Among the various support channels that CERN makes available to its community are the Medical Service’s two independent psychologists, Katia Schenkel and Sébastien Tubau (https://hse.cern/content/psychologist).

I had the pleasure of meeting them to prepare this article.

Consulting a psychologist is often perceived by the colleagues who come to see me as an overly daunting step. People have preconceived ideas that are hard to shake: “I’m not crazy”, “I’m not sick, the system is”, “If I go and see the psychologist, it’ll be recorded in my file and harm my career prospects”, “There’s no point, I can manage alone” – these are fears that I often hear.

Today, I’d like to show you that such notions are outdated and that consulting one of CERN’s psychologists could help you cope more effectively with complicated situations that might arise and affect your mental health.

To do so, let’s look at two entirely fictional colleagues, Jenna and Paul.

When to contact CERN’s psychologists

When Jenna, a young staff member, comes to see me and mentions that she’s having trouble sleeping and coping with everyday tasks and, especially, that she feels like her difficulties are overwhelming her and she can’t cope, I identify the warning signs of potential mental distress. 

I remind her that she can go and see the CERN psychologists. I also try to figure out what kind of support she’s getting from her family, friends and colleagues. If Jenna doesn’t have any support and seems to be facing these difficulties alone, I again mention the support available from CERN’s psychologists and talk to her about how they could help.

If you find yourself in this situation, when the gap is widening between the professional or personal demands weighing on you and the resources you have to meet them, and if you start to feel like no one can help you, don’t wait to contact a psychologist. The sooner you do it, the easier it will be for you to stop this downward spiral.

CERN’s psychologists know the Organization, its processes and its working environment very well, and this can make a big difference when it comes to talking about work-related problems. Jenna might already be seeing a psychologist outside work, but that doesn’t stop her consulting one at CERN too.

How to contact them

Paul, who has a user contract, came to see the Ombud about a particularly stressful work situation, which has come at the same time as a difficult family situation. I recommended that he contact CERN’s psychologists straight away.

Paul can send an email to Psychologist-me@cern.ch. He doesn’t need to explain why he’s asking to see them, nor ask them to keep it confidential. CERN’s psychologists, like doctors, are bound by medical secrecy. Paul can say if he’d feel more comfortable seeing a man or a woman. In addition, both psychologists are fluent in English and French.

He’ll hear back from them quickly, and an appointment will be set in the coming days. The appointment can take place either at the CERN Medical Service (Building 57) or on Zoom if Paul prefers to meet online or can’t come on site.

An initial appointment doesn’t commit him to any subsequent sessions.  Paul is in full control of the process.

What happens during the appointment

Jenna

Jenna has chosen to have a face-to-face appointment with Sébastien. He listens carefully as she describes her situation and the problems she’s facing. Through active listening, he helps her express her feelings and needs.

Jenna is an extremely proficient young engineer. She always says yes to new tasks and projects and manages them brilliantly. But now she feels like she’s struggling and doesn’t want anyone to know. She’s far from her family and, as she’s a recent arrival at CERN, she hasn’t yet built a solid support network of colleagues and friends. She’s desperately trying to maintain a high level of performance, at the expense of her health. She meets all the criteria for a burn-out, and Sébastien warns her about the consequences in the long term. He gives her some cognitive tools and techniques to deal with anxiety and break the downward spiral in which she feels caught.  These techniques are remarkably effective and quickly produce very good results.

At the end of the appointment, Sébastien decides to offer Jenna a second consultation, if she wants. He also points out that CERN’s psychologists do not offer medium- or long-term psychotherapy treatment. They generally offer two or sometimes three appointments, which can already be very effective. After that, depending on Jenna’s needs, he can refer her to a psychologist in the area (France or Switzerland) who can offer longer-term treatment, possibly in her mother tongue.

Paul

Paul has made an appointment with Katia. Since he’s on sick leave, he prefers to meet her online. Paul doesn’t feel comfortable at work; he doesn’t get on with his supervisor, who micromanages his work and doesn’t trust him. He hasn’t been able to broach this subject with his supervisor. He’s constantly dwelling on this difficult situation and his anxiety is causing him to procrastinate, which, in turn, has a detrimental effect on the quality of his work and his performance.

After listening carefully to Paul and talking through the situation with him, Katia suggests that he prepare a conversation with his supervisor specifically about the issue of micromanagement and the impact it’s having on his mental health.

Over the course of two appointments, Katia helps Paul regain a sense of control over a situation in which he felt powerless. In addition, the communication techniques she teaches him will be very useful in other circumstances, too.

As you can see, CERN’s psychologists are here for you. They are professionals who can offer you some very effective tools to handle complicated situations and the negative feelings they can arouse. Why not get in touch with them? Appointments are free of charge. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

I’d also like to recommend Katia and Sébastien’s course “Mental Health Conversations For Managers”, which you can find in the CERN Learning Hub (lms.cern.ch).

Laure Esteveny

I want to hear from you – feel free to email ombud@cern.ch with any feedback or suggestions for topics you’d like me to address.

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