Lact - Palo Alto School Representative


Palo Alto School Representative

Center for training, intervention and research

Strategic systemic approach and hypnosis

      Screenshot 2015 04 20 at 13.34.07The context

      The case that we present to you is that of Alice, a young administrative assistant, and her supervisor, Adrien.

      Alice is seen as having personal issues.

      One day, she comes to complain to Xavier, her N+2, about Adrien's treatment of her. During this discussion, Alice suddenly pulls some medicine out of her bag and swallows it.

      The fire brigade is called, Alice is taken to the hospital and is very quickly out of danger.

      It is a suicide attempt which results in a work stoppage of one week prescribed by the doctor.

      The HR department minimizes the event and communicates that Alice's gesture is not work-related.


      During this work stoppage, she hears that "it's too complicated to work with Alice".

      And an extraordinary Assembly of the CHSCT is organized with the HRD and the occupational doctor and it is decided that Alice will be exempted from activity and will not return. Adrien is very shaken.


      At the same time, the HRD organizes a working group on this theme, then, when in doubt, asks whether it is appropriate. It was then that she contacted LACT.

      Our diagnosis

      Our diagnosis is that Alice presents a personal insecurity and will seek to be irreproachable.

      Attempts to solve

      Attempts at a solution underpinned by a logic of control on the part of all the protagonists

      • Alice will seek to be reassured. She demands a lot of Adrien's attention. However, Adrien chose Alice by default; note that she is on fixed-term contract. Her insistence makes her very annoying.
      • Nevertheless, Adrien will seek to protect her. He is particularly attentive and patient with her, which feeds Alice's impatience and insecurity. Then one day, he loses his temper.
      • He is in a dynamic of control. His strategy: invest in it so that it becomes independent. This choice leads him from disillusion to disillusion; he takes it upon himself and spends more and more time with Alice. Thinking "Maybe this will work." Until he explodes in anger and makes remarks that go beyond his thoughts.
      • The attempt at appeasement deployed by Xavier is a new attempt at control; Alice sees red. And his suicide attempt is a final gesture of control.

      All of these attempted solutions converge on protection.

      The HRD tries to hide that this suicide is work-related, the CHSCT says nothing about the content of the session it held, the DRG tries to exempt Alice from returning to the company.

      In the end, an agreement was reached for Alice but the situation remains relevant for Adrien.

      The consequences for him are that he feels guilty but finds the situation unfair. However, he is wary of his professional and personal relational conduct.

      What were our recommendations in this case?

      First, we said: do not dramatize beyond the current situation.

      Everyone initially went back to work. Also Alice.

      However, we should not trivialize a suicide attempt at work either. 

      Assuming the difficult situation is therefore the right reaction and then detecting cases of shocked and/or destabilized employees.

      What was the system we put in place?

      We carried out an operational diagnosis by carrying out individual interviews to shed light on the situation from all points of view. Alice was then no longer part of the company.

      Then, we proceeded to an oral restitution to the HRD and the DG. There, the targeted action was the observation of suffering at work accompanied and of a very strong stress of Adrien.

      Intervention strategy

      It followed 2 axes

      • We carried out a reframing on the notion of protection with the HRD and the DG. And we proposed a special moment to reassure and empower.
      • We focused on relieving Adrien's stress and suffering and getting him out of his fragile position. Adrien discovered his Achilles heel and realized how fragile it was.

      More generally within the company, we have helped to establish better authority, have taught everyone to set limits, to adjust management. Trust has been restored between Xavier and Adrien.

      Adrien was ashamed, felt judged and had lost confidence. He found the resources necessary for his recovery.

      A team of more than
      50 trainers in France
      and abroad

      of our students satisfied with
      their training year at LACT *

      International partnerships

      The quality certification was issued under
      the following category of actions: Training action

      A team of more than
      50 trainers in France
      and abroad

      of our students satisfied with
      their training year at LACT *

      International partnerships

      The quality certification was issued under
      the following category of actions: Training action

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