Empresa Psychology Newsletter

March 2025

March Webinars - EQ for EAs

We're really excited to be delivering not one, but two webinars in March to the global EA How To community. EA How To is a fantastic network of Executive Assistants (EAs), founded by Alicia Fairclough, that blends professional development, support and networking. Our first webinar will take place on the 12th of March on the topic of 'Navigating Challenging Interactions At Work', followed up by a smaller and more intimate workshop teaching Emotional Intelligence (EQ) for EAs on the 25th of March. 

Know a stressed Executive Assistant? Send them over to this link now to join the network and sign up to our webinar! 

Spotlight On:

Identification of cognitive biases, also known as 'unhelpful thinking styles', is a simple tool for counteracting the impact of stress or trauma on the way that we perceive the world. These are thinking styles that we all use sometimes, but that we use more when we're stressed or upset. By labelling them, we create some emotional distance between ourselves and the reality our brain is presenting as fact. We can then try to think of a more balanced view. Here are just three examples:

😵 Mind reading: Have you ever said "I just knew they were thinking...."? No, you didn't, that is an assumption. And you're far more likely to incorrectly assume when you're stressed. None of us are mind readers... even psychologists! 

😖 All or nothing: Being in a state of 'fight or flight' causes us to think in rigid, all-or-nothing terms. We miss nuance and can't see the shades of grey. 

😱 Catastrophising: This is a combination of prediction (no, you do not have a crystal ball) alongside high anxiety. Result: believing the worst is going to happen. 

Wellbeing In The News:

⚖️ Wellbeing In The Legal Sector ⚖️

At Empresa Psychology, we keep a close eye on news and developments that specifically relate to wellbeing in the legal sector. Here are a few recent news items you may have missed:

💡 We're at a turning point. A long-standing culture in the legal profession is starting to shift as the spotlight is shone on high rates of burnout and suicide in this sector. Mindful Business Charter are on a mission to change the sector for good! They are doing so much amazing work, and this month they're off to Singapore! 

💡 LawCare are also doing a huge amount of work in this domain and calls to their free, confidential helpline are at an all time high. They recently launched their Life In The Law 2025 Survey - if you're a lawyer, fill it in now!

💡 We often post about the business case for investing in high quality wellbeing interventions. Legal Cheek agrees with us, revealing that poor wellbeing among lawyers is costing law firms an average of £65 million per year, primarily due to presenteeism (lawyers continuing to work when they are unwell). 

Straight From The Source:

Every month we highlight anonymised comments we received after delivering workshops, with participants' permission.

Don't just take our word for how great our content is! 

💬 "Great speaker, very engaging."

💬 "A scientific explanation of how threat systems work followed by lots of practical tips, delivered in a very open and engaging way."

💬 "Good practical tips, helpfully put in the legal context."

💬 "The talk was clear, focussed and practical. Excellent!"

💬 "Natalie was a very engaging speaker and clearly very experienced."

💬 "A very interesting session - a helpful understanding of the physical impact of a stressful situation and then very useful practical tips to take away and try."

Thank you so much to everyone who attended and took the time to provide feedback!

Supporting Fellow Founders:

Rebecca Norris and Camilla Wells, founded Trauma Informed Law (TiL), and are on a mission to equip individuals, teams, and businesses to navigate trauma-based responses in connection with the legal system. As a trauma-specialist myself, I immediately saw the power of their legal experience combined with an understanding of trauma-informed practice. Our skill sets are very complementary and I am excited for potential future collaborations!