Working as a Counselling Psychologist in the Covid-19 pandemic

I have often been asked how I've found working through the pandemic and admittedly it's a rather difficult answer to give at times!

It's been a privilege to work with such front-line staff and have an insight into everything they have experienced that can only be imagined. This isn't just limited to their work, it's also the sacrifices and challenges they have faced outside of work too, i.e. not being able to see their loved ones, partners being furloughed and or made redundant, along with changes with children's schooling needs to mention a few. This resulted in different levels of stress present, almost building a sense of resentment too. However, going to work can bring its positives too, of routine and interaction with others, amongst a form of normality that's been craved on many levels.

I supported staff by facilitating a combination of semi-debriefing sessions along with providing some mindfulness meditation sessions too which lasted up to an hour at a time. Sometimes they were in a group / team and at other times I worked with them individually. The trust had set up rooms dedicated to staff support which was very helpful and supportive under the circumstances.

Many themes came through for staff groups which included their own physical and mental health well-being, the reality of isolating and shielding as well as working from home, both the perks and challenges to this. Sessions were delivered in person and on MS teams to support as many staff as possible.

Alongside managing staff changes, adjustment to life inside as well as outside work was my own challenges. I didn't realise how much going on holidays and having planned breaks was a coping strategy for myself until the pandemic. Having had a few holidays booked for last year, these all resulting in cancellations left a sense of having to rely on my resilience and adjustment skills. But this wasn't just a practical mindset adjustment it affected my mood too. At times supporting others' mood can be difficult especially when I was still trying to understand what I was feeling and how I felt I was coping with all this. This can happen regardless of the pandemic but due to the unexpected nature of the changes and things that would never have even been viewed as an issue before it was rather interesting in terms of how to feel about it all. It wasn't just at work life had changed altogether… a sense of what is normality and creating a new normality to cope with the current circumstances; but also understanding that we are in this together so there is no right or wrong way of coping, within reason. Adversity and psychological flexibility were up for question throughout all this and at times still are…

On reflection being a professional, a therapist but also being a human who is going through it too, that uncertainty that is there for everyone else is still also there for me too. This has felt overwhelming at times especially through the first wave as things felt more out of our control and it genuinely was an emotional time. At times, listening to other people's stories felt so real, at times I had to hold back on my own emotions rightly or wrongly as my role was to contain their emotions, but I also wanted to show I felt this pain and could totally relate to it too. Looking retrospectively my skills were challenged immensely at times but now I feel and see the development within myself across many areas of my life especially where these skills are transferable.

Dr Sindeep Lehl is a Principal Counselling Psychologist, working within the NHS. She specialises in physical health, especially obesity, and is a member of the BPS, BABCP, SIGOPAC, and the EMDR academy.