We sat down with Lisa, our onsite Psychologist & Mental Health Specialist, to learn more about her role, what motivates her, and her perspective on making mental health support more accessible.
From breaking mental health myths to advocating for early intervention methods, Lisa brings compassion and a wealth of experience into her role at Bodycare.
Here’s what she had to say.
1. What inspired you to become a psychologist?
When I was at school, I had a friend who seemed to have it all. Intelligence, sporting prowess and beauty. She was also incredibly humble and immensely kind, making it rather difficult not to like her. Yet, I do remember thinking that it was a bit unfair that she had been assigned such an abundance of natural assets. How could so many gifts could be bestowed onto one individual, whose ego hadn’t run away with them?
However, one day in the beginning of Year 11, things started to take a turn. My beautiful and talented friend suddenly stopped coming to school, stopped playing representative sport on the weekend and would spend many weeknights at nightclubs partying until the wee morning hours. At the time, none of this made sense to me and I didn’t know the backstory. However, I was aware that she was deeply troubled and needed support. Her journey showed me that regardless of how things seem on the outside, no matter how well off or talented people are, no one is immune from challenges. Maybe we all have moments when we reach a fork in the road and sometimes empathy, understanding and support can determine the direction our life takes. I think it was during this time where my curiosity to understand the human condition and how this might interplay with external events was ignited.
2. If you could bust one myth about mental health, what would it be?
That you don’t need to be broken to need support. Here’s the truth: life is hard, and most of us are winging it at least some of the time. We all carry something—anxiety, guilt, shame, the work stress that never stops. For some, even trauma. Pretending we’ve got it all figured out just makes it worse. We often stigmatise mental ill-heath as a weakness, but it takes real courage to acknowledge the struggle and address it so you can do something about it.
3. What’s something people are often surprised to learn about therapy or mental health support?
People are so often surprised to learn that they are not alone with their symptoms. It seems individuals feel that their struggles are unique or that everyone else seems to be coping and have things figured out except them. When they access support, it often normalises their situation and opens an awareness as to how common their experiences can be. Without sharing their story, individuals continue to see their experiences as personal failings instead of part of the human condition.
4. What does a “typical” day look like for you here?
There is no such thing as a “typical” day which is why I love this career. It’s never the same from one day to the next, which always keeps things novel and interesting. Helping to create opportunities that allow people to realise their own strengths and starting them on their journey of discovery is incredibly rewarding. We know from research that one of the biggest influences on personal wellbeing is the meaning and purpose that we attach to things in our lives. The work we do through our education and training, providing the one-on-one support and learning and collaborating with an amazing team, makes it easy for us to have a reason to get out of bed each day.
5. What kinds of support can someone expect from talking with one of our onsite mental health professionals – even if they’re not sure what they need?
Support from one of our onsite mental health professionals can include a confidential discussion about any challenges that they may be facing, both work and non-work related. This objective exploration of challenges can often highlight different perspectives and provide new insights which can lead to more effective management strategies. The wellbeing clinician can also assist with a referral process, if longer term support is required.
6. How does Bodycare’s Onsite Mental Health program differ from traditional EAP models?
It’s Personal
The onsite person becomes a familiar face and is also engaged with delivering wellbeing education on different topics, which helps to build trust and engagement.
It’s Accessible
Having an onsite presence allows workers to speak to a mental health specialist on the spot, without having to travel to an appointment or speak to managers about how to access the service. Staff can just book an appointment with a QR code.
It’s Tailored
The service can be tailored to your people and to your workplace. Having the same person as a regular presence, allows for a deeper understanding of organizational and cultural nuances. Alongside this, a suite of bespoke training modules can be delivered both face to face, virtually or a combination of the two.
7. Do people need to have something “wrong” to come speak with one of the onsite mental health professionals?
Not at all. Part of the human condition is that every single person has challenges. Human beings are wired to connect, so it makes sense to regularly discuss things and not wait until something is “wrong” or to wait until people are running on fumes. The earlier we tackle our challenges, the better we perform, and it can greatly reduce the severity and duration of any negative symptoms.
8. What’s something small someone can do today to support their mental health?
The commitment required for real behaviour change can be tough. Most people know there’s at least one thing they can do to enhance their wellbeing, so my advice is to just choose one and make yourself accountable by making it difficult to back out.
For example, if you want to start exercising three times per week, do it with someone that holds you to account when you go on each walk, attend each gym session or whatever physical activity you enjoy the most. It’s a lot easier to find excuses and let ourselves down, but if you have a mate or trainer that is relying on you to turn up, it makes it harder to back out.
Curious about how onsite mental health services could support your team?
Learn more about our approach or get in touch to explore how we can tailor a solution for your workplace.
