7 Unexpected Ways Therapy Can Help Tech Professionals
Talia Recht, LMFT, is a California-licensed marriage and family therapist who works with adults navigating anxiety, perfectionism, work stress, and relationship challenges. She offers online therapy throughout California, including for professionals working in tech across the San Francisco Bay Area.
I've seen a lot working as a therapist working with tech professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley for 15 years. For my clients, their tech job can feel like a Whac-A-Mole game of to-dos that never ends. My therapy clients in tech often tell me, “I didn't go into tech to talk to people all day!” With endless meetings and not having enough time to do individual contributor work or fully follow up on all the tasks discussed in meetings, it can feel disheartening. Not to mention the Mount-Everest build up of Slack and email that have accumulated while in those meetings. Also, this is not even touching on the added pressure of keeping up with the latest AI technology and the fear of job-loss as the industry changes before our eyes. It is truly so much!
Therapy for tech professionals can help you navigate workplace anxiety, set more realistic boundaries, communicate with managers and direct reports, and explore whether your work fits your values. In my practice, I support adults working in tech across the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California. Many are capable, conscientious people who are carrying more pressure than others realize. Here are seven ways therapy can help.
Learning what is anxiety versus something they should really fear
A huge trend I see with professionals in tech is people-pleasing and fear that they have to always “say yes” to please their colleagues or else they might get in trouble. In therapy, I process with my clients how true their fears are, and how they are able to communicate in order to have success at work, but not always be at the mercy of other people’s requests at all times.
Normalizing the stress of the always-changing expectations, as AI develops
Tech companies are expecting their ICs, managers, directors and CEOs to keep up with the AI trends and utilize the new technology in order to keep up with their competitors. This is a whole other job/schooling on top of the already high demand that their positions require. This is A LOT! Therapy can help to normalize this from the perspective of a therapist who sees people quietly suffering with this kind of overwhelm from multiple tech companies across the San Francisco Bay Area, LA and beyond.
Learning communication skills to discuss work topics with managers and direct reports
I find it fascinating how many tech professionals, especially tech managers tell me something like, “I didn’t go into tech to work with people all day!” I have empathy for that. I was someone who went into therapy to talk to people all day, but if I were now have to do something I didn’t love all day that would be so stressful and demoralizing. Managers and other tech professionals who have a passion for technology and have succeeded in their field and are now in leadership, are often in meetings 5 plus hours every single work day. This requires a lot of professional social skills and management skills they were never trained for. Therapy can help clients process these social work stressors and get support around the burden of this communication skillset that is needed day-in and day-out.
Gaining self-esteem and insight to know what healthy boundaries can be set within the context of work
A lot of my clients lack self-esteem and self-confidence in order to let their colleagues know what is possible and what is unreasonable for them to accomplish in a given week. In therapy, I help my client both build self-esteem through understanding who they are on a deeper level and knowing what they value, to help guide how they show up at work and what boundaries they feel comfortable advocating for.
For example, a boundary might sound like: “I can finish the report by Friday, or take on this new request today. Which should I prioritize?” Therapy can offer space to explore why saying something like this feels uncomfortable and practice communicating in a way that fits your workplace.
The stress of not being sure someone agrees with or cares about the product their tech company is creating
Not fully sharing the values of the company someone works for can create an internal battle that feels uncomfortable and can become a little exhausting, given how many hours someone spends at their job. This can make people in tech feel confused, sad, numb, unsure and ambivalent. In therapy, I process this with my clients on many levels, as it’s important to not be alone with this topic, especially when someone might not feel comfortable discussing this with colleagues.
Knowing what is work-imposed stress versus stress someone is putting on themselves
Often times professionals in tech worry if they are not available at all hours of the day to get back to messages and finish projects, they will be dismissed by their job. Though that is the culture in some startups, I find that overall my therapy clients are more strict and rigid with themselves than their jobs are on them. I help my therapy clients know when it’s okay to put their phones/computers down and think through a work routine that is more sustainable over the long-run. Processing how much someone needs to work to keep their job and what might be over-doing it, is paramount.
Being able to appreciate all the hard work they are doing and feel more at-peace with their role in their job and in life
My clients are incredibly hard working and oftentimes don’t take a moment to step back and appreciate all the work they do everyday! Therapy isn’t always about problems. It can also be about taking a moment to really celebrate all that someone is accomplishing and sit with how truly amazing it is that they are working in one of the most competitive fields in the world.
You don’t have to wait until you’re completely burned out to seek support. Learn more about my therapy services or contact me to explore whether working together feels like a good fit.
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