Spotlight on: Karla Marie

A Q&A with one of our fab freelance mental health therapists

We all have mental health, and as a Mental Health First Aider, it’s incredibly important to me that it’s prioritised by workplaces. Since joining Accurx in June last year, I’ve felt supported to manage the ups and downs of work and life. From opening up the conversation about mental health to helping each other live by our value of balance, Accurx also offers everyone in the team free, unlimited in-house therapy sessions, whether you’re a Product Designer or a People Ops Partner.

To find out more about it, we recently caught up with Karla, one of our two freelance therapists (Jess is our other therapist!). We chatted about everything from Karla’s approach to therapy and what her sessions involve to helping people celebrate both the big and little wins in their lives. See our conversation below.

Q. So Karla, how would you describe your role?

A. I’m an eclectic, person-centred counselling therapist, which is a type of therapist or counsellor. My role is based on a discipline of person-centred counselling which has so much to it. But in a nutshell, it’s based on the belief that everyone’s an individual and that we all respond and handle situations in our own ways.

It’s a therapy that doesn’t lead. Because of that, I’m not here to tell people what to say or do. It’s about me helping people to elicit their true strengths and find solutions alongside them.

Q. And where does the ‘eclectic’ part come in?

A. My therapy’s called ‘eclectic’ because it’s informed by a really broad range of different influences such as cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamics. In my sessions, I incorporate different things from these areas depending on the person. It always depends on what the person needs. But day to day, I work according to three principles:

• Empathy: Putting myself in someone else’s shoes, giving them autonomy and going on a journey with them as they experience different thoughts and feelings.
• Congruence: Being open. It’s not about me nodding along and pretending to understand, but being honest with both who I’m speaking to and to myself. That also extends beyond my sessions. I do my best in all areas of my life to live up to all the standards and abilities I talk about as a therapist.
• Unconditional positive regard: Being as non-judgmental as possible. Obviously, we’re all human and are susceptible to these things, but it’s really not my position to judge anything I hear as a therapist.

Q. How did you get into this area of work?

A. I’ve been a psychotherapist since last year, but have been working in the capacity of mental health for about 20 years. I’ve worked in lots of different environments, such as for the NHS, the council and a charity called The Shaw Trust. That was often about providing people with mental health support to help them into employment, training and education.

Q. What are some of the common issues and challenges people might bring to you in the therapy you provide today?

A. One example is imposter syndrome, which is often about building self-belief and self-acceptance. People feel like they’re not deserving or think “I’m just pretending.” I help them to see that, actually, maybe you’re not pretending, maybe that’s just part of the journey you’re on. Because your employer chose you for a reason. So it’s about me helping people to see within themselves that they’re worthwhile, that they’re not an imposter. After all, we all start somewhere!

Beyond this, there’s definitely a broad spectrum, from having a low mood to social anxiety.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I really like the rapport that I build with people. I love the outcome of seeing people move forward from our sessions. But it’s also bittersweet. When someone says: “I feel great, and I don’t know when I’ll see you again”, it’s often a bit of a shame because I love to see them! I also love that people are so honest with me. Even if they’re more reserved for the first five minutes, I really appreciate the honesty that they come with.

At Accurx, I also love that they have so much passion for their role. I’d say 99% of the people at Accurx really feels like a family, which is lovely. On the whole, being a therapist gives me so much fulfilment. When someone who I’ve been having sessions with sends me a message saying: “Today was great!”, I’m like “Yes!”.

Q. How often do you run sessions at Accurx?

A. Three days a week! Monday, I work from home, Tuesdays and Thursdays I’m in the office from 10 am - 5 pm. But it’s not just me. Jess also offers sessions both in-person and remotely to everyone at Accurx.

Q. What would you say to someone who’s thinking of booking a session? What should they expect?

A. There’s a couple of things! Firstly, I’d say, please don’t come with any expectations. If you have some, we can definitely discuss these. But it’s more about me meeting you where you’re at.

Second, I’d say that your reason for booking a session doesn’t have to be about something terrible. People sometimes think that therapy’s the last resort, but it’s often just good to monitor your own mental health — or even have a chat. Sometimes, it’s actually about giving people the space to step back and celebrate the things that are going well, whether that’s “Yes, I just got promoted!” or “My boyfriend proposed!” or “I got a dog!”.

Third, I’d say, be yourself. We’re all human. For example, I get anxious meeting new people sometimes too. So just come along. We can discuss anything. But the most important thing to know is that it’s 100% confidential. I’m freelance, and Accurx doesn’t ask me for anything outside of confidentiality. So give it a chance and we’ll see!

Q. Are there any tips you’d give people for managing their mental health at work?

A. Give yourself a break! Take the time to go for a walk sometimes. Remember there’s a difference between overworking and getting the work done. If you’re not there for yourself, who’s going to be there for you? Give yourself some time.