CORPORATE* WELLNESS: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING and LIFE QUALITY PROGRAMME  

 

A happy and motivated worker is a big asset for any company, but so often personal and interpersonal relationships hampers psychological wellbeing and optimal functioning. In our high flying society with the focus on performance and outcomes we very often neglect relationships—relationships with other people, our job as well as the relationship with ourselves—yes, we do have a relationship with ourselves too! People experience considerable discomfort if they’re alone by themselves and not at the job and working - they cannot relax any more … [Prof. Piet Muller; RSG radio programme, 2 June 2010].

 

Positive and nurturing relationships form the backbone of psychological wellbeing, optimal functioning and the quality of our lives. A person forms relationships with everyone and everything that he/she becomes involved with –also with his/her job. These relationships are usually dynamic and interactive and are initiated by the individual through his/her involvement and his/her assigning of meaning within his/her life-world. The relationship can manifest itself in an attraction or a rejection, friendliness or unfriendliness which either draws the two poles together or drives them apart. The relationship is also cognitive and affective where the affective aspect should be characterised by a caring, loving and trusting relationship and conversely, an unpleasant relationship may be neglectful, ignoring and distrusting. The cognitive quality of a relationship helps a person to perceive, understand and make sense of his world.

 

Aspects like a person’s ego, self, identity, self concept, self talk and self realisation plays an important role in relationships. If for instance a person’s ego, self concept and self talk are positive and realistic and his/her identities clearly formed, such a person is busy with selfrealisation, and could therefore attribute more meaning to relationships (also to his/her job), has more positive experiences (in his work environment) and will get more involved — with positive outcomes for the company as well.

 

Due to my special interest in relationships, psychological wellness, optimal functioning and life quality, I developed a Questionnaire on Psychological Wellbeing as part fulfilment of my professional degree (MEd Guidance and Counselling) at Unisa. The Questionnaire is founded upon the Relation’s Theory of former Unisa lecturers proff. DJ Vrey and LJ Jacobs —a theory which emphasizes the different relations a person has. The Relation’s Theory also integrates most of the important aspects of the main psychological theories like those of Allport, Jung, Freud, Frankl, etc. A big plus is the close parallel between the Relation’s Theory and fortigenesis – fortigenesis meaning the psychological strengths of people which imply a strong and realistic ego, self and self-concept, clearly formed identities and self-actualization.

 

The appearance of a new paradigm, ‘salutogenesis’ with its emphasize on the origins of health or wellness (self actualization; fully functioning personality; hardy personality; potency; stamina; learned resourcefulness), was surely in the accent since the latter decades of the twentieth century. Strümpfer (1990: 266) considers Aaron Antonovsky (1979; 1987) as the clearest proponent of this new paradigm. Strümpfer felt however, that focusing on the origins of health alone is not explaining everything and he suggested ‘fortigenesis’ because it is more embracing and more holistic than salutogenesis (Strümpfer, 1995: 82).

 

In my Psychological Wellness Programme there will be at least 3 sessions per person. The first session is a group session (about 1—1,5 hour). During the second session which is also a group session (about 1—1,5 hour) the client completes the questionnaire. Hereafter an individual third session will be arranged with each of the clients (50 minutes per person). Follow-ups can be arranged. Referrals for example to health practitioners could also be done. [In his doctorate, Jacobs (in Jacobs & Vrey, 1982: 50-120) did show that the Relation’s Theory could be used very effectively as a diagnostic as well as therapeutic tool within the new paradigm of saluto-/fortigenesis]. My main focus however is on enhancing psychological wellness amongst employees and adding more quality to their life and to the business. 

 

Although I live in Kommetjie I do travel and can do the sessions at your workplace. 

 

TARIFF: Depends on your company’s needs; the venue; number of persons, etc. A minimum of eight persons are required for this programme.        

 

Please feel free to discuss your company’s/school’s/college’s/university’s needs with me.

 

*CORPORATE also includes staff at schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, municipalities, police stations, etc.