Our mental health is absolutely the most important thing to look after. It’s different to physical health because you can see it and know it yourself, but with mental health you need some guidance, and that’s what My-E-Health provide.

Mikael runs a very successful Environmental Consultancy business with around twenty employees, and they’re growing fast. He had always recognised the importance of good mental health, but it wasn’t until faced with a colleague on the brink of a breakdown, that he was struck with the reality of what happens when you don’t look after it.

“My colleague had hit the wall and had nowhere to turn. I didn’t know how to handle it. I knew I couldn’t solve it myself and I needed help.”

Mikael tried many different avenues but wasn’t getting anywhere. With the situation escalating, he knew his colleague needed help, and something had to happen quickly.

“Fast help is key. I looked around everywhere for help and I didn’t find it. I signed up online with a large national provider and no one called me for two weeks. It’s too late then. I needed action.  When we finally get some help, I wasn’t getting any feedback on how my colleague was progressing in therapy, and I thought we needed more help. After several unsuccessful attempts with the large national provider, Mikael finally contacted My-E-Health.

He’d had a meeting with My-E-Health several months before and knew about the work they were doing to help businesses and individuals identify potential mental health issues and then provide full-service access to certified healthcare providers such as counsellors and psychologists. “So, I called My-E-Health, and within two days they took over the task of helping my colleague. It made a huge difference to me knowing that it was being taken care of properly”.

Having access to this support helped both Mikael and his colleague in many ways.

“My colleague immediately got the help and had a lot of intensive sessions with a therapist, about 8 hours per week for three-weeks, we saw a remarkable change as he started to get back on his feet. It also helped him to see that it was time to move on and find the next challenge in life. We have now parted ways, but it worked very well. It was a mutual decision and best for both of us”.

Mikael recognises that accessing these services earlier, could’ve prevented his colleague reaching the point where drastic intervention was needed. Having the ability to understand your employees’ mental health and act before they get to breaking point is invaluable. Not only for the well-being of colleagues and friends, but for the business; because burned out, anxious and depressed employees cost money. Preventing them getting to this stage saves a lot in the long run.

“I’m very satisfied with My-E-Health, they’ve been a great help, and I definitely see us working together again in the future”.