Speaking up on wrongdoing in your workplace can be challenging. In some cases, the stress of making a protected disclosure or ‘whistleblowing’ can have a negative impact on emotional well-being and mental health. It may also strain relationships, particularly when whistleblowing also affects family members. It’s for this reason that TI Ireland has developed a Psychological Support Service to meet the needs of individuals and family members during and after reporting wrongdoing.
There are many reasons why a person may seek psychological support when reporting wrongdoing. For example, people experiencing retaliation in the workplace making a protected disclosure can feel overwhelmed, depressed, anxious or even suicidal. There are many types of psychological support. Therapy, psychotherapy and counselling are all terms to describe types of psychological support.
To support individuals experiencing any negative impacts of speaking up, TI Ireland has developed a psychological support service. Our aim is to provide a range of services including individual and group therapeutic support.
Individual Support
Individual therapies aim to provides a safe, supportive and nonjudgmental space, where you can talk about difficult experiences and emotions and explore ways to cope and manage these feelings.
We currently offer five therapy sessions free of charge to individuals contacting our Speak Up Helpline. We may be able to offer the same support to family members if they have also been negatively impacted by their relative reporting wrongdoing.
If you decide you would like to continue with the therapy at the end of your five free sessions, this may be arranged directly with the therapist.
Group Support
We also intend to develop a peer support group for individuals who have reported wrongdoing. The aim of the peer support group is to provide a space for mutual social support between individuals who have all experienced negative impacts of speaking up. Group members can meet, share experiences, ask questions or simply listen to others in similar situations.
If you would like more information on attending the peer support group further please speak with your practitioner.
Accessing Support
If you would like to find out more about the Psychological Support Service and how to access support, please contact the Speak Up Helpline and talk to one of our trained staff.
You will have a choice of practitioners, who are Members of the Psychological Support Panel.These are all highly trained professionals who have experience in supporting individuals, including those facing difficulties for speaking-up.
Our helpline coordinators will be able to provide you with information on how to make contact and utilise the free sessions. The process is confidential and no one else will know you have accessed support.
If you decide you would like to continue with psychological support after receiving five free sessions that can be arranged with your practitioner.