Direct Workplace Counselling

Description

What Direct Workplace Counselling is

Direct Workplace Counselling is a straightforward arrangement for employers who want to do the right thing by a member of their team — without the complexity, cost, or contractual commitment of a full Employee Assistance Programme.

Perhaps an employee is going through a difficult period and their manager wants to offer practical support. Perhaps a member of staff has raised a concern about their mental health and the employer wants to respond meaningfully. Perhaps an HR team has identified that a specific individual would benefit from professional support and wants to arrange it quickly and without bureaucracy. Whatever the context, Direct Workplace Counselling gives employers a simple, professional, and ethical route to providing that support.

The employer decides how many sessions to purchase. There is no minimum and no maximum — the number of sessions is entirely at the employer’s discretion, based on what they feel is appropriate for the situation. Additional sessions can be purchased at any time if the employer decides to extend the support.

How it works

The employer purchases sessions through this listing. Hope Therapy then contacts the employee directly to arrange a free 15-minute consultation, match them with an appropriate counsellor, and begin the process of booking their sessions. The employee is treated in exactly the same way as any other Hope Therapy client — with the same quality of care, the same professional standards, and the same ethical framework.

The employer is not involved in the clinical process in any way. Hope Therapy will confirm to the employer that the employee is attending sessions — nothing more. No clinical information, no session content, no progress reports, and no feedback of any kind is shared with the employer. The counselling relationship belongs entirely to the employee.

Confidentiality — an important note for employers

The confidentiality of the employee’s counselling sessions is absolute from the employer’s perspective. Hope Therapy will confirm attendance — and only attendance. No details of what is discussed, what difficulties the employee is experiencing, or what progress is being made will be shared with the employer under any circumstances.

This is not a procedural restriction — it is an ethical one. Therapeutic confidentiality is a cornerstone of effective counselling. An employee who knows their employer can access information about their sessions will not be able to engage openly and honestly with the therapeutic process. Absolute confidentiality is what makes the support genuinely useful — and it is what Hope Therapy is committed to providing.

Employers who require clinical reporting or progress updates as a condition of funding counselling are not suited to this arrangement. We would encourage those employers to explore a formal EAP structure instead, and we are happy to discuss what that might look like.

What the employee receives

The employee receives a free 15-minute consultation, a careful therapist match based on their specific situation and needs, and 50 to 60-minute individual counselling sessions delivered to the same professional standard as any other Hope Therapy service. They are treated as a client in their own right — not as a beneficiary of their employer’s arrangement.

Sessions are available online via a secure video platform, or face-to-face subject to therapist availability and location. The employee’s preference will be discussed and accommodated where possible during the consultation process.

Who delivers the sessions

Direct Workplace Counselling sessions are delivered by qualified Hope Therapy counsellors holding registration with an appropriate professional body — BACP, NCPS, or equivalent. Therapist matching takes into account the nature of what the employee is bringing, their preferences, and practical considerations such as availability and location. If the match doesn’t feel right, an alternative will always be found — at no extra cost to the employer.

Purchasing and session management

Sessions are purchased individually through this listing. The employer can purchase one session at a time or multiple sessions at once — whatever suits the arrangement. If the employer decides to extend support beyond the sessions initially purchased, additional sessions can be bought at any time at the same rate of £75 per session.

Hope Therapy will manage the scheduling and clinical logistics directly with the employee. The employer does not need to be involved in the day-to-day management of the sessions beyond the initial purchase.

A note on this arrangement versus a formal EAP

A formal Employee Assistance Programme is a contractual arrangement covering an entire workforce — typically involving a per-head annual fee, a defined number of sessions per employee, and a structured reporting and management framework. It is the right solution for organisations that want systemic, organisation-wide mental health support.

Direct Workplace Counselling is different. It is for employers who want to support one person, now, without the overhead of a formal programme. It is faster to set up, simpler to manage, and requires no ongoing contractual commitment. For many employers — particularly smaller businesses, or those dealing with a specific situation — it is the most practical and appropriate form of support available.

If you are an employer considering a more formal arrangement for your wider team, please get in touch and we will be happy to discuss what options are available.