Work and School Concerns
Addressing work and school related concerns in Silicon Valley
Although people spend about thirty percent of their adult lives at the workplace or at school, these areas are a common source of stress for many. The workplace or school environments are communities in which people with various backgrounds, character traits and world perspectives interact. It is unrealistic that a workplace or school exists where everybody's roles, expectations, and personality traits work perfectly together and without conflict. These differences are a potential source of friction, leading to increased work or school-related conflicts and negative psychological symptoms in certain individuals.
Research has shown that when employees/students experience increased levels of stress in these respective environments, there exists a higher prevalence of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. In addition, these conflict at work/school can lead to decreased performance and productivity, loss of job/termination, decreased satisfaction/happiness, stress, and a wide variety of mental health issues. Those in the workplace or students may find speaking about their work/school related challenges with a trained psychiatrist is helpful to them both professionally and personally. What are common issues that arise in the workplace or school?
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Interpersonal conflict
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Performance difficulties
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Communication Difficulties
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Gossip
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Bullying
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Harassment
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Discrimination
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Decreased motivation and job satisfaction
Executives and Entrepreneurs
Maximizing the effectiveness of executives/entrepreneurs in high stress jobs in the Bay Area
Many positions in Silicon Valley involve a particularly high degree of stress. One theory, known as the job demand-control model, promotes the idea that people who have demanding jobs with little autonomy experience high levels of stress. Additionally, the model posits that individuals who feel they have little influence in the company in which they work are more likely to experience elevated levels of stress levels in the workplace. Work-related stress is a significant problem, with an estimated forty percent of workers who describe their jobs as very stressful. In addition to exacerbated mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia, these increased levels of stress can lead to physical health problems such as heart attacks, hypertension, and chronic pain.
How can psychotherapy and psychiatric treatment help with workplace stress and conflicts?
There are many ways in which therapy, and medication management if appropriate, is useful to help resolve workplace issues. Dr. Kamis works help her patients with powerful therapy techniques teaching effective modes of communication, conflict resolution skills, self care, as well as treating other negative health outcomes exacerbated or triggered by the workplace, such as depression and anxiety. In addition, Dr. Kamis will work with her patients to teach healthy coping skills that they may use to manage work-related stress. She also implements the cognitive behavioral therapy model to aid her patients in identifying and adapting unhealthy thoughts. This often yields an improved mood and sense of well-being while integrating strategies such as mindfulness, meditation, and other stress management techniques during her sessions. These skills can then be used in the workplace to improve one’s experience at work.