EXECUTIVES & LEADERS
Psychotherapy for executives and senior leaders.
Senior roles bring responsibility, limited places to speak candidly and decisions that can affect other people’s work and livelihoods.
Much of the day may involve editing what you say, carrying information other people do not have and deciding what can reasonably be shared with whom. That can leave very few neutral places to think out loud.
The job changes with seniority
People are often promoted because they were good at the work itself. Then the role changes.
You are now responsible for outcomes produced through other people. You spend more time in politics, compensation discussions, restructures and conversations where everyone has an interest.
Some people discover that they are excellent at their profession and don’t particularly enjoy the senior job built on top of it.
Limited places to speak openly
A team member cannot always hear your uncertainty. A peer may also be competing for influence. Your manager has their own agenda. Your partner already lives with the consequences of the role.
Keeping some things to yourself is professionally sensible. The difficulty starts when there is nowhere left to put the unedited version.
Performance and status
Being passed over, losing scope or watching somebody younger move faster may hit harder than the organisational event alone explains.
Not every disappointment needs a psychological explanation. A decision may simply have been unfair or the organisation badly run.
The useful question is why some events continue taking up far more mental space than their practical consequences would suggest.
What happens at home
After a full day of managing yourself around other people, home often gets whatever capacity is left.
A partner asks a reasonable question and it feels like another demand. You are listening while mentally preparing tomorrow’s conversation. You keep telling yourself the pressure is temporary.
Career decisions at senior level
Leaving a senior role is rarely just a question of whether the job is enjoyable. Compensation is good. Your family is used to it. The title took years to earn. The market may be weak.
There is nothing irrational about finding that difficult.
My background
My previous career included years inside larger technology organisations and around senior decision-making. Matrixed responsibility, organisational politics and the pressure around senior roles are familiar contexts.
Common questions
Do I need to be C-suite?
No. I also work with directors, senior managers and other experienced professionals whose role carries significant responsibility, visibility or organisational pressure.
Is this executive coaching?
No. This page is about psychotherapy. Professional Coaching is a separate service for bounded professional decisions.
What if the issue has nothing to do with work?
That is fine. Seniority explains part of the context I know well. It does not determine what you bring.
Contact
Book a consultation if you want a private place to think about what is going on.