I would never go to a company therapist. Go out and pay for one yourself. There is a clear conflict of interest for the therapist and while they may seem to be nice it's not worth the risk.
There've been numerous times in my life, and in the lives of close friends, where having a few sessions with a therapist could have been beneficial. But the situation didn't seem extreme enough to go through the hassle of finding a decent therapist and making an appointment – probably for weeks in the future with a good one. Sure, I could be proactive and find one before I need one, but let's just add that to mountain of things I should be doing in my copious free time while running a business, being a husband, father, etc.
My point is the availability and low-friction this setting provides could be hugely advantageous.
To your point about conflict of interest, I think it depends if this person is a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, clinical social worker, etc. If so, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) contains privacy rules about psychotherapy and mental health. At your first visit, the therapist should give you written information explaining privacy policies and how your personal information will be handled.
If they don't do that and/or if they are some type of uncertified "life coach", I would be more concerned about conflict of interest.
BTW, I don't mean to disparage the general idea of a life coach. I know some people who have used them with highly positive effects. They can be a more affordable way to get impartial feedback and help accomplishing goals, like the mental equivalent of getting a trainer to help with physical health.
It's just that I wouldn't be too concerned about the possible conflict of interest with a healthcare professional where I am officially a patient and have HIPAA protections. However, I would be concerned about possible motives and conflict of interest with a company-provided life coach, who is not necessarily bound by any privacy rules.
It depends on the problem. Of course, "I compulsively steal from my office" wouldn't be a good candidate.
But suppose it has to do with the serious illness of a parent, or the passing of a friend or family member. There are plenty of situations where the issue may not be volatile relative to workplace concerns, but still worth talking to a therapist.
One other thing to consider is that a workplace-specific therapist may be tuned in to the specific ways engineers deal with problems. I was at an info-session where my own workplace therapist was talking about the ways tech people cope, vs. the ways entertainment industry people cope. It's very different, according to him: compartmentalize and keep going vs. substance abuse.
There've been numerous times in my life, and in the lives of close friends, where having a few sessions with a therapist could have been beneficial. But the situation didn't seem extreme enough to go through the hassle of finding a decent therapist and making an appointment – probably for weeks in the future with a good one. Sure, I could be proactive and find one before I need one, but let's just add that to mountain of things I should be doing in my copious free time while running a business, being a husband, father, etc.
My point is the availability and low-friction this setting provides could be hugely advantageous.
To your point about conflict of interest, I think it depends if this person is a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, clinical social worker, etc. If so, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) contains privacy rules about psychotherapy and mental health. At your first visit, the therapist should give you written information explaining privacy policies and how your personal information will be handled.
If they don't do that and/or if they are some type of uncertified "life coach", I would be more concerned about conflict of interest.