Why Most Mental Health Strategies Fail at Work and Why The Missing Link in Workplace Mental Health Are Your Line Managers
Why every manager should understand mental health
Yesterday morning I sat in a room in a London civic suite hall filled with people who care deeply about mental health. There were councillors, youth workers, social workers, food hub managers, clinicians, safeguarding leads, big mental health directors, council policy researchers and so many other people who spend their working lives thinking about risk, prevention and support. During the questions and answers, I said something that felt obvious to me, but seemed to land with a bit of weight in the room. I said that if we are serious about improving mental health, then we need to train managers. Not just HR. But managers.
I said that the key to reaching the people who really need mental health support is to involve professionals who live in and are part of their communities. They act as a bridge because they understand how to navigate systems, while also having local knowledge, connection, trust, and relationships, and most importantly, familiarity with the people they serve. To be honest, I thought this was pretty obvious, but many people came up to me afterwards and said it was a great point. So I wanted to share it with you too.
Part of the reason I am sharing this is because I am currently writing a book I may or may not call My Problem with the Black Community. One of the chapters focuses on what I believe is one of the most underutilised groups within the community: Black male professionals. There is a significant number of men between the ages of twenty and thirty five who are not fully using their skills, knowledge, and understanding of systems, alongside the access they have to both professional spaces and local communities. That position gives them a unique ability to move between two worlds. They can understand how systems work, while also staying connected to the lived reality of their communities. That combination places them in a strong position to advocate, support, encourage, and challenge where needed, especially for the most vulnerable.
They also tend to have the energy and capacity to do this work in a way that older generations, who are often already carrying a lot, may not be able to sustain in the same way. This sits within a broader observation I have made. In many Black family systems, a lot of the informal emotional and practical support is carried by parents, particularly those with young children, and by older family members such as aunties and uncles. They often hold the emotional weight of the family.
However, what I have observed is that the people who often have the most access to information, and the widest visibility across the family, are those men in that twenty to thirty five age group. They move between different parts of the family. They see the younger children, they interact with extended relatives, and they still have enough proximity to understand what is going on across the wider system.
The same pattern shows up in the workplace. The people who are most connected to what is actually happening are often not the people at the top. They are the middle managers. They are the ones interacting with staff, dealing with day to day issues, speaking to different departments, managing communication between teams, and understanding how the organisation functions in practice. They sit at the intersection of everything. Because of that, they are often in the best position to notice what is really going on and to influence change in a meaningful way.
When people hear “managers,” they think about the person at the top. The general manager. The senior leadership team. The people making strategic decisions. That is not who I mean. I mean the assistant managers, the deputies and the shift leaders. The ones who are actually on the ground every day.
Having had 28 jobs across different industries, from Pizza Hut to Amazon warehouses, from Deliveroo to working in schools, what I’ve consistently seen is the higher up you go, the less you actually know about what’s really happening. Not because people at the top don’t care, but because their role is different. Their role is strategic not relational. It’s removed. It relies on reports and summaries. Again, this does not mean that they do not build relationships, but the REALITY is most managers in my experience do not actually know the real truth of what is going on in their employees lives, unless they are very hands on.
The people who really know what is going on are the ones just below that level. The deputies. The assistants. The ones managing people directly, day in and day out. Their job is not strategy, it’s relationships. They are the ones dealing with lateness, tension, changes in behaviour, quiet conversations at the end of a shift. They see the patterns that never make it into formal reports. That’s exactly why they need mental health training. Because they are already the first line of contact whether we acknowledge it or not. When a man starts struggling, he is not going to go straight to a counsellor or a GP. Most of the time, he’s not even going to tell his family. But he will still show it somewhere, and more often than not, that place is work.
It might show up as irritability, withdrawal, being off his game, or just not being himself. Without the right awareness, that gets labelled as a performance issue or an attitude problem. With the right awareness, it becomes something else entirely. A signal. This is even more important when we’re talking about men. The Samaritans have been clear that men are far less likely to seek help, yet make up the majority of suicide deaths in the UK. That means waiting for men to ask for help is not a strategy. It’s a gamble. So the people closest to them need to be equipped.
