Feeling isolated in an in-house therapist role with little support

[RowsOfFlowers]

Hi there,
I just wondered if someone could give me some advice.
I work as a mental health therapist in house for a large organisation, I’ve been there a couple yrs now. I’m based in a room at the company. I have no colleagues around me. I only have a manager that I speak to remotely, and he may visit me in person every 4-6 weeks.
I am feeling very isolated - I’ve brought it up with my manager a few times and they just say they’ll make an effort to come and visit, and it’s no more than usual which is basically monthly. Now I’ve been there a while, I feel like it is really getting to me. Does anyone have any advice, or am I better off just looking for something else? Don’t feel my manager has been that understanding or supportive.

Are you busy every day with clients from the company? If so, that is human contact, so it seems the key need is more line managment support.

If you are literally waiting to be needed, can you instigate some therapeutic groups sessions regularly on managing stress, burnout, workload, life-work balance etc which you would co-ordinate, to start to build a connection with colleagues?

No, I am not. I have two regular clients currently that I see fortnightly as they’re coming to the end of therapy.

today, I had no clients. So just sat in a room not doing anything other than reading… with no contact at all.

When you say build a connection with colleagues, who do you mean? I don’t have any in the building. I just have clients.

If you're in house, how are people referred to you? I think the previous poster was talking about starting up groups within the organisation you work for ? Or is it only 1:1 that you're allowed to do? If you're not part of a wider team then it's going to continue in the same vein and I'd suggest looking for something else with an actual team to work with rather than just you on your own and a line manager who doesn't sound particularly interested.

I don’t know the nature of how your work is funded, could you develop programs that you deliver during lunchtimes? That employees of the organisation can join? Develop training for managers etc?

So you have more things to work on and see more people day to day. Cast the net wider so to speak so you get to work with more people rather than just those who need therapy.

Tbh it sounds like the large organisation either doesn’t have much need for someone in your role or they aren’t utilising you properly.

Counselling/therapy is by its nature isolating. That’s why colleagues and supervisors are important. It’s somewhat unusual to require you to show up in person if you are not expecting a client that day, though. Are people expected to just drop in ad hoc?

Can you do some proactive work with Comms to promote your services?

So I have tried to do that. I suggested a monthly or quarterly newsletter to my manager and wrote a sample one a few months ago on winter wellbeing. My manager sent it to the company and I kept chasing but heard nothing back, so kind of gave up on that!

That’s how I feel too. It’s because clients can book in last minute for a face to face assessment with me. However, it has only happened twice in the last 6 months!!! It’s very quiet. I have asked to work from home on days I’ve had no clients and my manager has said no. It’s left me feeling a bit bitter as I have to pay for train travel ti get there and it’s an hour 15 minutes each way!

That’s how I feel too. That there’s not much need for me or I’m not being utilized enough. So I’m based at the support functions centre of the company that houses approx 500 staff. There’s another location that houses over 1000 and they have multiple therapists working there and they’re very busy.

I am thinking to leave because it doesn’t seem worth it to me, and I don’t feel supported to do other tasks or projects!

Oh how frustrating!
I actually find one of the most mentally exhausting things is being underused at work. It's really horrible.

My work do monthly wellbeing sessions, one person organised them but they get different speakers. Done over teams . I don't know how that would be received?

But some organisations have a culture of not wanting to talk about well being

Thanks for your understanding.

Yes, I agree. I feel the same about having nothing to do. I think at first it was a much needed break, but over time, I’ve found it quite stressful as I feel under-stimulated and quite lonely ☹️ I’m not enjoying it. I’m up for doing different things, but I do need the support of my manager.

I don't think this is substaniable for you mentally. You need more stimulation then you're likely to get in this role. Despite what some bosses may believe, most people don't want to sit around doing nothing all day, every day!

What company is it if you don’t mind me asking?

It sounds very similar to the situation I’m in

I don’t want to out the company online!

I agree tbh. This is what I’ve been thinking. It’s sad as it’s a great opportunity and I want it to work but it’s not really turning into the opportunity I thought it would. I thought I’d be working more as a team (with the other clinicians) and maybe doing events, webinars etc…

Lack of work is a known cause of stress, it's as bad as overwork but you get no sympathy.

It's a bit ironic that you're there to help others MH at the cost to your own.

Two days in the office with telephone/teams support on the other days sounds more reasonable. Or linking in with HR/People team to give them some admin support or something, anything to keep you occupied and provide some company.

Where is the other office with the bigger, busy team? Would you be able to transfer there? It seems insane that a private company (I assume?) are happy to pay a professional rate for someone to literally sit in a room all day!

No, I can’t transfer to the other team. They are fully staffed and there’s only a small number of rooms for them to use there and are at capacity. They want provision at the other building.

Yes, it is stressful and it’s not good for my wellbeing. I work for another team the other days of the week (remotely). I think it’s best I leave this role, it’s not sustainable. Like I said, it was fine initially, but now it’s been a year and a half, it’s kinda ground me down. There’s nothing worse than sitting in a windowless room for 8 hours doing nothing and maybe reading a few articles and sending a couple of msgs on teams or checking your emails.

What does your supervisor say?

Could you propose a rotation with staff from the other site so some days you're at your current location and some days someone from the other team is, so you aren't alone for the whole week?

Trouble is my supervisor is in a similar role for another team so she goes into an office on her own too. She kinda just gets on with it. I think we are quite different tho - I’m a lot more social, I need people around me

Doesn’t work like that as a therapist as you have a caseload of clients you see weekly so that wouldn’t work in this job. I’ve tried reaching out to them to chat but they don’t do the same back. I also get the impression that they chat to each other while they’re in the office, whereas I don’t have that. Another aspect that makes me feel more isolated.

Honestly, that’s not good enough. You are not practicing in a way which seems right to you. Find a different setting maybe?

Yeah, I’m going to I think. It’s hard out there though.