Counseling
Joe Hight wrote about what The Oklahoman did after coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing. According to Hight (2005), “We had a trusted counselor who could receive e-mails from reporters and editors who had questions about their feelings, talk to them on the phone, and schedule one-on-one appointments when needed. This is in addition to the regular EAP counselors.” I reached out to Hight on Twitter. He said, “We went outside EAP to find a counselor to work with us. She was a family therapist who worked with us through the bombing, the massive tornado outbreak, OSU plane crash, etc.” He continued, “I think you have to find someone who can work with journalists and has the capability and trust to handle major events like this. You have to think outside your normal channels when dealing with the aftermath.”
Through a side job at Starbucks, one survey respondent said Starbucks gives employees 20 free sessions of counseling with Lyra. According to Reader (2021),
Lyra Health offers its mental health platform to companies as a benefit for their employees. While it provides both in-person and online therapy, it’s telehealth-first. Lyra onboards patients online and uses artificial intelligence to match them to therapists, psychiatrists, and coaches. Patients can choose whether to go to an office or book an online appointment. The platform also provides out-of-the-chair mental health resources such as worksheets, reading material, quizzes, and access to the Calm app.
Online Therapy app likes BetterHelp and Talk Space, make seeking counseling easy and right at your fingertips. According to BetterHelp's website,
BetterHelp is the largest online therapy platform worldwide. We change the way people get help with facing life's challenges by providing convenient, discreet and affordable access to a licensed therapist. BetterHelp makes professional therapy available anytime, anywhere, through a computer, tablet or smartphone.
The Dart Center has also created the Journalist Trauma Support Network.
A pilot program training therapists to help journalists. We are training psychologists to work with journalists impacted by occupational stress and trauma. Journalists can request a referral to a trained therapist and find online support resources here.
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