Interview with Dr. Robert Chandler, Clinical Psychologist, Director of Corporate and Workplace Services
Tell us about The LightHouse Arabia and what it is you do
The Lighthouse Arabia is a community mental health clinic based across two locations, in Dubai. The LightHouse is an outpatient mental health clinic that was established in 2011 by Dr. Saliha Afridi and Dr Tara Wyne to serve the mental health needs of children, adults, families, and couples as well as provide for free community support to individuals through our 20+ support groups and our free community education webinars. In the recent years, one of our ever-growing business functions is our Corporate and Workplace Services. We work collaboratively with multinational organizations, companies, and government entities to promote, support, and imbed cultures of workplace wellbeing, mental health literacy and psychological safety in a strategic way.
Why is Mental Health for corporate employees so important right now?
Local data from the GCC shows that around 1 in 3 employees is currently struggling with their mental health, chronic stress, or burnout, compared to the world average of 1 in 4. The combination of a fast-paced, demanding work environment, an ever-digitally connected and ‘on call’ world, and existential anxiety resulting from things like Covid-19 and climate change, leaves employees feeling the strain. In order to recruit and retain talent, companies know that they have to make the mental health and wellbeing agenda a priority – it is no longer a negotiable.
How exactly do you help organizations?
We meet with organizations to ascertain their baseline; what initiatives, programs and policies do they currently have in place? Where do they want to get to in terms of wellbeing culture and employee mental health? What then follows is a highly individualized strategic plan to meet those needs – the ‘How’. Each company’s program is unique but can include interventions that target the whole workforce (e.g., seminars, mental health literacy trainings), leaders (e.g., workshops, leadership awareness journeys), and individuals (e.g., corporate counselling), or through offering consultation and strategic counsel with HR and leaders.
Sometimes companies will reach out for a one-off or series of seminars to get the conversation around mental health going in the organization. But we find that working with companies on a longer term, strategic level is the most effective way to truly move the needle on mental health in the workplace.
What are the benefits for an organization which has invested in your services?
All our Corporate and Workplace team are psychologists and clinicians; meaning, they combine the very best elements of evidence based mental health treatment science, with their deep expertise in organizational psychology, to deliver high quality, accessible services to our corporate clients. Our outcome data demonstrates that employees feel more knowledgeable, more skilled, and more confident in identifying and safeguarding the mental health of themselves and their colleagues because of their work with us.
Do you have a successful case study that you can share?
There are companies who have partnered with us for the wellbeing and mental health of their employees and have seen a significant in employee engagement and productivity. Employees want to know that the wellbeing program is more than a monthly webinar and there are things that are being done such as, money being invested in training programs and capability building for employees who are training Mental Health First Aid or Mental Health Champions. These team members then have the skills and the confidence to have sensitive conversations with their team members about mental health, and are able to ask for what they need, or speak up for what they believe in because they have invested time, energy, and money in building a team that has psychological safety.
What are your top THREE tips for organizations to promote a culture of psychological safety?
1. Leaders should model vulnerability: sharing stories of difficult times, normalizing vulnerability, and speaking of their own mental health challenges is the cornerstone of psychological safety.
2. Mental Health First Aiders: Having colleagues trained in MHFA is essential. MHFAiders start conversations on the ground regarding mental health and help to normalize the conversation around mental health.
3. Start conversations in the workplace with ‘How are you, really?’. In busy workplaces, social niceties get in the way of honest conversations, which foster cohesion, connectedness and belonging.
Your certifications include ‘Mental Health First Aid Training’, tell us more about this course and how it can help business leaders/CEOs?
Mental Health First Aid is an internationally accredited, evidence-based program that is run across the globe. MHFA gives the skills, tools and confidence to employees to spot the signs of common mental health difficulties (including anxiety, depression, and substance misuse) in both themselves and others, and to sensitively and empathically approach their colleagues to direct them onto the right professional support. We know that treating employee mental health difficulties early is key in reducing absenteeism, presenteeism and staff attrition; MHFAiders play a crucial role in any organization of early intervention and signposting.
What is your most in demand certification in the Middle East right now?
Mental Health First Aid continues to be highly sought after, as companies are aware of the evidence which supports its inclusion in any mental health program. Our masterclass on identifying, manging and preventing burnout in the workplace is another sought after session. Where companies struggle to get executives and decision makers on board with the mental health agenda, our ‘Advocates workshop’, designed specifically for leaders is very popular, as well as our Group Learning Journeys, where we take groups of leaders on a multitouch point journey over a 6 month period, with the goal of increasing group cohesiveness, self-awareness, and management of relational patterns with others.
What are your goals/your mission as an organization in the Middle East over the next 10 years?
Our vision and mission remains the same today as it was when we were founded 12 years ago: to provide quality, accessible, mental health support for everyone, everywhere. Our work with corporations and organizations will continue to support us as we move towards this vision, and indeed, we’ve already made some pretty significant inroads!
How can our readers find out more about your services?
Readers can visit our website: www.lighthousearabia.com
Or email to book an initial call with one of our corporate and workplace experts: corporate@lighthousearabia.com
