WORK STRESS


Tom helps people to identify barriers to success. He offers the insight necessary to help people understand their situation in new ways. Tom supports and guides people towards surpassing those barriers.

Many people wonder if they can still be successful at work while simultaneously reducing their work stress load. The answer is yes. By working through issues, it is possible to relieve work-related stress. People fear that without the pressure of stress, they can’t succeed. However, the opposite is true; reduced stress allows people to make clearer choices. This furthers their work in ways they may not even have yet imagined.

Tom helps individuals study the gap between goals and their achievement. Through a contextual discussion he helps reveal what gets in the way and then designs strategies for dynamic change.

Read more about work stress.

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WORK BURNOUT


How to Tell You Have Reached the Point of Burnout

People who are struggling to cope with workplace stress may place themselves at high risk of burnout. Burnout can leave people feeling exhausted, empty, and unable to cope with the demands of life.

Burnout may be accompanied by a variety of mental and physical health symptoms as well. If left unaddressed, burnout can make it difficult for an individual to function well in their daily life.

What Is Burnout?

The term “burnout” is a relatively new term, first coined in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger, in his book, Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement. He originally defined burnout as, “the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.”

Burnout is a reaction to prolonged or chronic job stress and is characterized by three main dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism (less identification with the job), and feelings of reduced professional ability.

More simply put, if you feel exhausted, start to hate your job, and begin to feel less capable at work, you are showing signs of burnout.

The stress that contributes to burnout can come mainly from your job, but stress from your overall lifestyle can add to this stress. Personality traits and thought patterns, such as perfectionism and pessimism, can contribute as well.

Most people spend the majority of their waking hours working. And if you hate your job, dread going to work, and don’t gain any satisfaction out of what you’re doing, it can take a serious toll on your life.

Signs and Symptoms

While burnout isn’t a diagnosable psychological disorder, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Here are some of the most common signs of burnout:

1. Alienation from work-related activities: Individuals experiencing burnout view their jobs as increasingly stressful and frustrating. They may grow cynical about their working conditions and the people they work with. They may also emotionally distance themselves and begin to feel numb about their work.

2. Physical symptoms: Chronic stress may lead to physical symptoms, like headaches and stomachaches or intestinal issues.

3. Emotional exhaustion: Burnout causes people to feel drained, unable to cope, and tired. They often lack energy to get their work done.

4. Reduced performance: Burnout mainly affects everyday tasks at work—or in the home when someone’s main job involves caring for family members. Individuals with burnout feel negative about tasks. They have difficulty concentrating and often lack creativity.

It shares some similar symptoms of mental health conditions, such as depression. Individuals with depression experience negative feelings and thoughts about all aspects of life, not just at work. Depression symptoms may also include a loss of interest in things, feelings of hopelessness, cognitive and physical symptoms as well as thoughts of suicide.

Individuals experiencing burnout may be at a higher risk of developing depression.

Risk Factors

A high-stress job doesn’t always lead to burnout. If stress is managed well, there may not be any ill-effects.

But some individuals (and those in certain occupations) are at a higher risk than others.

Their heavy workloads place individuals with certain personality characteristics and lifestyle features at a higher risk of burnout.

Of course, it’s not just physicians who are burning out. Workers in every industry at every level are at potential risk. According to a 2018 report by Gallup, employee burnout has five main causes:

1. Unreasonable time pressure. Employees who say they have enough time to do their work are 70 percent less likely to experience high burnout. Individuals who are not able to gain more time, such as paramedics and firefighters, are at a higher risk of burnout.

2. Lack of communication and support from a manager. Manager support offers a psychological buffer against stress. Employees who feel strongly supported by their manager are 70 percent less likely to experience burnout on a regular basis.

3. Lack of role clarity. Only 60 percent of workers know what is expected of them. When expectations are like moving targets, employees may become exhausted simply by trying to figure out what they are supposed to be doing.

4. Unmanageable workload. When a workload feels unmanageable, even the most optimistic employees will feel hopeless. Feeling overwhelmed can quickly lead to burnout.

5. Unfair treatment. Employees who feel they are treated unfairly at work are 2.3 times more likely to experience a high level of burnout. Unfair treatment may include things such as favoritism, unfair compensation, and mistreatment from a co-worker.

Prevention and Treatment

Although the term “burnout” suggests it may be a permanent condition, it’s reversible. An individual who is feeling burned out may need to make some changes to their work environment.

Approaching the human resource department about problems in the workplace or talking to a supervisor about the issues could be helpful if they are invested in creating a healthier work environment.

In some cases, a change in position or a new job altogether may be necessary to put an end to burnout.

It can also be helpful to develop clear strategies that help you manage your stress. Self-care strategies, like eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercises, and engaging in healthy sleep habits may help reduce some of the effects of a high-stress job.

