I am currently affiliated with a number of EAP / EFAP providers including: Arete, BCI, and Homewood Health. In some cases I can be added to a service provider different than these ones. These are services for therapy provided by many companies to their employees and often to their families as well.
EAP / EFAP work is not a long-term therapy option for all as they tend to provide what is known as Short Term Solution Focused Therapy meaning you have only. A few sessions (often 4-6) to work on your issues. Sometimes this is more than enough and can be just the right amount to get someone back on track but is a much faster pace to work at than traditional therapy. This is a very good benefit to provide to employees and their families as like ICBC, you do not have to pay in advance and seek reimbursement at a later date.
As the RCC, I am able to invoice and bill the EAP / EFAP providers directly. A common concern with this service is will your employer be made aware of the fact you are using this service and can they access the information from your sessions? The answer to this is “No” as your employer has no right to access any information pertaining to your sessions and this even includes whether you are accessing the service at all. Confidentiality laws are in effect as with typical therapy and nobody outside of the sessions themselves has any access to the information discussed.
Since the COVID Pandemic remote sessions became an integral part of peoples’ mental health care as in-person therapy sessions were lost to the pandemic. Since then remote sessions have become an integral part of the service provided for people.
Remote sessions can occur either over the phone or through Zoom if you prefer face-to-face. The feedback received about remote sessions has been very positive as people can have their sessions in the privacy and comfort of their own space. Remote sessions also allow for less impact on the individuals as they do not need to travel to a session, leave work early for a session, or get child care while they attend a session. You can get the same level of care and understanding remotely as you could through in-person sessions.
A lot of people really value the in-person experience and so for these people, in-person sessions can be arranged. Neither format is right or wrong and both can be accommodated. In some cases, some clients implement a hybrid version incorporating both methods into their mental health maintenance.