Award-winning EAP expert calls for enhanced workplace mental health support
Workplace staff are being placed in “impossible positions” with inadequate support, says the founder of award-winning West Midland group The Listening Centre.
Sharon McCormick, founder and Clinical Director of the employee assistance provider, has published new insights on improving workplace mental health support as World Mental Health Day 2025 focuses on prioritising wellbeing at work.
With 23 years' experience as a workplace counsellor and recognition as the gold standard for ethical EAP practice by BACP, Sharon argues that whilst Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) programmes increase awareness, they leave well-meaning colleagues unsupported in challenging situations.
"We're placing staff in impossible positions without adequate ongoing support", said Sharon, who supervises 30+ counsellors across the Midlands. "It's like teaching basic first aid but never checking if they're coping with what they've witnessed.”
Her latest blog highlights concerning research gaps, with Health and Safety Executive findings showing no solid proof that current training alone improves workplace outcomes.
She advocates professional supervision models similar to those used in counselling practice.
Key Recommendations Include:
- Proper selection and screening for first aider roles
- Regular professional supervision for trained staff
- Trauma-aware training approaches
- Clear boundary frameworks
"This isn't about perfect being the enemy of good", she said. "It's about taking good intentions and making them truly effective.”
The Listening Centre, which won Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Excellence in Customer Service and overall Business of the Year 2025, provides psychological assessments, talking therapy, clinical supervision, workplace mediation and trauma support to organisations across the region.
Her approach focuses on moving away from illness-focused language towards understanding normal emotional responses to workplace stress.
For more information about enhanced workplace mental health support models, contact The Listening Centre at [email protected] or 01543 300068.
