About Us
The Thrive Hive is a collective of independent and experienced work (Occupational) Psychologists, who assist in the delivery of all the brain injury return to work services that Ways to Work have to offer. As experienced psychologists in their own right, The Thrive Hive Collective also have other services that can provide for those who do not have head injuries but who simply seek to be thriving more in their job.
What is Occupational Psychology?
Our 5 minute video explains more about Occupational Psychology and how it can help you thrive at work.
Some Thrive Hive members have known each other for many years but most of us met through working as associates on an employability contract offering career transition services to disabled soldiers and veterans. Over the best part of 6 years, we’ve bonded through this work as colleagues and become friends.
Adapting to a Changing World
Like so many people, lockdown meant we could no longer see each other through work. The Pandemic essentially created the Hive by giving us a reason to connect on a regular basis to talk about the dreaded COVID and impacts on work. We realised our shared dedication to support and enable organisations, individuals and workplaces to thrive. This is how the Thrive Hive was born.
Our Approach
Our approach is evidence-based, solution-focused, and person / organisation-centred. We share our knowledge and expertise through training delivery, consultancy, and one-to-one interventions such as cognitive and vocational assessment and coaching. We also realised that our experience could be put to good use not just with long-term disabled employees but also those with newly acquired health challenges like people with so-called Long COVID.
Want to know more?
Come meet the collective and find out what we do…
Click on a tile to find out more about our services and about each member of the Thrive Hive Psychology Team.
Karen Royle
It’s fascinating to understand the different ways that people see the world; what is being organised, good timekeeping, efficiency etc.?
Having spent many years working with people recovering from acquired brain injuries, I have often talked about how to re-build cognitive skills for work. More recently I have transferred this knowledge into a world of human error reduction considering how people can focus and communicate more clearly and supportively, so they thrive with fewer ‘problems’.
I have worked for charities and international organisations, including critical environments where safety and error reduction is essential. Coaching, assessments and cognitive reflection used to be for those struggling, now we know they help us all.
Karen Royle is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of The British Psychological Society.
She is registered with The Health & Care Profession’s Council Registration Number PYL 19453 as an Occupational Psychologist.
Hannah Courtney-Bennett
Hannah’s aim is to try to ensure that we all have careers that are truly talent led.
Her work is underpinned by the principles of positive psychology. She uses the power of Flow alongside 21st century schools such as Mindfulness, Growth Mindset, and Gratitude, and how these are supported by emerging neuroscientific evidence as well as environmental factors. She is especially interested in coaching the development of career management competencies and has presented on the importance of developing Career Resilience at conferences and workshops around the country.
Hannah has developed an equine facilitated coaching programme as a platform for coaching career management and personal effectiveness in the workplace.
Hannah Courtney-Bennett is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.
She is registered with the Health & Care Profession’s Council Registration Number PYL03689 as an Occupational Psychologist.
She is also a Registered Career Development Professional (with the Career Development Institute).
George Wong
Work has changed so dramatically in 2020 for many of us, never mind in the last 26 years since my first experience of paid work.
Exposure to a range of sectors, industries, roles, work environments, cultures and health-related considerations has taught me some important lessons: never assume anything. Nothing is possible or impossible without collaboration. Good work holds purpose and meaning for people.
My purpose is to support others to identify, attain, thrive and succeed in work-related endeavours whatever their background and motivations. I do this through vocational assessment, workplace needs support, coaching and a focus on the whole picture.
Georgina Wong is a Chartered Psychologist of The British Psychological Society.
She is registered with The Health & Care Profession’s Council Registration Number PYL22899 as an Occupational Psychologist.
Shirley Ryall
Over the years I have gained a range of experience and knowledge by working with different businesses in the Private, Public and Third Sectors. I have learnt from listening to others, and taken onboard advice and best practice from those people who appear to have found their ‘workplace niche’. I now strive to help others with that journey.
Sometimes life throws up some challenges for us: unemployment, an injury, illness, disability, or a family circumstance that means we need to rethink what work means to us and reassess which workplace we want to be in. If or when this happens, I would like to think there are people like me who want to help those individuals find their ‘right’ way forward.
Shirley Ryall is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of The British Psychological Society.
She is registered with The Health & Care Profession’s Council Registration Number PYL29576 as an Occupational Psychologist.
Louise Messenger
Thriving at work depends on your capacity to adapt.
My career began in the 1980s at the beginning of a technological revolution which transformed workplaces. During the past 40 years, employment with various public, private, and third sector organisations, including government departments, educational institutions and charities, has taken me to all corners of the British Isles and occasionally further afield.
Supporting people at times of meaningful life transition, including graduation, redundancy, and retirement. Facing challenges and embracing new opportunities has been surprising and rewarding.
I have a keen interest in wellbeing at work and achieving an effective, healthy work-life balance.
Louise Messenger is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of The British Psychological Society.
She is registered with The Health & Care Profession’s Council Registration Number PYL25143 as an Occupational Psychologist.
