Applying Psychotherapeutic Principles to Bolster Resilience Among Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire globe with overwhelming speed and impact. The pandemic is both highly threatening and poorly understood, typical of deeply distressing conditions. Stress associated with uncertain recommendations from authorities, fear of illness and contagion for oneself and one’s loved ones, extended periods of isolation, moral conflicts, financial instability, perception of discrimination and/or stigma, and ongoing loss and grief imperil mental health and resilience among the general population and high-risk groups. Health care workers (HCWs) face additional challenges that increase their vulnerability to distress and burnout. Bolstering resilience among HCWs can allow them to continue working with the intensity and focus their jobs require, which in turn supports the overall functioning of the health care system. Given their training in understanding wellness, distress, and psychotherapeutic treatment, mental health clinicians are well positioned to respond to this need. By studying the lessons from past and present experiences with public health emergencies and by incorporating principles from psychotherapeutic literature and training, clinicians can help facilitate an informed and effective response. The goal of this article is to discuss the development of a resilience coaching model that is rooted in principles from psychotherapeutic literature and practice to support psychological well-being among hospital-based HCWs. This model, developed to support the authors’ health care colleagues working in a Toronto hospital, is generalizable, can be adapted for use by any mental health clinician, and makes explicit how previous training in psychotherapy may be applied to coaching and supporting frontline HCWs.