In light of new ISO standards that affect Australian workplaces, it makes business sense to invest in staff well-being and workplace relationships. We offer:
- Confidential Staff Counselling (Employee Assistance Program)
- Professional and Executive Coaching
- Team and Leadership Development Programs
- Workplace Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Confidential Counselling (Employee Assistance or EAP)
We’re here to support your organisation, whether its large or small. Our large and diverse team of experienced practitioners provide confidential counselling for any issue that staff may be experiencing, either personally or professionally. These programs are often known across all industries as an Employee Assistance Service (EAS) or an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
EAP sessions are confidential and can be used to obtain support with issues such as:
– Stress, anxiety or depression
– Grief, loss, addiction and other emotional well-being issues
– Relationship conflict (home or work)
– Career development or career change
– Communication skills and conflict management tools
If you prefer, we can invoice you anonymously so your HR / Finance person does not know who in your organisation is utilising EAP. Typically, workplaces offer four (4) paid sessions per calendar year to any employee who needs it; although some offer three per year, and other workplaces keep it open-ended.
Our expertise in mental health, relationship science, and human development means your business can retain its people and get the most from your staff. We also offer EAP counselling support to employees’ partners and immediate family members of your employees (including children). Supporting the overall well-being of your employees and their families makes good business sense long-term.
To find out more about how EAP works or to obtain a written agreement for us to provide EAP services to your organisation, please contact our Practice Manager, Irina Gibson, on (07) 3726 5595 or manager@northbrisbanepsychologists.com.au
EAP sessions can take place in-person at our two North Brisbane clinics, or by phone or through our easy-to-use, secure teleconferencing software.
Professional and Executive Coaching
Some of our experienced team members have post-graduate qualifications in Business and Organisational Psychology and offer professional coaching and performance coaching. If you’re committed to life-long learning, professional sustainability, and achieving your goals, coaching is a great option. Click here to read more about professional coaching services with our Director, Dr Rachel Hannam.
Team and Leadership Development
We also offer organisational development services within our areas of expertise. These include:
- Compassionate Communication
- Authentic Leadership
- Cultivating Resilience, Preventing Burnout
- Developing High Performing Teams
- Self-Leadership
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessments and applications
- Managing Conflict for More Connection
- Strategic Thinking
Everything we present is tailored to the needs of our clients. We consult with you when developing our delivery strategies. This ensures that our program complies with your business-as-usual requirements, while also meeting the skilling objectives you identified for your staff. Our flexible approach allows us to use a blend of different learning solutions, including:
- Personal development workshops for small to mid-sized groups — from two hours duration to full day
- One-on-one and small group coaching
- Development of client-specific learning resources
- Facilitated meetings and workshops for groups and teams of all sizes
Workplace Mediation and Restorative Dialogue
We can help with all kinds of workplace problems, large and small. As conflict management specialists, we identify the issues and unmet needs underpinning the conflict before determining the likelihood of a mediated dialogue succeeding. When appropriate, we discuss our findings with relevant managers or Human Resource staff before proceeding to mediation between conflicted parties.
We help those caught in conflict find a way to repair relationships and work productively with their differences. To discuss options for mediation or restorative dialogue, contact Dr Rachel Hannam on rachel@northbrisbanepsychologists.com.au or 0478 789 321.
Our Approach to Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management
We are optimistic
- Conflict can be positive because it’s healthier to address strong disagreements than avoid them. Many people find it difficult to address disagreements calmly and objectively, pretending to agree instead. When denied problems inevitably erupt, calm and objective dialogue seem impossible. We show people how to recover the calmness and objectivity they need to address their conflict in a positive manner.
- Conflict offers rich opportunities to learn! The opportunity to learn more about ourselves and how we can better relate to others. The opportunity to reflect on our behaviour, and how it may have contributed to the disagreement. The opportunity to learn the role our emotions play in conflict. The opportunity to learn collaborative problem solving techniques, and put them into practice. We work with our clients to transfer as much of our knowledge about conflict resolution as possible.
We are empathic
- We know how conflict feels, that there are times staff feel disempowered or devalued. We know how emotion overwhelms common sense in the heat of an argument. So we understand how difficult it can for staff to admit they are in conflict and need help. Our experience and understanding allows us to resolve dispute.
- We focus on needs rather than a quick “settlement”. Pushing people to agree before they are ready never works. By building rapport with all parties involved, and by modelling truthful communication, we show staff that there are alternative ways to work through conflict. Alternatives that lead, in due course, to greater shared clarity and mutual understanding.
We are responsive
All situations are unique. An approach that works with one business or organisation may not work for another, however similar they appear. So we respond to your needs. We tailor our approach to the realities of your organisation, the workplace experience, and the emotional state of staff.
We are practical
During mediation, we guide participants through a set of incremental processes, developing their ability to:
- Identify their needs and emotions
- Separate fact from emotion, allowing them to put forward their views without allocating blame
- Express their needs and emotions to someone they regard as hostile to them, in a way that makes it easier for that person to hear what is being said
- Listen while the other person expresses his or her needs and emotions
- Paraphrase their understanding of the other person’s point of view, so they know they have been heard
- Develop a shared appreciation of the events that led to the conflict
- Identify needs and emotions that all participants share in common
- Identify the core issues which they need to resolve
- Work together to develop sustainable solutions to their shared problem
We are systemic
Conflict does not arise in isolation. The risk of conflict is heightened when people are working under stress, when they lack developmental opportunities, when they feel unacknowledged. Any conflict can point the systemic issues that the organisation as a whole may choose to address. After mediation, we can provide feedback to the key leaders in your organisation if appropriate. During our conversations with your people, we may identify systemic organisational issues that have contributed to the conflict. We may identify developmental needs which have not been met. Coming from outside your organisation, we may perceive issues that have escaped your attention – not because we are any wiser, but simply because we see the situation through a fresh set of eyes.