Whether you are beginning to feel the initial effects of cumulative stress or are dealing with the immediate aftermath of a traumatic incident, it is vital that you are first able to recognise the symptoms that you are experiencing, and then to get the right kind of help and support.

This may or may not involve a qualified mental health professional. Indeed, most stress and trauma-related difficulties can be addressed without seeking outside help.

As we saw in Module Three, accessing effective social support from your peers is a critically important component of successful stress management. In demanding environments such as a busy news bureau, this means creating a culture wherein people feel safe enough to discuss their problems.

Put simply, it means that if you want to be able to talk freely to a colleague about difficulties that you are experiencing, you must also be capable of listening in a constructive manner to a colleague or a member of your staff who wants to talk to you.

In this module we will examine the Active Listening skills that will enable you to provide practical and effective emotional support to the people that you work with. We will also take a look at some of the challenges facing managers and colleagues in stressful and traumatic environments.

Having looked at how you can help others, we'll then find out what your options are if you really feel that you need Professional Help.