Forty-six percent of women attend therapy on a regular basis.
While therapy often focuses on personal mental health wellbeing, it can also be a powerful space to explore professional challenges. If work is causing you stress, occupying a lot of mental space, or bleeding into other areas of your life, it’s worth bringing to your next therapy session.
Your therapist might not be an expert in your field or know the ins and outs of your role, but they can help you navigate many common and not-so-common work issues. Erica Oberhand, a licensed clinical psychologist, suggests exploring these seven different work themes with your therapist:
7 work themes to explore with your therapist
1. Imposter syndrome
Studies have shown that one in three workers have reported experiencing imposter syndrome, or doubt in their professional abilities or achievements, with 55 percent of women under age 30 saying they feel they are not good at their jobs at times. If you’re experiencing self-doubt, feel as though you’re undeserving of the accolades you’ve acquired, or if you attribute your success to external factors like luck or happenstance, it may be worth sharing this with your therapist. Talking through these feelings and understanding that you’re worthy of the position you're in is important for maintaining your wellbeing and excelling in the workplace.
2. Communication styles
We’re not always aware of the ways in which we express ourselves or interact with coworkers. We may think we’re being assertive, but perhaps we’re perceived by others as aggressive. Your therapist can walk you through the four different communication styles (passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and assertive) and help you understand what’s most effective in your workplace, keeping in mind that “communication styles can be culturally laden, and therefore influenced by the cultures of the geographic region, the particular workplace, and the employees themselves,” says Oberhand.
3. Privilege and perspective
Do you want to be a better ally in the workplace? Or do you want to be able to identify your allies? If given the opportunity, do you want to use your privilege to elevate others’ voices? “Given intersectionality, most people have some degree of privilege and some disadvantages,” says Oberhand. “Therapy is a place to explore [this] and now that diversity, equity, and inclusion are falling out of style and even being punished or criminalized in some workplaces, [you may be asking yourself], ‘will you still do the right thing when no one is looking? What about when everyone is looking?’” Your therapist is a great resource for discussing these challenges which are erupting more often due to ongoing administrative changes.
4. Discrimination, microaggressions, and personal biases
“If you're on the receiving end of discrimination or microaggressions, it can be important to explore how this affects you in and out of the workplace. Feelings of hurt or anger are common and being subject to undue criticism or excessive scrutiny can understandably cause people to be perfectionistic, work longer hours to exceed all requirements and expectations, and result in issues such as fatigue, burnout, and chronic stress,” Oberhand explains.
Alternatively, it’s important to reflect on your own biases. We all have them, conscious or not, and your therapist is a great person to help walk you through them and understand the ways in which they may be shaping your perceptions, interactions, and decisions at work. Creating space for this kind of self-reflection can lead to greater awareness, stronger relationships, and a more inclusive approach to collaboration and leadership.
5. Workplace culture and its impact on your wellbeing
Every company is shaped by its shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and practices, and you may or may not like them all. Talking to your therapist about the culture and how it influences your thoughts and feelings in the workplace can be really helpful in managing day-to-day challenges. A therapist can also help you figure out what you like about the culture, what you don’t, and ways you might be able to influence or change it.
Workplace culture can also shape your sense of belonging, motivation, and even your long-term goals. If you’re feeling out of sync with your environment or questioning whether it aligns with your personal values, a therapist can help you sort through those feelings and decide what’s worth adapting to and what might signal a deeper need for change.
6. What role work plays in your life
How important is your job to you? Are you passionate about what you do? Or are you working primarily to support your family, pursue other interests, or maintain a certain lifestyle? “Having a sense of your job’s purpose and role in your life can give you clarity on where to best invest your time and energy,” Oberhand says.
Keep in mind, this can shift over time. Major life changes like caring for an ailing relative, becoming a new parent, or simply wanting to travel more can influence how work fits into your broader priorities.
7. Managing your mental health in the workplace
Your personal stress doesn’t stay at home when you head to work. If you wake up feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or mentally drained, it’s bound to shape how you show up, respond to challenges, and interact with others on the job. A therapist can help you build healthier habits and coping strategies tailored to your work environment. They can also help you recognize how neurodiversity (such as ADHD) as well as things like anxiety or PTSD might show up at work and how to navigate them with more awareness and support.
Be more mindful of your mental health in the workplace
You don’t have to talk about work in your therapy sessions, but considering how much time we spend in the workplace it can be beneficial. A therapist can talk you through work issues, also help you identify ambitions, your goals, and how you envision what you hope the next five or 10 years look like.
Before broaching some of these topics with your therapist, Jessica January Behr, ounder and director of Behr Psychology, suggests asking yourself the following questions:
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What values guide how you show up in the workplace?
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Are there parts of yourself that you feel you hide or edit in the workplace? If so, why?
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When do you feel like your most authentic self at work? When do you feel the most disconnected from your authentic self?
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In what ways does your work affect your self esteem?
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How have you grown through your career? Emotionally, socially, intellectually?
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What has surprised you most about the evolution of your professional identity?
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What are your career goals and why are they important to you?
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What would achieving those goals mean for your identity?
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How would you feel if you did not achieve those goals, and why?
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Do you feel seen and valued by your colleagues and supervisors?
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When do you feel most recognized and appreciated in the workplace?
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When do you feel the most invisible?
“Discussions might center around how your professional environment impacts self-esteem and self-concept, as well as how aspects of the self are either expressed or suppressed at work, and reflecting on what that feels like for you,” she says. “Reflecting on how you've grown and developed over the course of your career can offer insight into both your personal and professional identity.”
Therapy isn’t just a place to process personal issues; it’s a space to reflect, grow, and show up more fully in every area of your life, including work. Whether you’re navigating burnout, exploring your purpose, or trying to become a more inclusive leader, bringing some of these conversations into therapy can help you gain clarity and build resilience. After all, work is personal, and understanding your relationship to it is a powerful step toward protecting your mental health and shaping the career you want.
