A COLWALL company thinks it has come up with the solution to help firms and their employees cope with stress.

Gathergood Associates UK Stress Management Services is a new consultancy specifically aimed at the problem.

The consultancy, in business since the start of August, aims to help other companies with personal coaching, life skills training, and therapy services, which have been developed into a three-tier programme.

"In the first-tier we go in and do an online audit. This means that employees can say they're stressed without their boss finding out," said Emma Gathergood.

"We then make up a stress profile of the company and help them with how to reduce stress, such as offering employees telephone coaching."

The second tier involves consultants going into a business and running training sessions with staff.

These range from communication skills to anger management sessions.

The third tier is in connection with natural therapy centres.

"We can set up a programme with doctors and therapists who would best help stressed employees," said Mrs Gathergood, who is a qualified state registered occupational therapist.

She has spent the last 30 years studying many different approaches - including psychosynthesis, gestalt, and regression therapy.

More recently she has studied with the American organisation Coach University and she is now trained to conduct her coaching over the telephone and by e-mail.

"Personal coaching supports you in maximising your full potential by enabling you to find your purpose, set achievable goals, plan the life you want, think positively and create the kind of world you want to live in," she said.

Coaching is achieved through four sessions a month, either in person or over the telephone. At each session homework is set which entail answering questionnaires.

When these completed they are then faxed or e-mailed back to the coach so they can prepare for the next session.