Most people have heard of EAP. Fewer know what it actually is, or how it works for a business with eight staff instead of eight hundred.
EAP stands for Employee Assistance Program. It means a business pays for its staff to see a counsellor. The staff member gets help with whatever is going on. The business doesn't get told what was said.
I offer EAP counselling to businesses across Far North Queensland. This post explains how it works, what it costs, and whether it makes sense for a business your size.
What EAP counselling is
It's short-term counselling for your staff, paid for by you. Usually that's a handful of sessions, not months of weekly appointments.
Staff can bring work problems or personal problems. Both end up at work anyway. Someone going through a separation doesn't leave it in the car park.
The things people most often come in with:
Stress and workload
Conflict with a coworker or manager
Grief after a death in the family
Relationship problems
Money worries
Drinking more than they want to
Something hard that happened at work
Burnout, or just feeling flat for too long
None of these need to be a crisis. Most people come in because something has been building for a while and they want to sort it out before it gets worse.
Who it's for
Your staff, first. But I also see owners and managers as part of the same arrangement.
In my experience the owner is often the person with the least support. You're the one staff come to with problems. You carry the wages, the bills and the worry about whether next month will be quiet. There isn't usually anyone above you to talk to. So I've made owner and manager support part of what I offer, not an extra.
Individual workers can also book directly at the same rate, without going through their employer. That includes support workers and other people in jobs that take a lot out of them. I wrote more about that in Counselling for Support Workers: When the Job Starts Taking Too Much.
How it works with me
I've kept it simple on purpose.
You get in touch and we agree on the arrangement. I work with businesses that have five or more staff, and that includes large organisations.
You let your staff know the service is there and how to book.
Staff book directly with me by phone, email or the online booking page. They don't have to ask their manager first.
Sessions are 50 minutes. They can be face to face at my office on Lake Street in Cairns on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, or by video, phone or text any day except Saturday.
I invoice the business for the sessions used. The invoice shows how many sessions, not who came.
Telehealth matters more than people think in Far North Queensland. A lot of workers are out of town, on shift, or don't want to be seen walking into a counsellor's office. Video, phone and text sessions take care of that.
What it costs
My EAP rate is $140 per hour plus GST.
You only pay for sessions that are used. There's no subscription, no annual fee and no contract to lock you in. If nobody books in a month, you pay nothing that month.
Many of the big national EAP providers charge a yearly fee per employee, whether anyone uses the service or not. That model can work for a large organisation. For a business with five to thirty staff, it often means paying every year for something that sits unused.
My general fees are on the counselling fees page if you want to compare.
Confidentiality
The first thing staff usually want to know is whether their boss will find out. They won't hear it from me.
The business doesn't get names. It doesn't get told what was talked about, how someone is going, or how many times a particular person has come. The invoice shows a number of sessions and that's all.
The only exceptions are the same ones that apply to any counselling, such as a serious risk to someone's safety or a legal requirement. I go through these with every person in their first session so there are no surprises.
I'll be honest about one thing. In a business of six people, an owner might be able to guess who has been. I can't stop that completely. What I can do is make sure nothing comes from me, and give staff options like phone or text sessions so they can book quietly.
Why a business would bother
There are two reasons. One is legal and one is practical.
The legal one: since 1 April 2023, Queensland businesses have had to follow the Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022. In short, it says you need to manage risks to your staff's mental health the same way you manage physical risks. An EAP doesn't meet that obligation on its own. You still need to look at things like workload, bullying and how work is organised. But giving staff access to a counsellor is one sensible part of it.
The practical one: a staff member who is struggling costs you, whether you see it or not. It shows up as sick days, mistakes, a short temper with customers, or a resignation you didn't see coming. In a small team, one person going under affects everyone. A few counselling sessions is usually cheaper than any of those.
If stress is the main thing you're seeing in your team, my post on stress management counselling in Cairns covers what that work looks like.
Why use a local counsellor
With many national services, staff ring a number and get whoever is free that day. With me, they see the same person each time. They don't have to tell their story over again.
I live here. I grew up on a property outside Cairns. I know what the wet season does to work, and how far some people are from any kind of help. I've also worked in the disability sector since 2018, so I understand shift work, high-pressure support roles and the toll they take.
I'm a registered counsellor with the CPCA. I use approaches like CBT, solution-focused therapy, Gestalt and emotionally focused therapy, depending on what the person needs. If you're not sure how a counsellor differs from a psychologist, I explain it in Counsellor vs Psychologist: What's the Difference?
What EAP counselling isn't
It helps to be clear about the limits.
It isn't a crisis service. If someone is in immediate danger, call 000. Lifeline is available any time on 13 11 14.
It isn't a performance management tool. I won't report on staff, assess whether someone is fit for their job, or tell you what to do about a particular employee.
It isn't long-term therapy. EAP sessions are for getting someone back on their feet. If a person needs more than that, I'll talk with them about next steps. That might mean continuing with me privately, or a referral elsewhere.
Getting started
If you run a business with five or more staff anywhere in Far North Queensland, I'm happy to talk it through. There's no long sign-up process. We agree on how it will work, you tell your staff, and they book when they need to.
You can call me on 0423 763 712, email allan@strongfoundationsupport.com, or read more on my EAP counselling page.
Allan Bunyan Counsellor, Strong Foundation Support
