Connecting Careers & Mental Health
Because sometimes work doesn't just affect your career.
It affects you.
Come join the Project.
What is it?I'm working on a long-term project exploring what happens when work or the job search starts to affect someone's mental health.
I'm talking to people about their experiences with work: the jobs that changed them, the workplaces that wore them down, the layoffs and rejections that shook their confidence, the job searches that made them question their worth, and the moments when they realized something had to change.
I'm interested in the whole story.
Not just what happened, but what it felt like. What made things worse. What helped. What didn't. What people wish someone had told them sooner. And how they eventually moved forward.
Why am I doing this?We don't talk enough about what work can do to our mental health.
When someone is struggling, the advice is often, "Just get a new job." But it's not always that simple. The hurt, fear, discrimination, burnout, trauma, and loss of confidence that can come with work or the job search can make moving forward much more complicated.
I want to shine a light on those experiences. I'm talking to people about what happened, how it affected them, what helped, what didn't, and how they've moved forward. I want to see what themes emerge, help people feel less alone, and explore what we can collectively do differently.
What's the goal?I'm collecting these stories with the intention of eventually turning what I learn into a book.
The goal isn't to create a collection of horror stories about bad workplaces. It's to help people feel less alone. I want the book to explore the reality of how work and job searching can affect our mental health, while also looking at what helps people move forward.
I want to identify the patterns. The things that consistently make things worse. The things that actually help. The support people needed but didn't receive. And the ways employers, leaders and career professionals could do better.
Ultimately, I want someone reading these stories to recognize themselves and think: "Oh. It's not just me."
Ambitious? Probably 😂 But that’s how I roll.
Why me? I've had my own experiences with toxic work, and after coaching hundreds, probably thousands, of people through their careers and job searches, I've heard a lot of stories. People tell me what happened at work, what happened during their job search, how it affected them, and what they're still carrying with them. Those conversations have made me want to understand the bigger picture.
I also have a degree in social work, so the connection between work, identity and mental health has always been important to me. I don't have all the answers, and that's kind of the point. I want to listen, learn from people's experiences, look for the patterns and create something that helps us understand this better.
Do you want to share your story?
I'm interested in talking with people who have experienced a significant impact on their mental health connected to either a job or the job search.
That could include experiences such as:
A workplace that affected your confidence, wellbeing or sense of self
Burnout or prolonged stress connected to work
A difficult manager, team or workplace culture
Being laid off or losing a job unexpectedly
A prolonged or particularly difficult job search
Repeated rejection, ghosting or being left in limbo during a search
Financial or emotional stress caused by unemployment
Feeling like your identity or self-worth became tied to your career
Leaving a job and having to rebuild afterward
Finding a healthier way of working after a difficult experience
Discovering something about yourself through a difficult career experience
You don't need to have a dramatic story.
Sometimes the experiences that stay with us aren't the ones that look dramatic from the outside.
What the conversation looks like
This isn't an interview where I'm looking for the "right" answers. And it’s definitely not a sales call disguised as a project.
It's a conversation.
I'll ask about your background, what happened, how it affected you, what you did next and what you've learned along the way.
I may ask questions about things like:
What was happening in your work or job search?
When did you realize it was affecting you?
What changed for you?
What made things better or worse?
What support did you receive?
What support did you wish you'd received?
There may also be things you don't want to talk about. That's completely okay. You decide what you share.
What about privacy?All company names, employer names and client names will remain anonymous.
I'm not interested in identifying or exposing individual workplaces or people.
The focus is on the experience, not naming names.
If your story is ultimately used in the book or in other related work, identifying details will be changed or removed as appropriate to protect your privacy.
I'll also talk with you about how your story may be used. Sharing your experience does not mean giving me permission to publish every detail you tell me.
Want to talk?
If you've experienced a difficult period in your career or job search and you're open to sharing your story, I'd love to hear from you.
There is no expectation that you have everything figured out.
I'm here to listen, ask questions and learn.
You can also reach out if you're not sure whether your experience fits. We can have a conversation and figure that out together.