Are you an accidental counsellor? A free event Birmingham June 8.
March 25, 2026 | Author Jeremy Gibson
Are you always the colleague that the team turn into a difficult moment? Are you the person who notices; who cares and who listens? Then you are very likely your team's accidental counsellor doing your best to support others very often without formal mental health training, and perhaps not sure where your role ends.
This is where it can become tricky to know how best to support a team member experiencing poor mental health whilst maintaining professional boundaries and protecting your own wellbeing.
You don't need all the answers and you don't need to fix everything for your team, but you do need to be equipped to check-in with your team members and connect them to the most appropriate support and also understand when to step back. It is important that you can support without solving and respond with calm and clarity in the most difficult of situations.
Join us on 8 June at 4.30pm at The Grand, Birmingham where we would love to share with you how Hospitality Action’s EAP can equip you to help a team member with mental health challenges and be more confident in your role as a manager or team leader when having supportive conversations. We’ll talk you through a practical and actionable framework on how to recognise, respond and refer on to appropriate support.
Key takeaways you'll learn:
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Active Listening – not just hearing the words but also the emotions and meaning behind them.
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Boundary setting – knowing the limits of your role and when to signpost or refer someone for professional support from a counsellor.
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Problem-solving – whilst you are not responsible for solving everyone’s problems helping people explore possible solutions can be beneficial.
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Stress Management – how to manage your own stress when responding to other’s emotional needs to help you avoid burnout and provide compassionate and confident support.