[bluefirebrand]

My take is that employers should find and offer benefits packages that cover or offset the costs of counselling or therapy as needed to lower the barrier for people to pursue those things.

My experience with company offered EAP programs was so discouraging it was worthless. I had personal troubles I wanted to talk about and work through but the counselor kept trying to tie it into my work. How is it affecting you in the workplace, relationships with coworkers and such. He eventually said something like his job was to help me function better at work but he couldn't help with my personal problems.

Because that is what my "cares about your mental health" employer was paying them for. I basically got told I was trying to use the EAP service wrong.

Way more valuable to me would have been counseling benefits. I could choose from any licensed professional I want, not just the ones in the EAP network, and I could have focussed on the issues I actually needed help with.