positive people I know. He truly feels fulfilled when he is serving others. When I was interviewed recently by Richard Fiedler on the Conversation Hour, he made the comment that the happiest people he has interviewed (and his has spoken to an incredible cross section) are those that are dedicated to helping others.

This is no quick fix

What I am describing above is no quick fix, but I believe that finding our what is truly important to you and then spending a lot of your time addressing this purpose in central to sustainable happiness and fulfillment. An important part of this is understanding your strengths and finding out what special skills or qualities you have that you like to use. Martin Seligman did some great work in this area in his book Authentic Happiness - see http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx . At this website you will find some tools to help you understand your strenghts

Brinkmanship

I believe that depression, like any adversity has the potential to be transformed into a gift. If through your pain you are able to come out the other side with new priorities in life and a new mission then I believe you can consider yourself blessed. Don’t get me wrong. I know that depression can be a living hell but like every crisis it can EVENTUALLY be turned into an opportunity. I believe that depression has such a high recurrence rate because people that don’t come to terms with what is important to them and change their lifestyle accordingly have to eventually revisit it.

For an excellent artictle on this subject from the Mayo Clinic please see: http://www.revolutionhealth.com/conditions/mental-behavioral-health/bipolar-disorder/living-with-bipolar-disorder/spirituality-stress-relief?msc=A62687 

If you have a view on this topic, please respond to this post.

KInd Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, back from the brink, depression, depression treatments, graeme cowan, spiritual solutions

One of the biggest problems you have when you google depression or anxiety disorders is that you get 6 Trillion websites - where do you start?

I am very proud of the new resources section for  www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com . It is extremely comprehensive and covers helplines, organisations, websites, support groups, and books for Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, and Canada.

It was put together with a huge contribution from a friend of mine, who wishes to remain anonymous. It is broken down into subcategories which include:

General Mental Health

Depression

Bipolar

Child and Adolescent

Carers

Post and Antenatal Depression

Anxiety Disorders

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Support Groups

There is also a large listing of books that is broken down into the same categories and are linked directly to Amazon so that you can read more about each book to see if it is for you.

You can check out the resources section at: http://www.iambackfromthebrink.com/resources.html

Hopefully this directory will save you lots of time in identifying websites that have good material.

Have a look at the section and let me know by answering this blog if there are any other sites that you think should be included. http://www.iambackfromthebrink.com/resources.html

Kind Regards

Graeme Cowan

www.IamBackFromTheBrink.com

Tags: anxiety, bipolar, depression, depression books, depression resources

In my research for BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO many people wondered about how you go about choosing the right psychologist. You GP is often a great source of guidance. There are also sites like www.goodtherapy.com.au  which provide a lot more information than Yellow Pages to help you make a decision. The best way to evaluate a person however is to have a first visit and view it as a test drive:

After the first visit you should ask:

1. Did the session feel worthwhile?
2. Did the psychologist understand my situation?
3. Did they seem genuinely interested in helping?
4. Did they outline a plan I had confidence in?
5. Do I trust the psychologist and want to return?

If after answeing these questions you don’t feel comfortable with the psychologist you should endeavour to find another. It is far too important to find someone you have confidence in than to be concerned about hurting anyones feelings. This area is covered in much greater depth in BACK FROM THE BRINK TOO which will be in good bookshops from September 9.

Kind Regards

Graeme

Tags: anxiety, depression, evaluation, psychologist