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More people than ever are turning to therapy for help with various issues, but fitting it into a busy work schedule can be challenging. Sometimes, managing therapy within the constraints of work duties and commitments can seem like an impossible task. That can be a barrier to getting the help one needs to feel better, address a challenge, or improve overall wellness.
Thankfully, there are ways to balance therapy for busy professionals to make it a manageable commitment. For suggestions in this area, we reached out to Dr. Beau A. Nelson, DBH, LCSW, Chief Clinical Officer at FHE Health. Dr. Nelson is licensed in a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy known as Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and once trained with Albert Ellis, the man who invented it. What follows are insights from our conversation.
Expert Insights Into Managing Therapy for Busy Professionals
How do you prioritize therapy when you’ve got a busy work life? Here, Dr. Nelson spent some time unpacking what it means to prioritize therapy, which can vary between individuals.
Degree of Individual Need for Therapy and Its Usefulness
“When people are feeling really bad, they’ll make more time for therapy,” Dr. Nelson said. He added that “prioritizing therapy is also about its usefulness to you, and a lot of the time, it’s about the strength of your relationship with your therapist.”
In other words, if you and your therapist have a strong “therapeutic alliance,” the clinical term, and you’re getting a lot out of your sessions, you will just naturally want to make space for the commitment and stick with it, regardless of how busy your life is.
Therapy as Self-Care and Crisis Prevention
If therapy is a priority for you and you have something you want to work on, Dr. Nelson said, making time for it is much like making time for other healthy resolutions like eating healthy, exercising with a personal trainer, or attending recovery meetings. In a similar vein, many people who prioritize therapy do so not because they’re in crisis. Rather, therapy is an outlet that helps them feel healthier and better equipped for the challenges of daily life.
As an illustration, Dr. Nelson used the example of a client who told him that “coming to therapy is like getting a massage every week.” “There are so many things I can talk about, and I feel so much better when I walk out, so it’s become a part of my schedule,” the client told Dr. Nelson.
In his private practice, Dr. Nelson continues to see some people on a therapeutic basis “not because they’re in crisis but because that ongoing support helps them keep out of a crisis.” Some clients see him routinely once a month, and others call as needed.
How to Balance Work and Therapy
What recommendations did Dr. Nelson have for balancing work and therapy for busy professionals?
Whatever is important for you, you’ll find time for. If you can’t find time for it, you’ll have to suffer the consequences or reap the rewards,” Dr. Nelson said. “Life is a constant series of choices and figuring out what our priorities are.
Starting Small with a Few Sessions or a Short-Term Commitment
For those who aren’t sure they can make therapy work in their schedule, Dr. Nelson recommended starting small with just a few sessions. He put it this way:
If I’m not feeling my best, am I willing to try a few sessions of therapy as an opportunity, and if that does help, is it something I’d like to maintain? Many people don’t have a support system or a best friend who can offer suggestions without taking control. If having a professional therapist enhances or adds something to your life, helps you break some patterns, or find some accountability, that will be a choice that you can make.
Some therapies are also geared toward a short-term commitment. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, for example, is a shorter-term therapy that can yield long-term results.
Deciding What Works Best for You
What therapy solutions tend to work well for working people? From Dr. Nelson’s experience:
The kind of therapy that’s most effective for people really varies. There are people who want to come to a doctor’s office and need that separation from their life and everything else. It’s like going to church rather than praying at home: They like the face-to-face interaction. Other people are looking for more convenience and choose virtual therapy or asynchronous therapy (in the form of text messages and emails encrypted with security features).
“The key here is, for a lot of people, depending on where they are and what their preferences are, there are a lot more options today that enable people to connect with professional supports,” Dr. Nelson added.
Therapy for Busy Professionals & Individuals
Therapy can also contribute to greater work-life balance for people with busy lives. In this sense, the investment of time pays off if there is a commitment to follow through with it. Dr. Nelson used the analogy of exercise:
A lot of people want to increase their exercise but complain they’re too tired to exercise and sit on the couch and nap. The problem with that is that sitting on a couch and sleeping longer won’t increase your energy. It’s the same thing with therapy. If you do have an underlying chronic stress issue that’s affecting sleep, creating health issues, or contributing to unhealthy habits like eating junk food, a therapist can hold you accountable to making positive changes in your life, help you discuss an issue that you need to make a decision about, or address unhealthy coping behaviors in the wake of a traumatic or difficult event.
Therapies That Work Better for Stress Management
Are certain therapies more effective for stress management, and if so, which ones? Once again, Dr. Nelson emphasized the importance of therapy that is personalized to an individual’s needs:
Each person’s situation, history, and health are so unique and different that, while we find CBT is an effective treatment for stress, anxiety, and disorders, there are other things that can work that may not necessarily work for you. It has to do with the individuality and preferences of the person.
Dr. Nelson added that if an individual does not find therapy helpful, they should try yoga or mindfulness meditation.
Concluding Thoughts
Starting therapy can be “a huge leap of faith for people who may not have experienced the benefit before, view therapy as a sign of weakness, or face cultural issues or financial challenges with the prospect of therapy,” Dr. Nelson said. “At the same time, if therapy could be helpful in your journey, why not try it? If it isn’t useful, you can stop.”
Get the Support You Need with FHE Health
Therapy shouldn’t feel out of reach for anybody. FHE Health proudly offers flexible therapy options for busy professionals. Our team can help you find the right approach, whether you’re looking for short-term or ongoing support. Call (844) 423-3525 to learn how we can make therapy work with your lifestyle.
