Work Is Not Your Therapist: Rethinking the Emotional Demands We Place on Our Jobs
Psychotherapist Esther Perel explores how the modern workplace has become a stand-in for community, identity, and self-worth – needs once met by religion or local life. This shift has made work more emotionally loaded, increasing stress, loneliness, and conflict that spill into our personal lives. She argues that just like romantic bonds, workplace relationships need trust, belonging, recognition, and resilience. With remote work, fragmented teams, and the rise of AI, our ability to adapt and connect is being tested. Perel warns that no perk can fix toxic dynamics and that relational intelligence – not perks or pay – is fast becoming the true competitive edge.