Organisational Solutions

We work with your company or agency to assess what the issues are and then we collaborate with you to tailor a solution that best suits.

We are skilled in providing interactive and evidence-based training in Emotional Resilience, Effective Communication, Assertiveness, promoting Respect and Diversity at Work (creating harassment-free workplaces) as well as a range of initiatives from mediating conflict to developing organisation-wide well-being programs.

Bootcamp for the Brain

“The Accidental Counsellor”: Responding Well to Challenges in the Workplace

This workshop helps participants to have difficult or challenging conversations with staff members, colleagues and even friends and family members, while they maintain poise, calm and objectivity. Sometimes, we will find ourselves in situations where we will need to respond or witness the pain, distress, or suffering of another person. Such times can be difficult and a challenge to navigate. Although most of us are not necessarily a “counsellor” or “therapist” this doesn’t prevent us from responding well to people in need of support or a being “listening ear”.

The Accidental Counsellor course will provide participants with the skills and confidence to respond to people in distress, and be present, calm and helpful during challenging conversations. In this workshop attendees will learn:

• Communication skills for active, empathic and effective listening
• Ways to identify the signs that people may need emotional support
• How to create psychological safety
• Techniques to respond to distress
• The limits of your role in providing support: rescuer v helper
• Skills to develop boundaries, limits and self-care strategies
• Support options and referral information to provide further assistance

Workshop learning will be assisted with active learning scenarios, case studies and group practice and discussion.

Mental Health Awareness for Managers

Unfortunately, mental illness in Australia is very common. Depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders are experienced by approximately 1 in 5 people in any given year. Almost half of Australians (45%) will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. So, it is highly likely that managers will need to deal with people experiencing a mental health issue or crisis at some point in their working lives. This can be a challenging experience for Managers; however, it is a crucial part of their people management role. In this workshop, managers will learn:

• The signs and symptoms of common mental health problems and their prevalence
• How a trauma informed approach can assist in the workplace
• How to provide initial assistance and triage for staff in distress: mental health first aid
• Understand your limits as a manager or “helper”
• Where and how to obtain professional help and referral options
• Preventing vicarious trauma or “compassion fatigue”

Our workshop is based on best practice, evidence-based strategies and participants will have the opportunity to engage in group discussion, case studies and active learning scenarios in a supportive, small group environment.

Self-care for Managers

Managers and leaders in organisations play a crucial role in managing, supporting and guiding their staff, as well as looking after others in the workplace. However, we often find that while managers are busy supporting others, they can frequently neglect to take care of themselves, both physically and psychologically. Leaders therefore often overlook their own well-being during times of stress, high workloads and busy day-to-day operations. Managers very often set the tone for how employees and other staff behave in the workplace. When leaders become run down, emotionally drained, or exhausted, they are vulnerable to health risks associated with stress. This scenario can limit a person’s ability to think creatively and innovatively, and to deal with issues and problems at work when they arise. Unwittingly, managers can influence others to create a less than functional dynamic in the workplace. Therefore, it is important that managers “put their own oxygen masks on first” before assisting others, and model appropriate self-care behaviours.

In this workshop, managers will learn about the following core concepts of self-care:

• Signs and symptoms of stress and burnout
• Understanding your own stress “signature”
• Mindfulness strategies for calm and deliberate decision making
• How self-compassion can boost resilience
• Managing your energy wisely
• Develop your own self-care and energy management plan

Managers will have the opportunity to learn and practice skills to manage their own self-care, and commit to a durable and sustainable plan for their future self-care needs with practical strategies, tools and tips to support them.