Getting Back to Work after September 11*

Marion Gindes, Ph.D.
Independent Practice, New York City and Larchmont, NY

I was born in Brooklyn and have lived and worked most of my life in New York City. Because I now live just outside the city, for days following the terrorist attacks, I could not get into Manhattan to volunteer. I felt helpless and guilty as my colleagues were working with victims, their families, and rescue workers at Ground Zero. I thought about how I could make a contribution to the psychological recovery and well-being of at least some of those who have been affected. I decided to volunteer my services to a population I know well and one that would probably not be offered services with respect to the terrorist attacks.

I called a number of my corporate clients, contacts who had referred work to me, and law firms with whom I had worked, and offered to conduct a debriefing group pro bono for anyone in their company or firm. Many of my client companies are in industries that have strong ties to those in the World Trade Center and downtown Manhattan, such as finance, real estate, law, and insurance. People in these companies and firms have close connections with those companies whose offices were destroyed and lost people in the attack. One person told me that he and others in his company were on a conference call with someone at Cantor Fitzgerald when the plane hit and the phone went dead.

The debriefing sessions were open to anyone who wanted to come. As might be anticipated, more women than men and more support staff than senior executives, brokers, or partners attended. People were very appreciative that I had come to talk with them and I felt better that I was doing something useful. Because these firms had not lost anyone and did not have their buildings destroyed or damaged, the people in them are not necessarily seen as victims. Many of them, however, are experiencing significant symptoms and work disruption.

Workplace Themes

In addition to the common reactions we have all witnessed and, perhaps, experienced ourselves, several themes emerged in these sessions that were specific to work environments.

Level of empathy. A common concern was that the bosses or partners do not understand what their employees are going through. My sample is small, but it seems that upper level executives and managers are better at using denial and displacement than their supervisees. It was reassuring to others, when senior level people or firm partners expressed their own distress during the sessions. It is important for people to know that those in charge understand.

Distance from the disaster. The closer the connection to the disaster, the more likely that someone would have a stronger reaction. Some people had, at one time, worked in the World Trade Center or specifically for one of the companies that lost many people. They echoed the sentiment, “It could have been me.” In some cases, their former co-workers and friends were killed in the attack and they were attending many memorial services.

Fear of being stigmatized. Many people were self-conscious about their feelings and were reluctant to reveal them to their co-workers or managers. A few people straggled in toward the end, wanting some help but not wanting to publicly participate in the session.

Guilt. Some people felt guilty because they were having difficulty working but had lost no one close to them. They did not feel entitled to have such problems. In addition, they felt guilty because they
were letting down the company or their immediate boss by not working as effectively as they previously had. A number of people did not come back to work for the remainder of the first week. One woman said that when her building across from Grand Central Station was evacuated she just kept walking in her high heels until she reached her home in Brooklyn about 10 miles away.

Helping organizations cope

1. A process for people to access stress management and debriefing programs should be established, either through an existing EAP or through external consultants.
2. Senior level people need to support and participate in the programs offered.
3. In order to decrease concern about participating, the informational aspects of those services offered to employees should be emphasized.
4. The privacy of those who seek help needs to be protected. For instance, procedures for Meetings should not require a public sign-up sheet.
5. Organizational leaders need to demonstrate sensitive concern for their employees at all times. During times of crisis, it is vital to the well-being of their personnel and of their organizations.

Biographical Sketch

Marion Gindes, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in independent practice in Manhattan and Westchester County. She provides consultation to individuals, businesses, and organizations on work-related issues, including discrimination, gender issues, sexual harassment, diversity, executive coaching, and conflict and stress. She has published many articles in professional journals and co-edited Social Intervention: A Behavioral Science Approach. She is a past President of the Division of Media Psychology of the American Psychological Association and has served on the Executive Board of the Westchester County Psychological Association. She is currently co-chair of the Membership Committee of the New York Women's Agenda and head of the Task Force on Consulting for APA's Division for Psychologists in Independent Practice. She also coaches professionals to become business consultants through Clinicians2Consultants, a virtual training company. Marion Gindes can be reached at mgindes@clinicians2consultants.com or 914-833-1944.

*This is a prepublication copy. The article is to be published in the NYSPA Notebook. Please do not quote or distribute without permission of the author. Marion Gindes, PhD can be reached at 16 North Chatsworth Avenue, Larchmont, NY 10538, 914-833-1944. email: mgindes@clinicians2consultants.com

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