I say this because of what I keep seeing in those rooms. I sit in meetings at council level, director level, strategic level, and I’m often struck by how knowledgeable the people are. The level of insight is high. They understand safeguarding, risk, patterns of behaviour, social issues, data trends. There is real intelligence in those spaces. Real care as well. But there is a disconnect. Most of those people are not in the day to day running of a workplace. That is not their role anymore. They are in meetings. They are thinking about funding, partnerships, scaling services, building strategy. They are looking at the bigger picture.
And because of that, the knowledge often stays at that level. It does not always translate down into the everyday interactions where it is actually needed. It does not reach the assistant manager dealing with a struggling employee on a Tuesday afternoon. It does not reach the shift leader noticing that someone is not themselves but not knowing what to do about it. So what you end up with is this strange situation where the people with the most training are the furthest away from the real moments where that training would matter. That is why I asked the question. Because if all of this insight, all of this data, all of this training is sitting at the top, but not filtering down into the people who are actually managing others day to day, then we have to be honest about the limits of its impact.
And the reality, whether people like it or not, is most workplaces do not pay attention to risk until it starts affecting performance. That is not even a criticism. It is just how things operate. Businesses are driven by output. By targets. By results. So unless something begins to show up in lateness, absence, conflict, or underperformance, it often goes unnoticed or unaddressed. By the time it reaches that point, you are no longer in prevention. You are in reaction. That is the gap, I believe we need to close. Because all the conversations in those rooms are about early intervention, about prevention, about getting ahead of issues before they escalate. But the people who are in a position to actually do that on a daily basis have not been given the same level of understanding or confidence. So the system ends up working backwards.
We wait until something becomes visible in a way that disrupts the business, and then we respond. Instead of equipping the people on the ground to notice the quieter signs earlier, when something small could still be addressed simply. This is why I keep coming back to assistant managers, deputies, and that middle layer. They are close enough to see what is really going on, but often too far away from the training and knowledge that sits at the top. If we are serious about changing outcomes, that gap has to close. Otherwise, we will keep having intelligent conversations in meeting rooms, while missing the very moments those conversations were meant to change.
Here in Reading where I have my private counselling practice Male Minds Counselling, I am surrounded by towns like Wokingham, Twyford, Henley-on-Thames, Theale, Purley and other towns and villages where services are definitely available. Whether it is counselling, crisis support, food hubs, local organisations and charities working specifically with men and to support those struggling. But most people don’t know they exist. And if the assistant manager doesn’t know, then the employee probably won’t.
This is where signposting becomes real. Not as a policy, but as something practical. Knowing where to point someone if they say they’re struggling. Even just being able to say, “There are places locally that can help, if you want them,” can make a difference. But the key I want to highlight is that it has to be a workplace culture rather than a response.
There is still a huge amount of shame around struggling, especially for men, and we have to be honest about that if we want to make any real progress. In theory, people say “just ask for help.” In reality, most men will do anything but that, particularly if they think it could affect their position at work. For a lot of men, work is not just a job. It is identity, stability, status, sometimes even survival. So the idea of admitting to something like depression, anxiety, or burnout can feel risky. Not just emotionally, but practically.
And whether people want to admit it or not, there are environments where that fear is not irrational. Men see what happens to others. They see how people are treated differently once they are labelled as struggling. Opportunities change. Perceptions shift. In some cases, people quietly disappear from roles or are managed out. So they learn quickly. Keep it to yourself. Get on with it. Do not show weakness.
The same applies to things like autism, ADHD, or dyslexia. Many people never disclose. Not because they do not need support, but because they do not trust what will happen if they do. They adapt privately. They struggle quietly. They find workarounds. And in doing so, they often operate below their actual potential.
