The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) has published the findings of its recent survey into counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ experiences of working with Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) and Online Therapy Platforms (OTPs).

 

The survey, which gathered responses from 206 practitioners across the UK, paints a mixed picture of affiliate work. While many respondents valued the flexibility, steady referrals and accessibility of EAP and OTP work, the findings also highlight significant concerns around pay, payment delays, administrative burden, session limits, safeguarding support and ethical practice.

 

The report’s findings strongly chime with the experience of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union and the therapists we speak to regularly through our EAP campaign work. Affiliate experiences vary hugely across the sector, ranging from organisations that provide responsive support, fair systems and constructive working relationships, through to practices that many therapists experience as deeply concerning.

 

 

Survey Findings

 

Particularly striking within the survey are findings showing that:

• More than half of respondents were dissatisfied with their rates of pay
• Nearly 90% reported no increase in headline rates in the last 12 months
• Most respondents said administration time is unpaid
• Many therapists reported long waits for payment and the need to chase invoices
• Session limits and referral processes were often experienced as restrictive or inconsistent
• 16% of respondents reported experiencing discrimination when applying for EAP or OTP work

 

The survey also highlights the ongoing tension between the professional responsibility therapists carry and the increasingly pressured commercial environment in which much EAP work now operates.

 

Read the full NCPS Survey Results

 

EAP work has become an important source of income for many therapists in recent years. However, session fees have stagnated for a long time and, in some cases, fallen dramatically, with some companies paying as little as £25 per session. These rates do not reflect the level of training, qualification and experience required to undertake this work, nor the substantial unpaid time therapists spend on administration, report writing and preparation.

 

We are pleased that NCPS acknowledged the contribution of the PCU in helping shape the survey questions and ensuring that practitioners’ real experiences were reflected in the research. We will be meeting with NCPS to discuss the findings further and explore how the issues identified can be taken forward collectively across the profession.

 

The PCU continues to campaign for fairer and more ethical treatment of affiliate therapists through our Fair Deal Charter for EAP Affiliate Therapists.

 

PCU EAP Campaign Group

 

The PCU EAP Campaign Group meets every two months to organise collectively around these issues and to support therapists working within EAPs and online platforms. The next meeting will take place via Zoom on 27 June, at 2.30pm. Please contact admin@pcunion.org.uk for more information and for the Zoom link.

 

Therapists interested in getting involved in the campaign are encouraged to join us as we continue pushing for fair pay, ethical practice and sustainable working conditions across the sector.