Executive Psychotherapy Trigger Threshold

What is meant by the phrase executive psychotherapy trigger threshold? A trigger threshold, is a point at which an event is triggered, or a need is recognised as being present.

For most people, the psychotherapy trigger threshold is quite high, it is the point at which their life is being impaired, or where their normal functioning is diminished. For many people, they can continue to function at home and in their jobs despite quite pronounced symptoms. By contrast, an executive can suffer a dramatic fall in effectiveness with very minor symptoms.

Executive psychotherapy trigger threshold points vary from role to role, and are generally much lower for leaders than for the majority of the population for any given condition. For instance, vast numbers of people can function well with low level depression, but even the most minor levels of depression can stifle the optimistic outlook that is required to lead effectively.

Similarly, with anxiety. Many people walk around in a constant state of anxiety, and can, somehow, function. Whereas, an executive’s judgement would be impaired by even low levels of anxiety rendering him/her much less effective than peers who are anxiety free.

Take just about any problem requiring expert intervention, and executives have a lower threshold at which their need for psychotherapy is triggered.

If your performance is being impaired by a problem, if you feel that you have passed the executive psychotherapy trigger threshold, perhaps it is time to seek help, and address the problem before it worsens, or becomes an ingrained behaviour.

You can contact Prof Nigel MacLennan on