This is where the conversation about “reasonable adjustments” starts to break down in practice. On paper, workplaces are expected to support employees. In reality, support depends heavily on culture. If the culture does not feel safe, then disclosure does not happen. And if disclosure does not happen, adjustments cannot be made. So you end up in a situation where the system exists, but the conditions needed for it to work do not.
And this is where people often oversimplify things. There is a lot of talk about culture being set at the top. That is partly true. Senior leaders define values, policies, direction. But culture is not just what is written down. It is what is lived out day to day. And that is shaped far more by line managers and middle managers than people realise. They are the ones who respond in the moment. They are the ones who decide how a conversation goes when someone is struggling. They are the ones who either make it safe to speak or subtly shut it down. A senior leader can say, “We support mental health,” but if an assistant manager rolls their eyes when someone mentions stress, or treats someone differently after they open up, that becomes the real culture.
People do not follow policies. They follow what they see. This is why those middle layers matter so much. They reinforce what is acceptable and what is not. They translate culture from something abstract into something real. If they are not trained, not aware, or not confident in handling these situations, then even the best intentions at the top will not land properly. And the cost of that is not just personal, it is practical. When people feel safe, they are more likely to be honest about what they need. When they are honest, adjustments can be made. When adjustments are made, people perform better. They stay longer. They contribute more.
When people do not feel safe, they hide. And when they hide, problems grow quietly until they affect performance in ways that are harder and more expensive to deal with. So this is not just about wellbeing in a soft sense. It is about getting the best out of people. If we want workplaces where men can actually function at their best, then we have to deal with the reality of shame, fear, and trust. And that does not get solved by a policy or a statement from the top. It gets solved in everyday interactions. In how a line manager responds. In whether an assistant manager knows what to say. In whether someone feels, even for a moment, that they will not be judged or punished for being honest. That is where culture is either built or broken.
And this is where it gets even more real, because once you bring in intersectionality, the whole picture shifts again. For men from hard to reach backgrounds, asking for help is not just uncomfortable. It can feel dangerous. If you have grown up in environments where trust in systems is low, where authority has not always been fair, where speaking up has had consequences, you do not walk into a workplace thinking about your “rights.” You think about survival. You think about keeping your job. You think about not drawing attention to yourself.
So when we talk about reasonable adjustments, flexible working, support systems, all of that can sound good on paper, but it does not land the same way for everyone. For some men, especially those navigating race, class, migration, or past experiences with institutions, asking for support does not feel like a right. It feels like a risk. A risk of being seen differently. A risk of being judged. A risk of being replaced. So they do not ask. They keep their head down. They work harder. They push through. And from the outside, it can look like they are coping. But underneath, there can be a lot going on that no one is seeing.
This is why a one size fits all approach to workplace wellbeing does not work. Because it assumes that if support is available, people will use it. And that is simply not true. Access is not the same as trust. And trust is shaped by lived experience. That is why those line managers and middle managers matter even more in this context. Because for many men, they are the face of the organisation. Not the CEO. Not the policy. The person they speak to every day. If that relationship feels safe, consistent, and human, it can slowly change how someone sees the workplace. It can make it feel less like a system and more like a place where they might be understood.
But if that relationship feels cold, judgmental, or purely performance driven, then all the policies in the world will not make a difference. The man will stay silent. So when we talk about training managers, it is not just about mental health in a general sense. It is about understanding difference. Understanding that not everyone walks into work with the same level of safety, confidence, or belief that they will be treated fairly. It is about recognising that for some men, the barrier is not knowing that support exists. It is believing that it is safe to use it. And that belief is not built in strategy meetings. It is built in everyday interactions. In tone. In response. In how someone is treated when they show even a small sign of vulnerability. If we’re serious about prevention, that’s where the investment needs to go. Not just at the top, but in the middle. Because that’s where things are actually seen first.
Look, if you want to understand someone’s life, you look at where they spend their time. For children, it is school. Teachers, heads of year and safeguarding leads often know more about a child’s wellbeing than anyone else outside the home. They see patterns. They notice changes. They pick up on things that parents sometimes miss.
