EAP

At Reflexions in Newcastle upon Tyne, our Employee Therapy Assistance service supports employees to manage work issues through providing identified therapeutic interventions. Work-related anxiety, stress, depression, overwork or bullying can cause a decline in an employees job satisfaction and performance. Similarly, major personal life events such as divorce, loss, or trauma are often difficult for individuals to cope with and, without assistance, can overflow into an employee’s work situation.

One in six people experience mental health problems at work

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Individual Solutions

At Reflexions we provide personalised services, working with employers to support a range of employee issues. We operate outside companies structured EA systems offering a bespoke service, allowing flexibility to work with employers on an as-needed basis.

Whether an individual is facing personal challenges or has experienced a distressing event, our qualified and experienced therapists can help. By connecting your employees with our professionals, you can support them through difficult times, helping them to regain optimal performance and fulfilling your duty of care as an employer.

Our Expert Therapists

Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) counsellors are fully qualified practitioners in counselling or psychotherapy, trained to advise on a wide range of issues:

• Depression, anxiety, stress
• Grief and bereavement
• Addictions & substance abuse
• Relationship and marital problems
• Work stress and work-life balance issues
• Complex mental health issues

Personalised Assessment and Therapy Plans

Following an initial assessment to understand the employee’s situation and concerns, the counsellor will determine the appropriate course of action. All sessions are personalised to meet the individual’s needs.

What Does It Involve?

Upon contacting us to arrange therapy for your employee, we will discuss the case and business requirements before proposing a therapeutic plan and pricing. Once agreed upon, one of our therapists will conduct an initial assessment and begin the therapeutic process.

Counselling offers a safe, confidential space for employees to discuss their concerns with trained professionals. Equally, this support can be invaluable for managers perhaps feeling ill-equipped and unable to address complex personal problems faced by employees. Research has shown that counselling interventions can reduce sickness absence rates and help employees return to work more quickly with a positive outlook and enhanced well-being.

The Importance of Mental Health Support

Standard Employee Counselling/Therapy Assistance is often short-term, lasting 7-12 sessions, with payment taken in advance for at least the first 6 sessions. However, it might be that you are contacting Reflexions because an employee or colleague is dealing with significant trauma or more complex issues outside of your companies standard EAP provision? This specialised therapy usually requires longer-term work of 12 – 20 sessions.

We can generally offer appointments within one week of initial contact, or remotely. For groups affected by an incident, we don’t now arrange to attend your workplace to speak to a group as current research has indicated that this is unhelpful and can delay group recovery. In this situation we can advise you of the best way forward and arrange for more targeted treatment with individuals if this is needed.

Confidentiality is Maintained

It is good practice for the employer to set up therapy on a voluntary basis as this creates better therapeutic outcomes. It is strictly confidential between the employee and the therapist.

Benefits

“Counselling interventions reduce sickness absence and help employees return to work more quickly with a positive outlook and enhanced well-being?”

Biomed

With 17.1 million working days lost annually in the UK due to poor mental health, providing proper mental health support is crucial for organisational growth and productivity. (MHFA Portal). As a leader, supporting your employees through personal and professional challenges is essential for promoting a healthy work environment.

Legal Duty of Care

Employers are legally required to ensure the wellbeing of their employees, including responsibilities related to health, safety, harassment, and stress. Some mental health issues are considered disabilities under the Equality Act 2010, necessitating reasonable adjustments to avoid discrimination. By prioritising mental health, you not only comply with legal obligations but also foster a supportive, productive workplace.

Employee Assistance Therapy:The Next Step

Recognising the impact of employee mental health upon your business is a significant step towards regaining control and improving your business productivity and workplace well-being. At Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy, we are dedicated to assisting business in identifying and implementing effective and timely interventions to allow you to get on with managing your business.

Take the next step and contact us to arrange to talk to one of our specialists about Employee Assistance Therapy in Newcastle – Phone: 01915805080 or email.

Employer and Employee Assistance: Self-Help in a Crisis

Broadly speaking, if you think an employee is needful of support you should encourage them to seek help and talk. Often the following are helpful first contacts:

Employers have a ‘duty of care’ to do what’s reasonable and practical in situations that involve an employee’s mental health. For example, it would often be appropriate for a manager to go with an employee to hospital. Or, in a crisis situation, they could stay in contact with the employee until someone reaches them.

If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

1. Step 1: Signpost
   • a trusted friend or family member
   • Doctor/GP
   • occupational health
2. Step 2: NHS Mental Health Support – the NHS provide services and helplines for mental health support which are a safe and helpful goto for employees.
   • England – mental health helplines on the NHS
   • Scotland – mental health services on NHS 24
   • Wales – mental health services on NHS 111 Wales
3. Step 3: Organisation EAP – these can prove helpful to
   • contact for advice
   • direct your employee to
4. Step 4: External Specialist Support Organisations – useful to direct employees to for specific support (see below):

There are a wide range of on-line resources are available. A small selection are listed below:
Samaritans
National Charity available 24/7 for crisis
SHOUT
tel. 0845 1300 286
A useful site for carers and those that have to deal with someone else’s anger. Contains lots of useful information.
Supportline
PO Box 1596, Ilford, Essex IG1 3FW
helpline: 01708 765 200
A helpline including domestic violence and sexual assault, bullying, child abuse, anxiety and depression.
Women’s Aid
helpline: 0808 2000 247
National charitable   organisation about   domestic violence.

Once the immediate situation has been handled, you should start thinking about how you can support the employee going forward.