Kirstin Davis
Kirstin is an experienced coach with over 20 years’ experience.
Her work is mainly rooted in positive psychology, though she does draw on other approaches such as neuropsychology and cognitive psychology. She has a particular interest in enhancing mental fitness and sees this as a foundation to effective and authentic performance. Her style is reflective and pragmatic, and her approach it to aid her coachees to craft simple and practical solutions.
She has worked with a diverse range of clients in both the public and private sectors and is a full member of the Association for Coaching and the BPS Special Group in Coaching Psychology is committed to staying current.
Kirstin Davis is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of The British Psychological Society.
She is registered with The Health & Care Profession’s Council Registration Number PYL 03461 as an Occupational Psychologist.
Euan Woolley
Over the last few years, I have built up lots of experience using psychometrics to help clients identify their unique strengths and preferences. I have also enjoyed helping clients determine inspiring and motivating work goals. I really enjoy supporting people in this way.
I also love helping clients who have been struggling at work identify solutions tailored to their personality and learning styles. Sometimes it is times like these that people discover new ways of working or strengths they were previously were unaware of, which can be hugely releasing. It is exciting to be part of this process.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family, as well as walking, climbing and cycling.
Euan Woolley is a Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society.
He is a Trainee Occupational Psychologist with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and MSc in Occupational Psychologist.
Sharon Patmore
My passion and interests are in assisting others thrive in work, specifically at times when life’s challenges have negatively impacted on them.
Workplaces are continually changing, more so now than ever before, which means supporting people to adapt and grow has become an essential element in success. Balancing the ever changing work and personal demands experienced by many has become the new challenge of maintaining good psychological wellbeing for work and life.
Over the past 35 years I have designed, developed, implemented, delivered, and evaluated a range of programmes to support individuals and groups achieve their work and life goals whilst improving their psychological wellbeing.
Sharon Patmore is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of The British Psychological Society.
She is registered with The Health & Care Profession’s Council Registration Number PYL19270 as an Occupational Psychologist.
She is also an Instructor for Mental Health First Aid England.
Individual Coaching (Task, strategy, impact and co-coaching)
Our coaching can serve a number of different purposes, dependent upon the situation and what is considered most beneficial and helpful to the individual. Coaching is generally conducted in blocks of 4 sessions, although this can also vary, depending on individual need.
- Task Coaching, involves specific training to help someone learn a particular task or series of tasks. It might include discussions about memory, learning styles, and concentration but the overall aim will be to break down the task and teach it to the individual in a step by step way. Systematic Instruction techniques are sometimes used.
- Strategy Coaching, is more focused around developing compensatory methods to help someone manage challenges and difficulties by playing to their strengths. Learning new ways of doing things is the focus. Strategies could be external aids and adaptations such as developing the use of to-do lists, calendars, diaries, checklists or mind maps Or they can be more internally focused using different ways to think about things. Typical strategies are likely to be those that help someone manage memory, attention, concentration, problem solving, decision making, planning, organisation, initiating tasks, fatigue, anxiety and stress management etc.
- Impact Coaching, gives opportunity for individuals to reflect on how their injury or illness impacts on others and what they can do to support each other and to be able to work more effectively as a team. Prompting and verbal cues to re-direct behaviours can be incorporated as well as self-monitoring and reflective learning.
- Co-Coaching, can be orientated around any of the above coaching areas, and will involve joint discussions with a line manager or key colleague, rather than being a discussion just with the individual. Combined strategies and a greater understanding and appreciation of how to work more effectively together is the focus.
Manager or Team Awareness Sessions
Return to work after an accident or illness that has caused a brain injury, can be a daunting prospect for not only the individual concerned, but also for their colleagues and managers. Our brain injury awareness sessions aim to ease concerns and answer questions that colleagues and manager might have to help them better understand what can happen in brain injury recovery and the contributions they can make to supporting their colleague. Sessions can be tailored to the needs of a specific team or be more general in nature.
Typical sessions may look at either:
- the impact of brain injury in the workplace
- workplace support
- return to work considerations
- Covid and Long-Covid
An overview of typical scenarios can be given in a short 1 - 2 hour session. Or we can provide longer and more in-depth sessions to give opportunity for more discussion and tailored strategies to meet a particular situation.
Group Coaching
The emotional turmoil of acquiring a brain injury and not being sure what this means for your future, can significantly knock personal confidence and impact on relationships and communications with friends, family members and colleagues.
These sessions provide a safe space to discuss what has happened and how this feels, with others who have experienced similar. The sessions are action focused, building strategies to manage life events in a more confident way. The are not ‘therapy’ sessions. These sessions can be helpful for someone with a new condition or whose health has been fluctuating, someone with a new manager who doesn’t understand their condition, or people experiencing changes in other aspects of life, which is impacting on their ability to manage their condition.
The sessions are usually run over the course of 4 weeks, with 4 - 8 people in a group.
