Stephen Legan

I offer sessions Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, between 8am and 5pm

Inspired and motivated by my own lived experiences, those of people close to me, and conversations with a lot of people from a diverse spectrum of professions; my extra-curricular study and CPD are focussed on work-related Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, Moral Distress, and Secondary or Vicarious Trauma. 

I believe that our minds, bodies, relationships and environments are all connected, all influence each other, and all contribute to our experience of wellbeing. I also believe that people have multiple intelligences and preferences, so different things work for different people at different times. For this reason, I approach the therapeutic process Flexibly, Pluralistically, and Holistically.

Does your daily work routine involve working with other people's traumatic experiences and distress? How does that affect you? How do you cope with the effects? What supports do you have?

Empathic witnessing of other people's suffering can cause similar effects on the mind, body, and relationships, as those who experience the trauma or distress directly. Experiences can include disruptions to memory / concentration / sleep; avoidance; desensitisation; dissociation; intrusive thoughts / dreams; anxiety; lowered self-esteem; depression; loss of meaning / hope; suicidal thoughts; difficulties regulating energy levels; digestive issues; aggression; re-enactments; withdrawal / alienation; depersonalisation; difficulties with intimacy; (increased) mistrust of other people's motives and intentions; difficulties with boundary management.

Workloads, the pace of workflow, and the need to be seen to be coping, are among the reasons why these problems often go unaddressed until the person "hits a wall", or experiences some kind of crisis. 

Some people will talk to family or friends, risking breaches of confidentiality, and a ripple effect, if the person they tell is unable to process the trauma. Some people use substances to self-soothe. And whilst it is impossible to know all of the reasons why an individual chooses to end their life, the fact that there is a sustained high suicide rate in some professions suggests that there are some work-related factors.

If you want to talk about any of these things, please feel free to book a Discovery Call at www.synergostherapies.com

I recognise that coming to therapy can be daunting, and that private counselling is a significant investment in oneself. So I offer a free initial appointment, which I call a Discovery Call.

In this session I will seek to gain a clear understanding of what you would like to work on, what your strengths and preferences are, what you hope to gain from the process, and I will offer an initial plan of how we might work together.

If you then wish to continue with therapy, we will form a contractual agreement, which will include day, time and location of sessions, progress reviews, payment and cancellations.

If you would like to arrange a Discovery Call, please book via the website or email me, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.