By the time boys reach sixteen, that circle of awareness starts to change. Friends begin to know more than parents. Counsellors might get a glimpse. But the people who often know the least are the ones at home. Not because parents do not care, but because boys and young men become harder to read. They withdraw. They filter. They present what they want you to see.
Then they enter the workplace. An average working day is around eight hours. Add commuting, and work becomes the single biggest environment in a man’s life. More time there than with his partner. More time there than with his children during the week. Yet when we talk about mental health systems, workplaces are often treated as an afterthought. Something separate. Something optional.
That is a mistake. Most mental health professionals only see men when something has already gone wrong. A crisis. A breakdown. A referral. But managers as I have been saying, see men in real time. They see the drop in energy. The change in mood. The lateness. The silence. The irritability. The disengagement. They are in the best position to notice the early signs. But most have never been trained to understand what they are looking at.
The reality of men at work
Men all over Reading, Theale, Wokingham, Twyford or Purley do not tend to walk/run into work and announce that they are struggling. They show it indirectly. Through behaviour. Through withdrawal. Through anger. Through silence.
I remember working with a young man in his twenties who had recently become a father. On paper, everything looked fine. Stable job. Partner at home. Healthy baby. But inside, he was overwhelmed. Sleep deprived. Financially anxious. Questioning whether he was good enough. At work, his manager saw him as distracted and underperforming. There were conversations about targets. About attitude. About commitment.
What there was not, was a conversation about what had changed in his life. He did not ask for flexibility. He did not ask for support. He did what many men do. He tried to handle it alone. Eventually, he burned out. This is not an isolated story. It is common. Research from Samaritans shows that men are less likely to seek help for mental health difficulties, yet are significantly more likely to die by suicide. In the UK, suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50. When you look at the risk factors, certain life events stand out. Relationship breakdown. Financial stress. Redundancy. Loss of identity. All of these intersect directly with work.
The illusion of support
Many workplaces will say they already offer support. They have Employee Assistance Programmes. They send out emails. They might run a wellbeing week once a year. But the usage rates tell a different story. If you look at the data across the UK, the numbers are consistently low on the usage of EAPs:
- Most organisations report around 3% to 5% usage
- Some estimates put the average slightly higher at 5% to 10% per year
- Even in better-performing organisations, it’s often around 10% to 12%
- And in many workplaces, the majority of staff never use it at all
There’s another stat that says a lot: only about 27% of employees even know their EAP exists. So when people talk about EAPs as if they’re the solution, the reality is very different. This means that in a company of 100 men:
- Maybe 3 to 10 will ever use the EAP
- And only a fraction of those will actually get proper counselling support
- The rest either don’t know about it, don’t trust it, or won’t go near it
The barrier isn’t just access. It’s shame. It’s risk and it is culture. Most men don’t want to be seen using it. You have to understand that EAPs are passive. They sit there and wait. But the men you’re talking about, especially those dealing with pressure, identity, or from harder backgrounds, are not going to go looking for help in a system they don’t fully trust. So the responsibility shifts. It moves away from “we offer support” to “who is actually in a position to notice and guide someone towards it”
Which brings me right back to my earlier point. Not the CEO. Not the director. Not the person in the strategy meeting. The assistant manager. Because if only 5% of people are using EAPs, then 95% of your workforce is relying on something else. And most of the time, that “something else” is just:
- a conversation
- a moment
- someone noticing
That’s why training that middle layer isn’t a nice idea. It’s the only part of the system that actually reaches the majority. Access is not the same as permission. If the culture of a workplace does not make it feel safe to speak up, men will not use those services. If a manager does not actively open that door, it remains closed. A policy sitting on a shared drive is not the same as a conversation in a room. Most employees do not even remember the login or the password to get onto the employee benefit website. If you doubt it, test them in your next morning meeting.