If you are experiencing burnout and you’re having difficulty finding your way out, or you suspect that you may also have a mental health condition such as depression, please contact me today.

Click to Call Me: 917.887.9111
 

INDIVIDUAL THERAPY


To understand ourselves with greater clarity, lessen the stresses of life, and aid in making better choices, there is a need to study how actions relate to character. In our one-to-one, 50-minute sessions, we build a framework for the individual to close the gap between where they are and where they want to be so the individual can feel empowered and revived.

You already have the strength within you to meet your goals. However, something has been holding you back. Individual therapy helps you to identify what that “something” is. More importantly, it helps you to move past it. Through therapy, you can become empowered to meet or exceed the goals that you have set for yourself. You can also gain clarity about future goals.

Individual therapy is particularly helpful when you are in transition from one stage of life to another. For example, if you are a student who is about to enter the workforce or a professional who wants more work-life balance. It can be helpful in all stages of life; as your desires and motivations change, therapy can help you to take those changes in the true direction of where you wish to go. You have the rich opportunity to design your own life; therapy is a tool to help you get there.

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COUPLES THERAPY


We all have a positive voice inside which propels us toward building relationships. If we are to grow as a couple, we need to become more aware of ourselves, our partner, and how to communicate more effectively. These are skills that we can learn, practice, and improve upon. As we do, we become more capable of having the relationships that we desire. We also become better partners in our relationships.

Tom helps couples interact better, grow change, and move ahead with more confidence. He helps couples learn to build a more caring and dynamic relationship. Every relationship has patterns that the partners may or may not recognize. Therapy helps couples to identify those patterns and choose new ways of relating that better meet each person’s needs.

In addition to communication issues, there are many different reasons that couples come to therapy. For example, people who are parenting together may have different ideas about how to raise their children. Issues with in-laws, differences in work goals or financial habits, and challenges during life’s transitions are other common reasons that people come to therapy. Therapy helps couples to work through immediate issues as well as those old patterns. With increased insight, the problems become easier to manage, and couples are able to renew the joy and intimacy that they desire.

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CAREER COACHING


Maybe you know exactly what you want out of your career, but you aren’t quite sure how to get there. Alternatively, you may only have a gist of what you want to do with your work, and you seek help to find the right direction. In either case, career coaching can help. In fact, it’s helpful at any stage of a career.

Finding the right career, or the next step in your current career, is about looking at who you are and what you want. Sometimes that gets murky. You fall into a few jobs, you get good at a few things, and then you end up stuck. Alternatively, you do something that you like but then eventually it just isn’t as satisfying as it once was. Something is blocking you from seeing your true path, and career counseling can help.

Whether looking for a new job or embarking on a business of your own, Tom helps you identify, strategize, and execute your plan toward success. Together, you will utilize tools, assessments, and an action plan to help you achieve greater clarity and focus on what matters most to you. As you reach new levels of insight into your chosen path, you will also feel more empowered to take action towards your goals.

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SPORT PSYCHOLOGY


Tom works with professional and amateur athletes to better understand what gets in the way of reaching their goals. He works on specific ways to overcome obstacles, cope with the pressure of competition and improve overall performance.

There are many different reasons that people seek out a sports psychologist. Fear of failure, plateaus in performance, setbacks from injury, and changes in intrinsic motivation are just a few of the barriers to success in sports. People face these all of the time. Often, there is a reason beneath the surface. Counseling can help you see the reason, and work through it, while setting new goals and regaining the motivation to succeed.

Sometimes people do not even necessarily have to address specific underlying issues. Instead, they simply have a strong desire for even better performance. They simply need new tools to learn how to improve focus, handle stress, and gain consistency. Sports psychology also offers those tools. Working together with Tom, you can set high goals and see a clear path towards achieving them.

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DREAM INTERPRETATION


Want to better understand yourself and your motivations? Delving into the unconscious through dreams, Tom enlightens you to deeper personal emotional drives and intentions. You might be surprised to discover how much meaning is in your dreams. However, once you start to uncover the messages that you’ll find there, you will be able to see entirely new sides of yourself that had been hidden from your view.

Dream interpretation is helpful for a variety of people. It can be particularly useful when you have a vague feeling that something “isn’t right” or that you aren’t quite as fulfilled as you’d like to be and yet don’t have any clear reason as to why that is. You can dig into your unconscious mind for clues that will help you see the way forward.

More importantly, you’ll be able to gain a new perspective on life. This will allow you to see what works and what doesn’t, further offering you the opportunity to change old patterns and set new goals. In other words, by digging into your sleeping dream life, you will actually enhance your ability to achieve new dreams in your waking life.

Click to Call Me: 917.887.9111