City workers concerned with in-house therapy

The relentless pressures following the COVID pandemic and economic crisis have severely impacted the mental wellness and motivation of nearly two-thirds of city workers in the USA. UK’s biggest banks and top law firms have introduced mental health and wellbeing measures in a bid to tackle the mental health challenges where 15.4 million working days were lost in the UK in 2018 alone due to stress, depression, and anxiety.

Financial services companies, particularly banking institutions, have long been seen as demanding workplaces. Therapy can assist you in finding the perfect balance between your personal and professional lives, whether you're juggling multiple high-profile projects and accounts, figuring out new occupational regulation regulations, or helping clients deal with financial stress.

That sounds familiar if not obvious, but why is it so hard for city executives to seek the appropriate help in a timely manner?

Despite employers’ best efforts to offer well-being programmes and access to in-house psychiatrists, there is still a stigma and a certain level of mistrust. Stressed-out workers on the edge of burnout are consumed by anxious thoughts about their performance, productivity, and competency, which only heightens their concerns about their personal reputation. In the city, your word is your bond, and your personal brand means everything. You fear that any display of cracks in resilient armour will go on your record and you’ll be at the top of the list when the firings begin.

This fear drives city workers to skip in-house therapy and seek out therapists like myself and one of the first questions my city clients ask is “Will this go on my medical record?”

The answer is always “no”. Our conversations are confidential. The only time anything is reported to the relevant authorities is if you are likely to harm yourself i.e. suicide or harm another person.

Reach out for a discreet conversation if you feel as though the walls are closing in and you’re unable to escape from anxious thoughts and feelings that are starting to negatively affect your physical and mental health.