The £65 Billion Question: Why Your Best Employee Just Handed in Their Notice

Picture this: Your star performer -  the one who consistently smashes targets and lights up team meetings has just dropped a bombshell. They're leaving. Not for more money, not for a fancier title, but because they're "burnt out" and "need space to figure things out."

Sound familiar? You're not alone. Mental health-related absence costs UK businesses £65 billion annually, yet most organisations are still treating symptoms rather than causes. The real game-changer is understanding when your people need therapy versus coaching, and why both are absolutely crucial for driving real change in the workplace.

Why People get Confused About Therapy Vs Coaching

I've watched countless HR directors wonder why their expensive Employee Assistance Programme isn't moving the needle. Meanwhile, employees are quietly struggling, unsure whether they need a therapist, a coach, or simply a very long holiday.

The truth? Most people, including well-meaning employers, fundamentally misunderstand what therapy and coaching actually do. It's like confusing a surgeon with a personal trainer. Both work with the human body, both want you to feel better, but try asking your PT to perform heart surgery and you'll quickly understand the difference.

What Makes Sarah Leave at 5pm Sharp (And Why Tom Works Until Midnight)

Let me tell you about Sarah and Tom - two brilliant professionals I've worked with who illustrate this perfectly.

Sarah came to me after her third promotion in two years. On paper, she was flying. In reality, she was paralysed by imposter syndrome so severe that she'd spend hours crafting emails that should take five minutes. "I know I'm good at my job," she told me, "but I can't shake this voice telling me I don't deserve to be here."

Tom's story was different. His childhood had been marked by emotional neglect, leaving him with a compulsive need to prove his worth through overwork. At 35, he was successful but exhausted, with a pattern of relationships that mirrored his early experiences.

Sarah needed coaching. Tom needed therapy first.

Therapy: The Deep Dive Your Mind Needs

Think of therapy as archaeological work for the soul. When your employees are struggling with:

• Depression, anxiety, or trauma that's affecting their daily functioning

• Destructive patterns that keep repeating despite their best efforts

• Past experiences that continue to cast shadows over their present

• Mental health conditions that require clinical understanding

...they need a qualified therapist, not a motivational chat.

"Therapy is about understanding the 'why' behind our struggles – the deep-rooted patterns that keep us stuck. It's like debugging the underlying code of our emotional operating system." – Dr James Mitchell, Clinical Psychologist

The therapy advantage: Qualified therapists can treat mental health conditions. They're trained to navigate complex psychological territory safely, helping people heal from past wounds that coaching simply can't touch.

Therapy isn't just about mental illness, however, It's about creating the emotional foundation that makes everything else possible.

The Therapy Ripple Effect in Your Workplace

When employees get the therapeutic support they need, something magical happens. I've watched teams transform when just one person addresses their underlying anxiety or trauma. Suddenly, that micromanaging boss becomes more trusting. The conflict-avoidant team member starts speaking up. The perfectionist stops bottlenecking projects.

Coaching: Your Personal GPS for Growth

If therapy is archaeology, coaching is architecture. It's about building something new, not just understanding what's broken.

Coaching shines when your people are:

• Fundamentally healthy but ready to level up

• Facing specific challenges like leadership transitions or career pivots

• Setting ambitious goals and need accountability to achieve them

• Looking forward rather than processing the past

The best coaching happens when someone is already functioning well but knows they have untapped potential. It’s about designing a new future and providing support and accountability to reach it. 

Here's the coaching superpower: It meets people where they are and propels them forward. No lengthy exploration of childhood wounds - just practical, actionable strategies for immediate improvement.

The Sarah Success Story

Remember Sarah with her imposter syndrome? Six months of coaching transformed her completely. We identified her specific triggers, developed practical strategies for managing self-doubt, and created accountability systems that kept her moving forward.

The result? She's now leading a team of 15, speaks at industry conferences, and, most importantly - leaves the office at reasonable hours because she's no longer second-guessing every decision.

The Big Question: Why Not Both?

Here's where it gets interesting. The most successful people I work with often use both therapy and coaching -  sometimes simultaneously, sometimes sequentially.

Tom's journey perfectly illustrates this dual approach. He started with therapy to address his childhood trauma and workaholic tendencies. Once he'd processed those underlying issues, coaching helped him build healthier work habits and develop authentic leadership skills.

Think about it: you wouldn't try to build a skyscraper on shaky foundations. Similarly, coaching works best when people have the emotional stability that therapy can provide.

The Workplace Revolution: Companies Getting It Right

Progressive organisations are starting to understand this distinction. They're offering:

• Comprehensive mental health benefits that include both therapy and coaching

• Clear pathways for employees to access the right support

• Education about when each approach is most helpful

• Destigmatised conversations about mental health and personal development

The companies doing this report 40% lower turnover and 25% higher productivity. Not coincidentally, they're also the employers that top talent is fighting to join.

The Future is Both/And, Not Either/Or

The organisations that will thrive in the coming decade understand that supporting their people isn't a luxury,  it's a strategic imperative. They're creating cultures where:

• Mental health support is normalised, not stigmatised

• Personal development is ongoing, not a one-off training event

• People feel safe to admit when they're struggling

• Growth and healing are seen as complementary, not competing

What This Means for Your Bottom Line

Still thinking this sounds too touchy-feely for business? Consider this: companies with comprehensive wellbeing programmes see a £4 return for every £1 invested. When you add up reduced absence, lower turnover, higher productivity, and improved customer satisfaction, the business case becomes crystal clear.

The Simple Truth About Complex People

Here's what I wish every leader understood: your employees aren't robots who occasionally malfunction and need fixing. They're complex human beings with histories, hopes, fears, and dreams that all show up at work whether you acknowledge them or not.

The question isn't whether to invest in their psychological wellbeing,  it's whether you'll do it proactively or reactively. You can support them now with the right combination of therapy and coaching, or you can deal with the consequences later through sick leave, resignations, and recruitment costs.

Your Next Move: Three Powerful Actions

Ready to transform how your organisation approaches human development? Here's where to start:

1. Audit Your Current Support Systems

What mental health and development resources do you actually offer? More importantly, are your people using them? Often, the barrier isn't availability,  it's awareness and accessibility.

2. Educate Your Leaders

Train your managers to recognise when someone might benefit from therapy versus coaching. This isn't about turning them into mental health professionals,  it's about helping them have more effective conversations with their teams.

3. Create Clear Pathways

Make it obvious and stigma-free for employees to access both therapeutic and coaching support. The easier you make it, the more likely they are to get help before reaching crisis point.

At MindVibes we ensure healthy and high-performing teams with holistic wellbeing, combining the best of therapy and coaching with proven methods backed by science.

Ready to revolutionise your workplace wellbeing strategy? We’d love to help you create a comprehensive approach that combines the healing power of therapy with the transformative potential of coaching.

Book a free 30-minute consultation here to discover how we can embed a programme that addresses your team's specific needs and drives real, measurable change in your organisation.

Because when your people thrive, your business doesn't just survive, it soars.