By Renata Hill, Moodfuel
Tessa West's latest work draws parallels between personal relationships and professional life, aiming to help readers navigate complex work emotions
Tessa West, PhD, a psychology professor at New York University, is introducing relationship therapy principles to the workplace. In her latest book, Job Therapy: Finding Work that Works for You, West explores career challenges by viewing them through the lens of personal relationships. She believes this approach leads to greater job satisfaction and fulfillment.
West, who describes herself as "a relationship scientist," believes that traditional career advice often overlooks the emotional aspects of work. So, the book departs from traditional career guidance by addressing the psychological underpinnings of career dissatisfaction. In this way, West's goal is to help readers find roles that align with their deeper needs and values.
"We need a fresh take on how psychologists can help with workplace issues," she said.
The book builds on concepts introduced in her previous work, Jerks at Work, which focused on dealing with difficult coworkers. Her new book expands these ideas to encompass broader career concerns and goals.
Job Therapy identifies five common sources of career crises:
- An identity crisis – your sense of self no longer matches your job
- Drifting apart - you no longer recognize the job you once loved
- Torn between tasks – you take on too many roles, switch tasks too often or are stuck between multiple paths forward
- The runner up – you feel like you keep coming in second
- The undervalued star – you're crushing it, but the people around don't recognize your excellent performance.
Then, West addresses the psychological barriers that can prevent people from seeking new opportunities when the old job no longer works.
In her research, West interviewed thousands of people who recently changed jobs or careers to provide context in her research and incorporated comments from 1,500 professional recruiters who provided cutting-edge advice on networking and the hiring process.
West emphasizes that her approach doesn't offer quick fixes. "I don't trust any book that sells easy solutions to difficult questions," she said.
Instead, she provides practical tools like questionnaires and concrete tasks to help readers work through their career challenges. "This book is definitely a heavy lift," West admitted. "Like any relationship, (a career) takes work."
As the U.S. workforce evolves, the relationship-focused approach to career development in "Job Therapy" offers a new perspective for employees struggling to find meaning in what they do. Whether readers are considering a change or seeking to improve their current situation, West's book provides tools to navigate the complex emotional landscape of modern careers.
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