We often hear from CEOs is that their employees don't need clinical mental health support.

Even if you think your employees don't need clinical help, there are clear reasons why they should be able to access employee counseling and other mental health services anyway.

If you want more information on what employee counseling is, its benefits, and why every employee should have access to it—you've come to the right place!  

What is Workplace Counseling?

Workplace counseling (or employee counseling) is simply therapy that is provided through an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), mental health program, or traditional health insurance. Sessions can be online or in person.

Employee counseling helps employees deal with problems they face in their personal and professional lives.

Employee counseling helps employees gain the skills to cope with life's stressors.

What are the Benefits of Workplace Counseling?

There are many benefits to employee counseling. To list a few:

1. Increased productivity and performance

Employees face higher amounts of stress and burnout than in previous years, especially due to the pandemic. Workplace counseling provides a safe place for employees to work out their stressors and anxieties. We all need someone to talk to sometimes!

2. Improved company culture

Employee counseling programs help employees feel that their employer truly cares about their wellbeing—helping to foster a culture that prioritizes mental health.

3. Increased job satisfaction

All of the benefits listed previously help keep employees with you! So many companies do not provide their employees with tools to support their mental health. Your company has the opportunity to be the exception.

For more in-depth information on employee counseling, including the types of employee counseling and more benefits of employee counseling, check out our blog post: Employee Counseling—Do You Need It?  

5 Reasons Why Every Employee Should Have Access to Workplace Counseling

1. Employee counseling isn't just for people with a diagnosis

Do you deal with stress? Relationship problems? Anxiety? Changing moods?

Then you can benefit from employee counseling.

Therapy is for anybody and everybody because we all have to deal with life's stressors. We all need to learn ways to cope with those stressors.

Therapy isn't always clinical. Sometimes, we just need someone to talk to confidentially and without judgment. Some people could benefit greatly from just one employee counseling session per year. Others might want to meet with a counselor twice per month.

It all depends on that person's personality and needs.

Check out our blog post on 5 Myths about Therapy for more employee counseling myths like these.

2. Employees aren't usually transparent about their mental health

While you may think your employees are doing fine in the mental health department, that is often not true.

Employees tend to hide their struggles from their coworkers, managers, and even family members.

It is scary to speak up and be honest about mental health. It is hard to ask for help.

Most employees deal with workload stress, work-life balance, and other stressors that come with working. And companies that are working remotely tend to have a more difficult time being in touch with how their employees are doing.

Read 6 Signs Your Employees are Struggling with Mental Health for ways to tell if your employees are struggling and could benefit from workplace counseling.

With Nivati, you will see how many of your employees have booked employee counseling appointments. You may be surprised at how many do!

3. Workplace counseling provides a safety net

You don't need to be in a crisis to go to therapy. Knowing that workplace counseling is a free option provides employees with security. That knowledge in itself—knowing that it is possible to talk issues out with someone—can help reduce employee stress.

Many people struggle to get access to therapy on their own, especially since the demand for employee counseling has increased. Companies like Nivati make getting an employee counseling appointment easy and highly feasible for employees.

4. Workplace counseling takes the pressure off your managers

Direct managers have insights into employees that CEOs or HR Directors may not have complete visibility into.

Managers can refer employees to workplace counseling when they feel that they cannot help them with a deeper mental health issue. Platforms like Nivati can help managers gain the skills they need to deal with their own stress, which will help them support their direct reports.

You may even want to consider training your managers on basic counseling techniques. Enable your people to help each other out.

Also, employees can choose to attend employee counseling completely anonymously if they choose. Nivati makes it especially easy for employees to set teletherapy appointments.

5. Employee counseling helps fight the mental health stigma

Do you want to attract young talent? Then you'll need to appeal to Millennials.  Millennials are the therapy generation. Employee counseling is something that many employees expect to have access to.

Not only will providing workplace counseling help your company stand out to top talent, but it will also help transform your company culture into one that prioritizes mental health.

Adding employee counseling and wellness services to your employee benefits package is one of the best ways to support your people.

For more on supporting employee mental health, check out these articles:

 
• How to Measure the ROI of Your Mental Health Program
 
• 5 Major Signs of Employee Burnout and How to Address Them
 
• How to Use Your Mental Health Program to Increase Retention
 
• How to Start Therapy: Common Questions Answered

Disclaimer

By participating in/reading the service/website/blog/email series on this website, you acknowledge that this is a personal website/blog and is for informational purposes and should not be seen as mental health care advice. You should consult with a licensed professional before you rely on this website/blog’s information. All things written on this website should not be seen as therapy treatment and should not take the place of therapy or any other health care or mental health advice. Always seek the advice of a mental health care professional or physician. The content on this blog is not meant to and does not substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.