ThoughtFull Resources
It is clear from the data that the mental health of Asia’s working population is under strain, with 82% of workers having a medium to high mental health risk profile.1 This comes at a financial cost to organisations – globally, according to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety alone, at a cost of USS$1 trillion per year in lost productivity
This could explain why organisations are allocating more of their overall funding to employee wellness and looking to employee assistance programs (EAP) to support their employees’ mental health. In particular, EAPs are best known for providing counselling and support services to employees. But what exactly does EAP counselling involve, and how is it different from traditional counselling and therapy?
What is an employee assistance program (EAP)?
Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are employee benefit programs that support employees dealing with any personal or work-related challenges that are affecting their mental well-being. They generally involve providing employees with free and confidential counselling and therapy services to assist in managing these issues, alongside webinars, workshops and other resources on mental health.In a broader mental health context, therapy and counselling traditionally refers to counselling and therapy sessions that are carried out in clinical or private practice settings, to address a wide range of mental health disorders and issues.
Counselling services provided in EAPs are similar to traditional therapy and counselling in that they offer short-term, solutions-focused mental health support for clients. However, a key difference is that EAP counselling services are paid for by employers and focus on helping employees deal with work-related or personal issues that could have a detrimental effect on their job performance.
How is counselling in an EAP different from traditional therapy?
There are significant overlaps between EAP counselling and traditional therapy, but the four main differences are:
- The number of sessions available
- The focus and goals
- The confidentiality of sessions
- The variety of counselling styles available
The number of sessions available
Because confidential counselling sessions within EAPs are offered through an employer, there is usually a limited number of sessions that are available to employees at no charge. This makes it a short-term source of support.
On the other hand, traditional therapy can offer open-ended, flexible and long-term support which may continue for many years.
ThoughtFull’s EAP: Our EAP typically provides employees with access to unlimited asynchronous text-based coaching with a licensed and qualified mental health professional, ensuring ongoing support at their convenience. Additionally, the programme includes 24/7 access to a wellness hotline for crisis situations, as well as self-guided tools for long-term mental wellbeing.
Our EAP also offers flexibility in terms of customisation of video therapy sessions and the inclusion of on-site or virtual wellness programmes, which can be tailored to suit your organisation’s preferences and requirements.
The focus and goals
As it is a short-term service provided by the employer, the goal of counselling within an EAP is to address immediate concerns that may impact an employee’s productivity or work performance, such as stress management, workplace conflict, or personal and family issues. The focus is on providing solutions-focused support to help employees manage specific problems and facilitate positive changes, rather than dwelling on problems in the past.
While employees are free to discuss any mental health concerns during counselling sessions through an EAP, there may not be enough sessions to fully explore or address more longstanding issues. EAP mental health professionals may need to refer clients to external resources (such as therapists, support groups for substance abuse, etc) for support.
On the other hand, general counsellors and therapists typically address a broader range of mental health issues and work with clients on a more long-term basis. Thus, traditional therapy usually goes beyond solutions-focused support and allows more in-depth exploration of past experiences to understand the root causes behind clients’ behaviour and emotions. It usually aims for longer-term outcomes such as increased self-awareness and personal growth, and may also involve a wider range of therapeutic interventions and mental health treatments that are more appropriate for long-term therapy.
ThoughtFull’s EAP: Counselling sessions with our certified professionals are designed to provide your employees with the support they need, whenever they need it, covering a wide range of concerns. We offer unlimited asynchronous text-based coaching and access to professional support through our ThoughtFullChat app, so employees can discuss their issues more in depth. Employees can also utilise the app to explore self-guided tools and resources. This holistic approach has led to a 52% average reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression levels among our clients’ employees.
The confidentiality of sessions
While the specific details of employees’ counselling sessions are kept confidential, because it is a service provided by the company, EAP counselling may have different confidentiality boundaries compared to usual therapy sessions. Depending on the terms of the agreement between the employer and the EAP provider, the EAP provider may need to report anonymised data to the employer about the types of issues its employees are facing or statistics on the utilisation of its services. However, this reporting is usually done without identifying specific individuals to maintain employee privacy.
In traditional therapy sessions, all information disclosed within sessions is confidential and may not be revealed without clients’ consent, except where disclosure is required by law (e.g. where the therapist has concerns about the client causing potential harm to themselves or others).