What managers need to understand
This is not about turning managers into therapists. It is about giving them enough understanding to respond differently. They need to know that a man who has just gone through a separation is at increased risk. That someone being made redundant is not just losing a job but potentially losing identity, structure and purpose. Imagine if every redundancy letter included a list of local counselling services. Not as an afterthought, but as a standard part of the process.
Not telling someone what to do. Just showing them what is available. That is what good signposting looks like. Managers also need to understand transitions. Becoming a father. Moving roles. Financial pressure. These are moments where men are vulnerable, even if they do not show it. And importantly, managers need to initiate. Because most men will not. They do not need to be throwing the counselling leaflet in every colleague face, but when it is appropriate.
Bringing the outside in
One of the simplest ideas I raised at the conference was this. Bring professionals into the workplace. Not once a year. Regularly. A counsellor. A nurse. Someone who can come in for an hour and speak plainly about real issues. Anxiety. Panic attacks. Obsessive thinking. Depression. Sleep. Stress. Normalise the conversation.
If you run a construction company, a recruitment agency or any male dominated workplace, this is not a luxury. It is essential. We already know that certain industries carry higher risks. The Office for National Statistics has highlighted elevated suicide rates in sectors like construction. Yet many of these workplaces have the least structured mental health support. That disconnect should concern us.
The information problem
Another thing that struck me was how much knowledge sits within professional circles and never reaches the wider public. Safeguarding training. Risk assessment frameworks. Understanding of coercive control. Awareness of how trauma shows up in behaviour. Professionals are trained in these areas. The average person is not. That creates a gap. Managers sit right in the middle of that gap. They are not clinicians, but they are responsible for people. Yet we expect them to navigate complex human situations without giving them the tools to do so. It is unrealistic.
At the conference, there was talk about moving from labels like NEET to more hopeful language like SEET - seeking employment, education or training. It is a small shift, but it matters. Language shapes how we see people. The same applies to workplaces. If we see mental health as something that only belongs in clinics, we miss the bigger picture. If we see it as part of everyday life, then workplaces become part of the solution. Managers are not just there to deliver targets. They shape culture. They influence how safe people feel. They decide whether conversations happen or stay buried.
I keep hearing all this talk about how we do not have communities anymore. And people do not look out for each other “like they used to”. I believe community no longer starts in the home, it starts in the work place for most men.
The question we need to ask
So the question is not whether managers should be involved in mental health. They already are. The real question is whether we equip them properly. Because right now, many are operating without the knowledge, confidence or support to handle what they are already dealing with. If we are serious about prevention, about reducing risk, about reaching men before they hit crisis point, then the workplace has to be part of that strategy. And if the workplace is part of the strategy, then managers have to be trained. Not as an optional extra. Not as a box ticking exercise. As a core part of how we look after people.
How Male Minds Counselling can support your workplace
This is exactly where Male Minds Counselling comes in. As you know I work predominantly with boys and men, so I’m not speaking about this from theory. I see it every week. I see how men present, how they struggle, what they hide, and more importantly, what actually helps. Because of that, I’m in a position to support workplaces in a way that is practical, grounded, and relevant to what is actually happening on the ground.
What I offer is simple. I’m more than happy to come into your workplace and speak directly to your staff. This could be a morning meeting, a team session, or something built into your existing schedule. I can deliver a focused talk, usually between thirty minutes to an hour, where I break down mental health in a way that men understand. Not clinical language. Not theory. Real life.
We can cover things like how stress actually shows up in men, why so many men avoid counselling, what to look out for in your colleagues, and how to access support without feeling exposed or judged.
If your workforce is remote or spread across different locations, I can also deliver this online. The same level of clarity, just adapted to a virtual setting so your team can access it wherever they are.
Alongside that, I also offer more structured training for managers and teams. This can be tailored to what you actually need. Whether that is understanding anxiety, depression, burnout, suicidal ideation, or simply how to have better conversations with staff who are struggling. The aim is not to turn your managers into therapists. It is to give them enough awareness and confidence to respond properly in the moments that matter.
