Therapy Centre Services are the first EDR (Employer Direct Referral) counselling service in the UK.
We developed an alternative solution to the typical EAP services which many companies use. With 18 years experience in HR / Operations Management and then as a Qualified Counsellor, Lucy identified an alternative solution which would provide employers with more effective way for employers to support employees with their mental health.
Many Companies only know about EAP services, and sign up to these employee benefit programmes. EAP’s are intended to help employees with personal or work related issues which may impact their performance at work and overall wellbeing.
The EAP services provide an initial assessment and short term counselling for employees who are struggling with their mental health. Mostly this is provided through CBT therapy which is a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Many employees see the counselling provisions provided by EAP’s simply as a ‘tick box exercise’ – that there is an employee benefit programme in place, and therefore the employer is seen as ‘doing something’ for their employees when struggling with their mental health. Is this really adding value to your employees, and providing cost savings for your business and reducing absence rates?
Is this the right solution for your business?
So who are Therapy Centre Services and how can we provide positive outcomes for your business and your employees?
Our team of 85 Counsellors all work for Therapy Centre Services, not as affiliates but as part of our internal Counselling Team. All of our team work across a range of modalities, which means that when we receive a referral from an employer, they are allocated to the most appropriate Counsellor on the team. If for example you have an employee struggling following a traumatic incident it would not be appropriate for them to have CBT therapy. We would allocate them to a Trauma Informed therapist or one of our team trained in Rewind Therapy.
We provide all employees with an initial appointment within 24 hours of us receiving a referral, and continued weekly sessions without a ‘gap’ in the support for the employee. This is not a service that EAP’s provide. Being proactive when employees are struggling with their mental health means that we can support them to remain at work, or assist them in returning to work as soon as possible without any delays in them accessing the support they need.
Our Counselling Services are completely bespoke, so employers can decide to fund as few or as many sessions for employees as they want to. EAP services typically only provide 6 sessions. This may be suitable for some employees, but for others they may need 8, 10 or 12 sessions to really deal with the problem, and therefore reduce the possibility of them needing to return to therapy.
There are no contracts to access our services, we simply invoice each month for the counselling provisions provided.
Case Studies
Below are two case studies of employees who had been referred through their EAP Service, and subsequently then referred to Therapy Centre Services.
Case Study 1
Employee A had experienced a number of traumatic incidents over a short period of time, resulting in issues with sleep, eating and motivation. This resulted in the employee not being able to work. Employee A was referred to the company EAP service. Employee A was contacted after 3 weeks for an Initial Assessment and then advised that the EAP service was not suitable for her and signposted to her GP. It took a further 6 days for Employee A to manage to see a GP who then referred her for counselling through the NHS. With a waiting list of over 18 weeks Employee A spoke to her employer who then referred her through Therapy Centre Services. Employee A was seen within 24 hours for an initial session, providing relevant grounding support and tools and techniques. The employee was allocated 7 sessions and returned to work after session 2.
Case Study 2
Employee B had been experiencing bullying in the workplace which had been affecting his ability to work and concentrate. He was referred through the EAP service. The Initial Assessment was completed and Employee B was offered an appointment with a CBT Counsellor. The Counsellor worked to identify negative thoughts and feelings and to try and reframe these. Employee B felt shamed and ‘blamed’ for the issues he was experiencing. Therapy Centre Services were asked to complete an Initial Assessment where issues were identified in the workplace. An initial assessment report was sent directly to the Line Manager who was unaware of the issues Employee B was experiencing. Measures were immediately put in place to support the employee, and after a further 6 sessions the employee was able to return to work, feeling much more positive and supported. Working closely with the Employer enabled Therapy Centre Services to provide 360degree support, and to work collaboratively with the employer for a positive outcome
Case Study 3
Employee C had suffered a number of miscarriages over a short period of time, and this had resulted in her becoming both physically and mentally unwell. The Employee C was assessed through the EAP service and assigned to a male Counsellor. The Counsellor made client feel worse – the Counsellor was eating during the session, and continued to make refreshments while in session. The Counsellor then told Employee C “to stop worrying about things that haven’t happened yet”. Employee C did not continue with sessions and was left unsupported. The client was then referred to Therapy Centre Services who allocated her to a female Counsellor on the team who could best support her in processing her grief, and to support her in returning to work. After 3 months of absence the employee returned after 3 weeks of counselling through our service.
So why use Therapy Centre Services?
95.1% of clients accessing our service confirmed that the counselling support had made a difference
93.6% of clients confirmed that their therapy goal was achieved
97% of clients would recommend their therapist
Would you like to find out more about how Therapy Centre Services can support your employees with their mental health, and support you in driving down costs associated with absence as a result of employee’s poor mental health?
Contact sarahd@therapycentreservices.com to arrange an initial call, where we can answer any questions you may have.