Thoughtful’s EAP: All counselling sessions and communications between employees and our certified professionals are fully confidential, secured with end-to-end encryption. Our mobile app ensures that user data is protected, and ThoughtFull is proud to be ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified, demonstrating our commitment to the highest standards of information security. Additionally, users can choose to remain anonymous by using a nickname within the app, providing an extra layer of confidentiality.
We also provide employers with quarterly business reviews (QBRs) that include aggregated data on employee utilisation and engagement rates, key trends in concerns raised, and other emotional health insights. These reviews are entirely anonymised, ensuring no identifiable information about individuals is shared, thereby safeguarding employee privacy and confidentiality while offering actionable insights to support organisational well-being.
The variety of counselling styles available
There are a variety of therapeutic approaches and interventions that may be adopted by mental health professionals to help clients address their mental health issues. For instance, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a structured, goal-oriented type of therapy that focuses on addressing existing symptoms and making changes, while psychodynamic therapy involves uncovering hidden patterns in thoughts or behaviour by exploring past experiences.
When an employee receives counselling through an EAP, they will only have access to the mental health professionals that the EAP provider works with, and thus the types of therapeutic approaches available will be dependent on what those therapists specialise in. However, in traditional therapy, an individual can look for a therapist who specialises in a particular approach to help them address a certain issue.
Thoughtful’s EAP: We have a diverse network of curated mental health professionals who are proficient in 28 languages and dialects, ensuring cultural and contextual relevance to meet the diverse needs of your employees. With expertise spanning over 32 clinical specialties, we prioritise flexibility and accessibility, allowing employees to switch between mental health professionals at no additional cost to find the best fit for their well-being journey.
Benefits of EAPs
Enhanced Workplace Productivity and Employee Wellness
Counselling sessions with licensed professionals can provide guidance and a safe space for employees struggling with mental health conditions or issues. This can help them navigate any personal or work-related challenges, and improve work performance, productivity and employee engagement.
Reduced Absenteeism, Presenteeism and Healthcare Costs
Putting in place employee wellness support and crisis interventions that maintain strict confidentiality will equip employees to better manage their mental health challenges. This in turn reduces absenteeism, presenteeism and the need for sick leave and related healthcare costs.
More Positive Workplace Culture and Reduced Turnover Rates
Investing in employee well-being can also help foster a more positive culture in your company. This will facilitate collaboration, increase job satisfaction, and increase employee retention.
Why Choose ThoughtFull as Your EAP Provider?
Holistic and Integrated Approach to Mental Health
Employers looking to invest in employee wellness should prioritise integrated strategies over initiatives which are ad-hoc and may not align with the mental health issues and concerns their employees face. Our EAP is designed to provide proactive, interventional support according to the varying levels of needs within the organisation – whether individuals require preventive care, curative care or crisis intervention.
Receive Support Anytime and Anywhere
Employees can conveniently access our 24/7 wellness hotline, send unlimited texts to their dedicated mental health professional, and receive coaching and advice via our ThoughtFullChat app.
We also offer both online and on-site counselling services with our qualified mental health professionals who have diverse areas of expertise and are well-equipped to offer support for various mental health conditions.
Proven Outcomes
Our EAP has been proven to be effective, with a utilisation rate of 43% across all our clients (vs. the 3% industry rate), as well as a 52% average reduction in stress, anxiety and depression levels amongst our clients’ employees.
ThoughtFull is backed by leading companies who have trusted us with supporting their EAP initiatives. Read our case studies to find out more about how we have partnered with various organisations to boost their employee wellness.
What’s included in ThoughtFull’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- 24/7 wellness hotline
- Unlimited access to professional support via the ThoughtFullChat App
- Online and in-person counselling sessions with a highly curated network of certified professionals from diverse cultural backgrounds and specialisations
- Access to our proprietary analytics dashboard to measure, track and evaluate employees’ mood and wellness, which can help in early identification and prevention of potential issues
- Daily resources on boosting mental and emotional wellness, including coaching exercises, lesson packs, assessments and more to aid in self-regulation and stress management
- Webinars to equip businesses and teams on building a positive work environment
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1 According to the 2023 Asia Mental Health Index by Aon and TELUS Health