Short answer
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) gives you a small number of free, confidential counselling sessions through your employer, and it is a good first step if you have one. Paying for your own counselling makes sense when you want to keep going after the free sessions end, choose who you see, or book outside work hours. On InnerHub a session is $69.90 AUD for 50 minutes, with no referral.
If you have ever opened the staff intranet at 23:00 and found a page headed "Employee Assistance Program", you have probably wondered the same two things. Is it really free, and does anyone at work find out?
This post sets out what an EAP usually offers, where it stops, and how to decide between using it, paying for counselling yourself, or doing both.
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Find a therapistWhat is an EAP?
An EAP is a counselling service your employer pays for so that staff can talk to someone, usually for free. It is run by an outside provider, not by your manager or HR team. Many programs also cover immediate family or household members, though that varies by employer.
The details come from your employer's contract with the provider. That is why two people in different workplaces can have very different entitlements.
How many free sessions do you get?
It varies, and there is no national standard. Some employers offer a handful of sessions per issue, some offer more, and some offer fewer.
Check your allowance before you book. Your HR team, the staff handbook or the EAP booklet will say how many sessions you have, whether they renew, and whether family can use them.
Is an EAP confidential?
Providers generally say they do not tell your employer who uses the service or what you discuss. What an employer receives, if anything, depends on the contract.
Confidentiality has limits everywhere, such as when someone is at risk of harm. If it matters to you, ask the provider before your first session what is shared and with whom. It is a normal question and they will have an answer ready.
What are the limits of an EAP?
A few things tend to come up:
- A fixed number of sessions. When the allowance runs out, so does the free support.
- Limited choice. You may be matched with whoever the provider has available, rather than picking someone from a profile.
- Business hours. Some providers offer evenings, but appointments can be limited, and some people feel uneasy booking in work time.
- A link to work. Even with strong privacy, some people would rather keep support completely separate from their employer, especially when work is part of what they want to talk about.
None of this makes an EAP a poor option. For a short, specific problem, a few free sessions can be exactly what you need.
When does paying for your own counselling make sense?
It makes sense when you want something an EAP is not set up to give you. Common reasons:
- you have used your free sessions and want to continue
- you would like to choose your counsellor from their profile and qualifications
- you want evenings or weekends
- you want support that has nothing to do with your workplace
- your employer has no EAP, which is common in small businesses
InnerHub is one way to do that. Each session is 50 minutes by video for $69.90 AUD, with no referral, no subscription and no waitlist. You can see each practitioner's qualification, the country it came from and their years of practice before you book. The cost of seeing a counsellor varies widely, and what counselling costs in Australia sets out the options side by side.
InnerHub practitioners are experienced and qualified in their own countries. They are not AHPRA-registered, which is why sessions sit outside Medicare and there is no rebate. They work within their training: if what you are carrying needs a doctor or specialist care, they will say so.
Not sure where to start?
Take the two-minute quiz to see what kind of support fits, or read how matching works.
Take the quizCan you do both?
Yes, and plenty of people do. A common pattern is to use the free EAP sessions first, since they cost nothing, and then book private counselling if you want to continue. The two services do not know about each other. If you are not sure where to start, how to find a counsellor who is the right fit covers what to look for.
If the reason you are looking is work pressure, healthdirect notes that many workplaces have an EAP, and it is worth asking about. Our post on signs of burnout at work goes into that side of it, and affordable counselling in Australia lists the other free and low-cost routes.
A short way to decide
- Do you have an EAP? If yes, check the number of sessions and book one. It costs nothing to try.
- Did it help, and do you want more? If so, ask the EAP about extra sessions, or book private counselling to carry on.
- Would you rather keep it separate from work? Then private counselling may suit you from the start.
When to get help sooner
Counselling is for ongoing support, not emergencies. If you feel unsafe or are thinking about harming yourself, call 000 in an emergency or Lifeline on 13 11 14, any time of day or night. This post is general information for adults 18 and over, and is not financial, clinical or medical advice or a substitute for professional care.
General information, not clinical or medical advice. For adults 18 and over. InnerHub is not a crisis service: in an emergency call 000, or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
