Employee assistance program (EAP)

How can Psychology Melbourne's EAP benefit you?

Psychology Melbourne's Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) allow employers to support their employees - and often their employees’ families - through confidential counselling sessions with psychologists. They help employees to deal with work-related and personal issues that may affect workplace attitudes, performance and productivity.

Access to an EAP provides a safe, confidential environment to understand and resolve issues that might impact their performance at work. Employees can gain invaluable coping skills and strategies. Even the simple knowledge that they are valued enough to be provided with assistance improves morale

Studies indicate that an effective EAP program motivates employees to take responsibility for their wellbeing, preventing "spillover"of domestic tensions affecting employee health and workplace outcomes.

Research by PricewaterhouseCoopers on the effectiveness of Employee Assistance Programs, found that for every dollar invested in EAP, participating companies could expect returns by up to $2.30, including significant reductions in absenteeism and “presentism”, workplace satisfaction and employee retention. Read more about the benefits of EAP.

An Employee Assistance Program or EAP provides employer-funded, confidential, short-term professional help for employees and sometimes their families confronted with personal issues. While the problems covered by an EAP often impact directly on work, potentially affecting productivity and workplace relationships, they also include personal and family matters causing employee stress.

EAP at Psychology Melbourne

Our highly skilled team of more than 60 psychologists provide solution-focused counselling and coaching for employees with personal and work-related issues.

Our EAP program includes:

• Employee Counselling
• Mental Health Checks
• Critical Incident and Trauma Debriefing
• Wellbeing workshops
• Career Coaching 
• Cost-effective packages
• Corporate Training and Development Services

Psychology Melbourne offers your employees:

• A highly confidential service
• Personal matching to ensure the best-fit psychologist for your employee
• Experienced registered psychologists with higher-level skills
• Flexible appointment times including before work and after hours
• Same-day appointments (if urgent), otherwise within 3 working days
• Face-to-face appointments or via telephone or secure video conferencing

They can accurately diagnose and resolve conflict in the workplace and provide team-building tools and strategies. We also offer a range of classes and workshops.

We provide priority support to EAP participants. The aim is to provide an early-intervention, solution-oriented approach that empowers employees to develop more effective coping strategies.

We want our clients to feel calm, confident and looked after. We want them to know that they are in the best professional hands, and that at every stage of the process, from booking in, to the first visit to the reception desk and in the privacy of the consulting room, they will be treated with respect and consideration. At the outset, you should know that you will be in a comfortable, completely confidential setting with a highly-trained, experienced professional who treats you with respect, helps you feel at ease and engages you deeply in the process.

You will be supported by an approach and carefully developed systems that go beyond the standard practice. At Psychology Melbourne, we work hard to ensure that our clients have the best possible start and make continued progress in their therapy.

What an EAP can help with

Goals of our EAP service

• Provide a solution-oriented approach and identify and improve options
• Improve employee health, wellbeing and productivity
• Reduce absenteeism, conflict and workplace stress
• Empower the individual to develop personal coping strategies
• Improve staff morale, employee retention and recruitment
• Facilitate longer-term assistance at the employee’s expense if required
• Facilitate external referrals (i.e. for serious addiction problems, psychiatric disorders etc.)

Research shows that video counselling is equally as effective as face-to-face counselling. Psychology Melbourne is a leading provider of secure video counselling (SVC) in regional and remote areas.

Employee Counselling

As part of Psychology Melbourne's Employee Assistance Program, counselling is an effective way to foster support for your employees, resolve issues and consequently improve productivity and work performance.

Our highly skilled team of more than 35 psychologists provide solution-focused counselling and coaching for employees with personal and work related issues. They can accurately diagnose and resolve conflict in the workplace and provide team building tools and strategies. We also offer a range of classes and workshops.

Our employee assistance program provides priority support. The aim is to provide an early-intervention, solution-oriented approach that empowers employees to develop more effective coping strategies.

The Employee Assistance Program offers 50 minute consultations for the agreed number of sessions determined by the employer. Most companies offer between 3 – 6 sessions to their employees.

Communication Channels

Our counselling services are not only limited to face-to-face but are also available through phone and video.

Secure Video Counselling (SVC) allows employees to access our high-quality counselling services via a computer, laptop, iPad and Smart Phone. They can be held in a private office at work or they can be made from the employee’s home or external location.

Some of the benefits of Secure Video Counselling incude:

• Convenient easy access, no travel or parking required
• Complete privacy and security
• Cost and time-effective
• Flexible appointment times including before and after work
• Available world-wide over the Internet

Mental Health Checks

Includes 1 test + 15 min phone consult + report summary including test results and recommendations.

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. It impacts the way that we think, feel and act. Addressing issues and practicing care for our mental health is vital to ensure that the way we handle stress, relate to others and make choices are at their best.

Psychology Melbourne’s Mental Health Checks can help your employees identify what areas of your emotional and mental health that they may need to address. The team will discuss the concerns they may be having under strict confidentiality and provide

tools and techniques for a healthier and happier life. Self referral to a mental health check can be an easy first step into having individual sessions, assisting with any anxiety around initial counselling sessions.

For Employers

Employers can also cover the cost of mental health checks for employees under the Employee Assistance Program. Employees can self refer for a mental health check prior to ongoing counselling sessions, if the checks are included as part of the company's capped sessions.

Read more about Mental health Checks

Critical Incident debriefing

The sudden, overwhelming stress of traumatic events can produce harmful emotional and physical responses in the most level-headed individuals. Psychology Melbourne offers support for both companies and individuals who may be impacted. Our sensitive and understanding reception staff can happily guide you through unexpected critical incident support, making the process smooth and stress-free.

Benefits of Critical Incident Support

• Assist individuals to process difficult and traumatic events in a timely manner
• Ongoing support for employees to prevent reduced productivity
• Reduction of stress surrounding a traumatic event
• Confidential and safe counselling for employees in need

Read more about Critical Incident and Trauma Support.

Cost-effective packages

Psychology Melbourne offers pre-paid packages offering counselling sessions at discounted rates. Available in packages of 3 or 5 sessions, these sessions may be purchased for a specific employee, or can be used by any employee from the organisation’s file.

This is an effective way provide invaluable support for staff while reducing costs and increasing profits.

Read more about pricing and available options.

Training and Development services

Training and development psychology services are invaluable tools for personal and professional growth. Available for groups and individuals, Psychology Melbourne's team of highly experienced psychologists working in this area have contributed substantially to the performance of government, corporate and small-to-medium businesses in a variety of sectors by identifying and helping resolve issues that may be hindering productivity and growth.

Learn more about our training and development services.

Have more questions about EAP? Check out our FAQ or contact us today

Contact Us

Your employees can make appointments directly with Psychology Melbourne, on a voluntary self-referral basis. We manage the number of sessions with a negotiated cap.

Appointments are available across our 10 locations in the CBD and suburbs. We offer after-hours and Saturday sessions in addition to normal office hours.

For more information or to arrange an appointment contact our reception team on our Live Chat, phone (03) 9629 1001 or send us an email via our contact form.