“Adam” had been refused an internal promotion at his local-authority job, and was surprised at the feedback from management.
His supervisors complained of an unnecessary focus on detail, his habit of rehearsing for meetings, and the reams of diagrams, charts and files that littered his workstation and department filing cabinets.
Little did they know that much of the correspondence was stored offsite – at the home he shared with his partner Stephen. Things had become so rancorous at home due to Adam’s hoarding and rehearsing for work-related events that Stephen had threatened to end their 11-year relationship unless something was done.
Adam enlisted in the programme grudgingly. Nonetheless, in collaboration with his primary health-care provider, we were able to work over an extended period with Adam’s OCD symptoms, alongside both his relationship difficulties and underlying issues of self-esteem. He and Stephen also had a massive clear-out of their home.
Today Adam enters meetings with no more than a few notes, and he’s a much better performer. In fact, he’s now taken an interim post that shows his innate organisational abilities in the best light.