According to The Conference Board of Canada, one in five Canadians reported a mental health concern before the Coronavirus became a worldwide pandemic. Though the numbers aren’t available yet, COVID-19 will likely result in a surge of short term disability (STD) cases in Canada.
So what can an employer do? Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is one option that may reduce mental health claims.
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
CBT is a form of psychotherapy where you learn to change your perceptions and how you see things in your life. Created in the 1960s, CBT has shown to be helpful for people of all types of backgrounds, no matter their age, income, or education.
How can CBT help your employee’s mental health?
If COVID-19 has left your employees stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed, CBT can help reinforce positivity, help change a person’s mindset, and see situations from a different perspective. It is a short-term therapy that is intensely focused on being more aware and helps establish goals to work towards creating accomplishment in oneself and one’s abilities. It can also help employees:
- Identify problems more clearly.
- Challenge underlying assumptions that may be wrong.
- Understand how past experiences can affect present feelings and beliefs.
- Stop fearing the worst.
- See a situation from a different perspective.
- Better understand other people’s actions and motivations.
- Stop taking the blame for everything.
- Focus on how things are, rather than how they think they should be.
- Face their fears rather than avoid them.
- Describe, accept, and understand rather than judge themselves or others.
How does CBT work?
Some therapies focus on the past, whereas CBT focuses on the present and how you can understand your current feelings and beliefs. It emphasizes the need to identify, challenge, and change how you view a situation.
Research has shown that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can reduce the symptoms of mental and physical health conditions that some other treatments are unable to relieve. One of the reasons it works so well is that it’s very focused and goal-oriented.
For more information on CBT and it’s many benefits, you can view our fact sheet here.
What training options are available?
We offer one on one CBT therapy as well as health and wellness training and coaching for larger groups. Want more information on our Cognitive Behavioural Therapy services?
Get in touch with us for a FREE 30-minute consult today!
