Workplace psychological support
Difficulties at work, a traumatic event, conflict, organisational change, a crisis: some periods can leave an employee, or an entire team, feeling vulnerable.
Setting up psychological support in the workplace gives the people concerned a safe space to be heard and supported, while helping the organisation respond to a sensitive situation in a structured way.
Alixio Group provides individual and group psychological support and also steps in during crises, working alongside its expertise in occupational health, workplace wellbeing and psychosocial risk prevention.
When should you set up workplace psychological support?
Psychological support can respond to a one-off situation or form part of a longer-term programme.
It can be particularly useful in the event of:
- a difficult situation at work affecting an employee;
- a serious or potentially traumatic incident;
- a crisis affecting a team or the organisation;
- a public health crisis or external event likely to have a significant psychological impact on employees;
- tensions or a deteriorating working atmosphere;
- a particularly sensitive transformation or reorganisation;
- a collective situation that is emotionally demanding;
- a need identified as part of a psychosocial risk prevention approach.
The aim is to provide a response suited to the context and the people concerned, without confusing psychological support with tackling any underlying organisational causes.
What psychological support services can Alixio Group provide?
Individual psychological support
Available remotely, the confidential support line allows employees to talk to a psychologist whenever they feel the need.
Depending on the service set up, they can reach it through a freephone number dedicated to their organisation, or by email or live chat through an online platform.
It provides one-to-one support, helps people step back from their situation and, where necessary, refers them to the appropriate sources of support.
“We most often work with people who are struggling in their work situation, particularly when they are facing serious distress, burnout, depression, physical symptoms or harassment. Working conditions can play a major role, but the difficulties can also be linked to aspects of their personal life.”
On-site psychological drop-in sessions
A drop-in service makes support accessible to employees within a framework agreed with the company.
It can meet a one-off need or provide support during a period when several employees are likely to need help.
Support groups
When an incident or situation affects several people, group support can help them put into words what they have been through, in a facilitated setting.
“For example, we stepped in after an attempted assault on the premises by a member of the public. A few days after the incident, several employees were still emotionally affected. Some were wondering how they would have reacted themselves; others wanted to know how to support the colleagues directly involved without being intrusive.”
Psychological crisis response
When a serious incident or crisis occurs, the company needs to be able to organise its response quickly for the people and teams affected.
Alixio Group can deploy occupational psychologists to support employees and help the organisation tailor its response to the situation.
How do you organise support suited to the situation?
Understand the context
Identify the incident or difficulty, the people concerned and the level of support required.
Define the service
Choose the most suitable options: a confidential support line with a dedicated number, on-site drop-in sessions, one-to-one support, a support group or crisis response.
Roll out the support
Put the service in place for the employees or teams concerned, within a framework suited to the situation.
Adjust if necessary
Monitor how the service is used and adapt it when the context or needs change.
Psychological support and psychosocial risk prevention: what is the difference?
Psychological support works directly with the people or teams going through a difficult time.
Psychosocial risk prevention takes a broader view: it aims to identify and tackle the factors linked to work, how it is organised, management or working relationships that may be contributing to the difficulties.
The two approaches are therefore complementary.
Where the situation calls for it, Alixio Group can combine:
- individual or group psychological support;
- assessments of the working atmosphere and psychosocial risks;
- psychosocial risk prevention;
- conflict management and mediation;
- support, training and coaching for managers;
- workplace wellbeing training.
What role do managers and HR teams play?
Managers and HR play an important role in spotting situations that need particular attention and pointing employees towards the support available.
However, they are not meant to take the place of psychological support professionals.
Their role includes, in particular:
- spotting a worrying situation;
- listening without trying to make a diagnosis;
- knowing what support is available;
- referring people to a professional when necessary;
- maintaining an appropriate working environment;
- alerting the right people when faced with a sensitive situation.
Manager training can complement the support service, giving managers practical guidance and helping them adopt the right approach.
Support as part of a wider occupational health approach
An individual difficulty can sometimes reveal a wider problem within a team or the organisation.
That is why, where necessary, Alixio Group links the support it gives individuals with a broader analysis of working conditions, management, working relationships and the working atmosphere.
This combined approach makes it possible to act on several levels: supporting the people facing difficulties while helping the company understand and tackle the factors within its control.
Why choose Alixio Group?
Specialist professionals, available at short notice
Thanks to its regional network and professionals based close to client companies, Alixio Group can quickly deploy occupational psychologists everywhere, including in sensitive work contexts or crises.
Individual and group support
One-to-one sessions, drop-in services, support groups or crisis response can be provided depending on the situation.
An integrated approach to occupational health
Psychological support can be combined with psychosocial risk prevention, workplace wellbeing, mediation, training and support for managers.
Knowledge of transformation contexts
Reorganisations, industrial relations tensions, crises or organisational change can create specific needs. Alixio Group’s range of expertise means these dimensions can be taken into account.
Supporting people and handling sensitive situations with care
When facing a difficult situation, the challenge is to offer employees the right support while giving the company a clear framework for action.
Alixio Group helps companies design and deliver individual or group psychological support tailored to the context and the people concerned.
Q&A – Workplace psychological support
In what situations should you set up psychological support?
It can be provided after a serious incident, during a crisis, when employees face difficulties at work, or when an employee or team is going through a particularly sensitive period.
What is the difference between individual psychological support and a support group?
Individual support offers a space to be heard that focuses on one person’s situation. A support group responds to a situation experienced collectively and allows participants to express themselves in a facilitated setting.
What is a workplace psychological drop-in service for?
It allows employees who feel the need to see a psychologist within a framework organised with the company, with full confidentiality guaranteed.
What does an occupational psychologist do?
In this type of service, the psychologist offers a confidential space to be heard and supports employees facing difficulties, whether professional or personal, when these may affect their wellbeing and working life. Depending on the situation, they can also refer the person to the most appropriate sources of support.
Is psychological support enough to prevent psychosocial risks?
No. It meets the needs of individuals and teams, but it does not replace an analysis of work-related risk factors. If the difficulties have an organisational or management dimension, they must also be addressed at that level.
How should a company respond after a serious incident?
It needs to assess the situation quickly and identify the people or teams affected, so that suitable psychological support can be put in place without delay.
Depending on the context, the response can combine a confidential support line, one-to-one sessions, group support and support for managers.
