Coaching can provide a lifeline when people hit a major roadblock or mental health crisis. Dr. Brendel has extensive experience working with individuals dealing with stressful inflection points in their careers. He has helped many clients navigate setbacks and threats to their careers and financial stability.
When does ordinary stress become psychiatric disorder?
Executives and others in leadership positions are under constant pressure to perform. Whether it’s “hitting the numbers” now or strategizing for future growth, executive leaders can feel like their jobs are 24/7/365. It’s not surprising how common it is for them to be wracked by worry, lose sleep, gain weight, or feel generally overwhelmed. It’s also not surprising that so many articles in publications like Harvard Business Review focus on mindfulness, emotion regulation, and self-management.
But when do these challenges cross the line to become diagnosable psychiatric conditions? As both a Board-certified psychiatrist and an ICF-certified executive coach, I grapple with this question on a daily basis. When a prospective client inquires about whether to work with me, I need to determine whether they are a better fit for my medical/psychiatric practice or for my coaching services.
Within my coaching practice I routinely help clients develop greater self-awareness of threats to their mental, emotional, and interpersonal well-being. I work with them to improve their work/life balance, time management, and delegation of tasks at work. A particular area of emphasis is developing a sound sleep schedule. Research has shown that people in workplaces give significantly lower ratings on social and emotional intelligence scales to their colleagues who sleep less than 6 hours per night on average.
How do we know if insomnia or other manifestations of stress — such as anxiety, depression, burnout, or attention deficits — rise to the level of a clinical disorder? When an individual loses the capacity to course correct with ordinary changes over a few weeks, it may be time to seek clinical consultation. I’m an expert at determining whether symptoms rise to the level of a psychiatric disorder that might benefit from treatment with medication, psychotherapy, or other clinical approaches.
Among the most common psychiatric conditions that I see in executives and other leaders are:
In my professional practice, I begin with a 1-hour consultation (by video or in person at my office) to assess the individual’s history and current condition. We then co-construct a roadmap for psychiatric or coaching services with a strong orientation toward stabilization and ultimately thriving, development, and fulfillment. Executives and other leaders deserve a tailored approach rooted in both evidence-based best practices along with customization for their own needs.
You can schedule a consultation with Dr. Brendel by calling his office at (617) 932-1548 or sending him an email: david@drdavidbrendel.com.
What is Crisis Counseling?
Crisis counseling is an intervention to help individuals navigate through acute psychological distress, such as sudden personal or professional challenges. This form of counseling aims to stabilize immediate emotions, provide coping strategies, and facilitate a return to normal.
Example situations include:
- Poor performance reviews
- Demotions
- Disciplinary actions
- Suspensions and firings
- Legal actions
- Financial distress
- Negative media attention
- Mental and physical health problems
- Personal life changes
The coaching method in these situations is tailored to each client’s unique circumstances. By fostering trust and ensuring confidentiality, Dr. Brendel provides a safe space for the client to share the details of their situation and receive support. The client needs to pause and heighten awareness of all dimensions of the crisis. This creates the opportunity to craft an action plan to stabilize the situation, minimize harm, and open pathways toward long-term success. In all crisis coaching engagements, Dr. Brendel draws on his deep and wide-ranging expertise in psychology, executive coaching, and career management.
He has helped scores of clients to overcome the worst crises they have ever faced, pivot toward something better, and discover meaning in their work going forward. Many of his clients have gone on to thrive and achieve greater success than they had ever imagined previously. Crisis creates opportunity—and effective coaching can have a major positive impact in driving this process forward.
Dr. David Brendel’s Crisis Counseling Credentials
- Harvard-trained psychiatrist
- Certified executive coach
- Ph.D. in philosophy (University of Chicago)
- Full Certification from the American Philosophical Practitioners Association (APPA)
- Faculty Fellow, 2001-02, Harvard University Center for Ethics & the Professions (now the Edmond J. Safra Center)
- Author of multiple publications in philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, American pragmatism, and ethics
- Highly trained in metaphysics, epistemology, and logic
- Expert on existential and humanistic approaches to counseling
- Years of experience as a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, teacher, mentor, consultant, administrative leader, and counselor
Get In Touch
Contact Dr. Brendel for a consultation to assess whether his Executive and Career Coaching services are a good fit for you.
Think Talk Create
A brilliant counter-narrative for restoring humanity to the bottom-line, numbers-obsessed culture of the modern, 21st century workplace.