A big part of this work is also signposting. Helping your team understand what support actually exists locally and how to access it. Because as we’ve already established, most people do not go looking for help. But if the right information is put in front of them, in the right way, at the right time, it can make a difference.
In terms of my background, I’ve worked across multiple settings. I’ve delivered mental health workshops for one of the UK’s largest digital mental health providers, speaking to GPs, clinicians, school nurses, safeguarding leads and other professionals across southwest London. I’ve also delivered sessions to large groups of students, sometimes in the hundreds.
Alongside that, I have experience working in schools, colleges and universities, as well as in safeguarding roles. So I understand both sides. The strategic conversations that happen in professional spaces, and the day to day reality of working directly with people.
If you are a manager, a business owner, or someone responsible for a team, and this is something you want to bring into your workplace, then reach out. Male Minds Counselling is here to help. Not with theory, but with real conversations that your staff will actually relate to and use.
Core topics affecting men in the workplace
Bereavement and grief
Men often return to work quickly and suppress grief. This can show up later as anger, withdrawal, or burnout.
Addiction and coping behaviours
Alcohol, gambling, pornography, overworking. Often used to manage stress rather than deal with it.
Stress and burnout
Pressure to perform, provide, and hold everything together. Many men don’t recognise burnout until they crash.
Redundancy and job loss
Loss of identity, purpose, and structure. One of the biggest risk factors for depression and suicide in men.
Retirement
Often overlooked. Loss of routine, status, and meaning can hit men hard.
Anxiety
Not always visible. Can show up as irritability, overthinking, avoidance, or control.
Depression
In men this often looks like anger, numbness, or disengagement rather than sadness.
Life transitions and identity
Becoming a father
Pressure, responsibility, lack of sleep, financial stress. Many men struggle silently here.
Relationship breakdown and divorce
One of the biggest emotional triggers for men. Often linked to isolation and loss.
Moving roles or career changes
Imposter syndrome, fear of failure, pressure to prove oneself.
Young men entering the workforce
Identity, confidence, direction, masculinity, and purpose.
Midlife pressure
Feeling stuck, questioning life choices, comparing self to others.
Hidden struggles men don’t talk about
Loneliness and isolation
Many men have very few close relationships outside of work.
Anger and emotional regulation
Often the only “acceptable” emotion for men, masking deeper issues.
Shame and fear of asking for help
Core barrier that stops men engaging with support.
Masculinity and identity
What it means to be a man today. Confusion, pressure, contradiction.
Sex and pornography
Rarely discussed but often present, especially linked to shame and relationships.
Mental health and risk awareness
Suicidal thoughts and risk factors
Understanding what to look for and how it presents in men.
Panic attacks and overwhelm
Often mistaken for physical health issues or ignored.
OCD and intrusive thoughts
Highly misunderstood and often hidden due to shame.
Trauma and past experiences
Childhood experiences showing up in adult behaviour.
Neurodiversity and workplace functioning
ADHD in men
Focus, impulsivity, emotional regulation, performance struggles.
Autism and masking
Social pressure, exhaustion, misinterpretation at work.
Dyslexia and learning differences
Impact on confidence, communication, and performance.
Practical workplace conversations
How men actually ask for help (indirectly)
Recognising behaviour instead of waiting for words.
How to have difficult conversations
Simple, real ways managers can respond.
Signposting and support
Where to go and how to guide someone without forcing it.
Creating a culture where men feel safe to speak
What actually works day to day, not just policy.
Organisations And Professionals You Can Invite Into Workplace
Here’s a practical list of organisations and professionals you can invite into workplaces (especially in and around Reading / UK) to speak on male mental health, domestic abuse, addiction, and related issues. I’ve included a mix of counselling services, charities, and specialist organisations that already do outreach, training, or workshops.
