New online seminar

“Toolbox” for mental health

Mental strength means taking control of your life.

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Life can sometimes be demanding, and things don't always go according to plan. It is not a sign of weakness to seek help from a therapist when you have mental health problems. With the right "tools", many issues can be resolved more easily and the psyche strengthened. 

Psychotherapy is still a sensitive and very personal subject. Demand has risen dramatically in recent years due to the pandemic. But the mood in society has changed: It is no longer shameful to seek help. Strange-seeming habits, emotional upsets or serious mental illnesses are fortunately no longer such a taboo subject.

When do you need psychotherapy? 
 A first clue could be your own instinct, which can certainly be trusted. Anyone who is already thinking about seeking professional help should do so. In addition, the extent to which those affected are impaired in their everyday lives depends on their personal level of suffering.

Far too few people actually seek therapy.

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Other indications could be: They are easily overwhelmed or can no longer cope with everyday life. They have relationship problems or job worries, they feel no zest for life or feel listless. Psychotherapist Doris Zöser runs her practice "Die Wegbegleiterinnen" in Mödling: "The topics are very wide-ranging. For many people, it's actually about the problems and challenges of everyday life and how to cope with them better."

Doris Zöser takes a systemic approach: "If you take a closer look, illnesses such as depression or burnout are the result of unresolved problems. I don't work with illnesses, but with people. My work is primarily about the client's experience. There could be 10 clients with the same diagnosis of burnout and everyone will experience their symptoms differently."

My work is primarily about the client's experience. There could be 10 clients with the same diagnosis of burnout and everyone will experience their symptoms differently.

Mag. Doris Zöser, Psychotherapeutin

Unfortunately, far too few people actually find therapy, even though they urgently need it. The average time between initial illness and therapeutic treatment is 5-7 years! Many wait so long that the problem worsens or even further disorders occur. The consequences: a longer treatment period, more inpatient treatment and therefore higher costs for patients.

Zöser therefore recommends looking for a therapist who suits you. "The basic prerequisite for successful therapy is the relationship between client and therapist! It's worth taking a close look here. If the relationship is right, there are often very quick successes and successful therapy processes where something like a small miracle happens again and again."

The basic prerequisite for successful therapy is the relationship between client and therapist! It is worth taking a close look here.

Mag. Doris Zöser, Psychotherapeutin

A therapeutic process incurs costs that not everyone can easily afford and the reimbursements from the health insurance companies vary from €33.70 (ÖGK) to €46.60 (BVA), with the SVS it is €45, which is refunded by the health insurance company afterwards (with a waiting period, of course). For these reasons, the psychotherapist has developed the "mental health toolbox": a general mental toolkit that everyone needs to deal with their issues.

Strictly speaking, it is an online seminar that contains 13 mental tools for a successful life. Topics such as sleep, stress management, setting boundaries, self-worth and dealing with a guilty conscience are explained in detail. A handout with reflection questions invites the viewer to actively participate. Get out of the victim mentality! "If you are mentally strong, you can answer life's questions better and are able to act on your own initiative," says Zöser.

The "toolbox for mental health" contains useful tips for a successful lifestyle.

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The therapist includes insights from sleep research in her program. "Sleep is the first of my 13 impulses in the seminar, because a good night makes for a good day. The other topics then relate to the day, as this usually has an effect on better sleep."

Sleep as the cornerstone of mental health
Many people wake up during the night and are unable to fall asleep - often up to 20 times. Frequent interruptions to sleep lead to a lack of motivation, concentration problems and mood swings. It is therefore important to reflect on and understand your own sleep behavior. Simply analyzing your own sleep patterns can have a positive influence on your sleep hygiene

Sleep problems can be an indication of psychological problems.

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Zöser does not talk about mental illnesses or symptoms, but tries to start beforehand with her tools. The idea behind it: If I am mentally well positioned, then I can cope better with life's challenges and can therefore control and direct my life on my own authority. It starts before the symptoms appear.

The toolbox is not psychotherapy and does not replace it, nor does it replace a doctor. Nevertheless, these tools can help you to free yourself from the current situation. After just a few impulses, the client's sense of well-being and motivation increases. It enables greater self-control competence and thus self-efficacy. Doris Zöser describes herself as a short-term therapist: "My aim is for my clients' therapy process to end as soon as possible and for my clients to live in freedom and self-directedness."

My goal is for my clients' therapy process to end as soon as possible and for my clients to live in freedom and self-directedness.

Mag. Doris Zöser, Psychotherapeutin

Life and social counselor Axel Ostin from Maria Enzersdorf, Lower Austria, shows his clients what realistic options there are for solving a problem. He is an expert in leadership development, personality analysis, mental hygiene and psychosocial development. Using the methods he has developed, he can look behind the facade of a person and quickly get to the decisive points of the respective personality. This results in a picture of several ways in which the respective personalities act and communicate.

Axel Ostin's instant help tips

1. First write down on a piece of paper all the consequences that could arise and then all the options that are available to resolve the matter.
2. Discuss the points calmly with someone you trust.
3. Think about what solutions you can actively bring about yourself.
4. Then make a to-do list: Write down the individual steps that need to be taken.

Don't want to change the other person, but find personal solutions: Whether in a partnership or at work - if you know what makes the other person tick, it's easier to deal with conflicts. Ostin: "When my clients are actively involved in solving problems, they are no longer part of the problem, but part of the solution. This significantly changes the way we feel and evaluate things - and this in turn has a positive effect on our psyche and physical sensations."