Employee Counselling

You are eligible to access free counselling sessions through Associated Counsellors Employee Assistance if your employer is registered with our program.

Firstly, find out which referral system your employer has chosen. There are two options and your
employer will have chosen one for staff to access counselling sessions:

If you are unsure which referral system your employer has chosen, speak with your Manager or HR
department. Alternatively, you can call us directly on (02) 8007 7474 and we can advise you about the EAP process applicable to your workplace.

EAP REFERRAL PATHWAY #1: HR-REFERRED

If your employer is registered under an HR-referral agreement, you will need to be referred to us by
your workplace before accessing our EAP counselling services. Speak with your manager or HR Department to request they refer you to our service. In this case, your employer will be aware of your usage of our EAP counselling services.

EAP REFERRAL PATHWAY #2: SELF-REFERRED

If your employer is registered under a self-referral agreement, you do not need to inform your
workplace of your intention to access EAP counselling sessions. Simply call us and let us know that you are wanting to access workplace counselling under your EAP. Under a self-referral agreement, your use of our services will be confidential.

Anything you speak with your counsellor about is confidential, even if you are accessing our services
through an HR-referral. The content of your sessions is between you and your counsellor and will not
be shared with your employer, unless you provide specific permission to do so. Confidentiality will
be upheld under all circumstances, unless there is an immediate or serious risk to your safety or the
safety of another, or in the case of a court subpoena.

The number of EAP counselling sessions you have access to will have been predetermined by your
employer when they established their agreement with us. Most employers set a session limit of
6 sessions. If you complete your allocated number of sessions but feel you would benefit from more, some employers may be willing to provide more sessions on a case by case basis.

In these instances, we can help you to request an extension from your employer. If you are accessing
sessions through a self-referral agreement, you would need to give your specific consent before we
would reveal your identity to your employer to request further sessions on your behalf.

The number of EAP counselling sessions you have access to will have been predetermined by your
employer when they established their agreement with us. Most employers set a session limit of
6 sessions. If you complete your allocated number of sessions but feel you would benefit from more, some employers may be willing to provide more sessions on a case by case basis.

In these instances, we can help you to request an extension from your employer. If you are accessing
sessions through a self-referral agreement, you would need to give your specific consent before we
would reveal your identity to your employer to request further sessions on your behalf.

EAP Counselling can also greatly improve general wellbeing in your personal life by providing
support through many concerns, such as:

Offering EAP counselling services to staff is a way for employers to not only meet, but often exceed,
their responsibilities regarding employee mental health and wellbeing.

There are certain industries in which it is a standard duty of care to provide EAP counselling to employees due to the stressful nature of the work. However, many organisations that are not required to provide these services will still enlist the services of an EAP provider as this contributes to a more positive and supportive work culture.

Most employers do not restrict what issues an employee wishes to discuss during their EAP
counselling. Anything that may be impacting your wellbeing can be addressed with your counsellor.

Offering EAP counselling services to staff is a way for employers to not only meet, but often exceed,
their responsibilities regarding employee mental health and wellbeing.

There are certain industries in which it is a standard duty of care to provide EAP counselling to employees due to the stressful nature of the work. However, many organisations that are not required to provide these services will still enlist the services of an EAP provider as this contributes to a more positive and supportive work culture.

Most employers do not restrict what issues an employee wishes to discuss during their EAP
counselling. Anything that may be impacting your wellbeing can be addressed with your counsellor.