Local counselling and youth mental health
- No5 Young People Counselling Service
A well-established local charity offering counselling, workshops, and outreach. They already deliver mental health support and education in schools and the community, making them ideal for workplace talks about anxiety, stress, transitions, and youth mental health. - Relate
Offers relationship support, mediation, and counselling. They can speak on relationships, communication, breakdown, and family stress, which are major factors in men’s mental health. - Local private counsellors or groups (BACP registered)
You can invite qualified counsellors to speak on anxiety, depression, burnout, and emotional regulation in men.
Domestic abuse and relationships
- Respect
A leading UK organisation working with perpetrators, victims, and young people. They provide insight into domestic abuse, control, and healthy relationships, including work with men. - Men’s Action Network
Supports men affected by domestic abuse, addiction, isolation, and mental health struggles, and offers counselling and outreach. - Local domestic abuse services (Reading and Berkshire)
Many offer workshops on coercive control, healthy relationships, and recognising abuse from both victim and perpetrator perspectives.
Men’s mental health and suicide prevention
- Samaritans
Can provide talks on suicide prevention, risk factors, and how to support someone in distress. - CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
Focuses specifically on men and suicide prevention. They deliver powerful awareness work, especially in male-dominated environments. - Papyrus
Works with young people and can deliver training around suicidal ideation, warning signs, and prevention.
Trauma, abuse and complex needs
- Safety Net
Provides counselling and support for adults and young people affected by abuse, trauma, and exploitation, with a trauma-informed approach. - Local trauma and abuse charities
Many specialise in sexual violence, childhood trauma, and complex trauma, and can speak about long-term impact on men.
Wider community and support services
- Local food banks and food hubs
These organisations can speak about poverty, pressure, and the hidden struggles men face around provision and shame. - Local housing and homelessness charities
Useful for discussions around stress, instability, and mental health risk factors. - Local addiction services (drug and alcohol services)
Can speak on coping mechanisms, dependency, and recovery. - Organisations like Mind (local branches)
Often deliver workshops on stress, anxiety, and workplace wellbeing, and are very experienced in training environments.
Specialist topics you can cover with these organisations
These partners can help you deliver sessions on:
- Men and suicide risk
- Anxiety, depression, and burnout
- Domestic abuse and healthy relationships
- Addiction and coping behaviours
- Trauma and adverse childhood experiences
- Neurodiversity (ADHD, autism, dyslexia)
- Grief, loss, and bereavement
- Workplace stress and pressure
- Masculinity, identity, and emotional expression
How to position this to employers
You can frame these sessions like this:
- “Bringing real expertise into your workplace”
- “Supporting staff before problems escalate”
- “Training your team to recognise and respond to risk”
- “Improving performance through wellbeing”#
The Small Print and Risk To Your Business
It is important to be clear about the risks that come with this approach. Bringing professionals into the workplace to talk about mental health and related issues can open up conversations that touch on people’s personal lives. This can include topics like relationships, domestic abuse, addiction, or trauma, which may affect how people see themselves and others in the workplace.
There may also be situations where staff are in relationships with one another, or where power dynamics already exist. When topics such as coercive control or domestic abuse are discussed, this can create discomfort or bring underlying issues to the surface. In some cases, it may even raise tensions within teams or between individuals.
There is also the possibility that someone may begin to disclose something personal to a manager or colleague. If that person is not trained to hold that conversation, it can place them under pressure and may impact their own wellbeing. This is why it is essential that workplaces are mindful of boundaries and do not place staff in positions where they are expected to act as therapists.
For this reason, the purpose of bringing professionals into the workplace is not to encourage disclosure or to explore people’s personal experiences in detail. It is about awareness, education, and signposting.
The role of the professional is to share information, raise awareness, and provide clear guidance on what support is available. The role of the workplace is to ensure that there are appropriate systems in place so that if someone does need help, they know where to go and can access the right support.
If there are concerns about issues such as domestic abuse, addiction, or mental health, the responsibility is not to investigate or intervene directly. Instead, it is to provide information, signpost to appropriate services, and allow trained professionals outside of the workplace to do the deeper therapeutic work. This approach keeps both staff and organisations safe, while still creating space for important conversations to happen.
Cassim