Freedom Week: What can Mental Health Professionals do?

• Don’t say to clients “let’s change your behaviors that provoke the bully.”
• Trust what abuse victims tell you. Believe that there are people as evil as have been described to you.
• Stop holding targeted clients responsible for the unsolicited psychological violence they endure. Understand how work environments, not personal flaws, explain health-harming mistreatment. Stop committing the fundamental attribution error.
• Be careful to not misdiagnose as borderline or adjustment disorder. Minimize psychological testing during acute phases of abuse so as to not skew results.
• Learn and apply EMDR.
• Suggest the client attend a trauma support group.
• Learn the consequences for the client of FMLA, Workers Comp, and Disability (short- and long-term).
• Learn more about workplace bullying at our comprehensive professional training.
• Make workplace bullying one of your clinical specialties.
• Study the science behind bullying and stress-related diseases.

Freedom from Workplace Bullies Week sponsored by the Workplace Bullying Institute, is a chance to break through the shame & silence surrounding bullying. It is a week to be daring & bold. Here are different ways to celebrate Freedom Week:

• See what’s being done in your state
• Get anti-bullying buttons, t-shirts and more
• Join the activities on Facebook
• Learn more about workplace bullying