Other Services
Other services The Thrive Hive are able to offer include the following:
- Cognitive assessment
- Complex cognitive assessment
- Return to work assessment
- Career (re)direction assessment
- Workplace evaluations
Thrive Hive Workshop - Work related Support
A friendly space to relax and talk about your concerns for work.These sessions:
- could be the ‘pick me up’ you need
- can help you to re-structure things to you can more often work at your best
- provide opportunity for everyone to contribute if and when they want, or just to sit and listen
- can be followed up by one-to-one conversation with a member of our team if that could help more.
So, why not join us, if you’re worried you’ll never get a job again, fearful of what colleagues might think of you with your new injury, unsure how to explain things to people at work, worried you’ll make mistakes and get sacked. Or if you just feel unmotivated, with no energy and don’t know where to start. We’ll help you address all these kinds of concerns to get back on track.
Careers Workshop - Career Transition Coaching
A working life comprises a series of transitions: graduation, promotion, career change, retirement - predictable stages of progression, like the changing of the seasons. Humans are recognised as an adaptive species and are able to thrive in various environments. The ability to embrace change and adapt to new circumstances is a key element in building a rewarding career. Nevertheless, there are times when anyone might need support in developing a plan for change, especially when that change has come unexpectedly, e.g. redundancy or illness.
Our career transition workshops will enable you to reflect, evaluate, prioritise and plan effectively for the years ahead.
We offer:
• Individual consultations & coaching sessions.
• Group workshops, for mutual support.
• Facilitated strategic action planning (for individuals & organisations).
Introductory consultations (20 mins) no obligation & no fee.
If you would like more information about our services and how they might benefit you and/or your organisation,
contact: info@thethrivehive.org.uk to arrange an informal chat.
We look forward to working with you, online or in person.
Careers Workshop - Career Planning for Women over 50
We offer individual consultations and group sessions:
• Reflect on past experiences.
• Identify and assess your current options.
• Create an action plan for the future.
If you would like more information about our workshops, contact: info@thethrivehive.org.uk.
We look forward to working with you, online or in person.
Thrive Hive Workshop - Reflection for Development
What is reflection, why is it useful, how do you do it?
Perhaps you want to improve your working relationships, or the way you respond to criticism?
Or maybe you just want to learn a little bit more about yourself?
Reflection can help and with regular practice many benefits await you, including:
• Understand the self, building confidence and emotional awareness.
• Improving problem solving skills and building flexibility.
• Build self-trust, self-respect, responsibility, generosity and positive regard.
Have a go yourself - Download this reflection exercise about making a change. (Opens in new browser tab.)
If you find this useful, why not join us for our reflection workshop where you can learn different ways of reflecting.
...or book a coaching session.
Contact us at: info@thethrivehive.org.uk.
We look forward to working with you, online or in person.
Thrive Hive Workshop - Mental Toughness
Up to 50% of people do not fulfil their potential at work. Perhaps you are one of these people. It might be that difficult relationships with colleagues or low self-confidence prevent you from displaying your intrinsic qualities.Mental toughness is one of the most important factors affecting how happy and successful we are in life and work. Higher levels of mental toughness can help us thrive in challenging situations, from completing difficult projects to managing difficult relationship; it can also help us reduce stress and grow in self-confidence.
Come along to one of Thrive Hive’s evidence-based experiential workshops, where we explore creative strategies to increase levels of mental toughness. You can also book individual coaching sessions or tailored training sessions for your team or organisation.
To attend a workshop or arrange a coaching session,
contact us at: info@thethrivehive.org.uk
Long COVID
Ways to Work have been supporting people to return to work after neurological conditions for many years. Long-COVID symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog are not new to us.
The UK Office for National Statistics suggest that 1 in 5 people who have had Covid-19 develop long-term symptoms, equating to an estimated 186,000 people suffering for up to 12 weeks. This means thousands of people of working age are affected by long COVID. Many people have lingering symptoms such as fatigue and disordered sleep reduced cognitive and physical functioning, and mental health problems.
We don’t yet know how long people might continue to struggle with Long-COVID symptoms or what the wider impact will be. What we do know is many people are likely to return to work whilst still feeling under the weather. Presenteeism, is going to be a key factor for organisations to manage.
In addition, there are many people struggling to stay focused due to, homeschooling, lack of energy and drive from all the restrictions of lockdowns, mental health challenges following bereavements and furlough – it’s tough enough to returning to work after a holiday so months off work due to furlough will bring exaggerated challenges.
With this in mind, we’ve been developing a whole business approach to managing Long-COVID. Coaching people individually to manage fatigue and brain fog, whilst also working with businesses to look at wider approaches to health and safety and human resources. At the end of the day Long-COVID is a Hidden Disability, so we need to develop new ways to manage it.
If you’re curious to know more about how this is progressing through the Thrive Hive’s work, you can email us for more details on, info@thethrivehive.org.uk
Details on the wider work we do through Ways to Work are on the other pages of this website.
