COUNSELLING PROBLEM

New working hours affected the client’s relationship and work-life balance

SOLUTION: Most of all face-to-face counselling helped address these challenges

A restructuring of the team was announced at the head office where Pari worked. First of all this meant several changes to shift patterns and working hours. Pari contacted the EAP. She had young children and was struggling to balance her new working hours with her family time. She had found that this imbalance was also putting pressure on her relationship with her partner. Consequently, he felt neglected and did not understand the pressures of her job.

And, a member of the EAP counselling team called her and explained the availability of free relationship counselling session using the employee assistance programme. The counsellor spoke with Pari and her partner separately to assess the suitability of relationship support and to determine their joint goals. Following this, they both attended relationship counselling sessions with a counsellor close to their home. The sessions were scheduled in the evenings at a time that suited the couple’s busy schedule. It helped to have a mutually safe space to openly talk through the challenges that each of them was facing. it gave them space to be heard by one another, and to look at ways they could work together. As a result, this helped to ensure they could balance their work and family lives better.