Workplace Mental Health & Lyra EAP Telehealth
Published March 2026 · Last updated · Written and edited by Paul Paradis · Educational information – not medical or mental-health advice
What changed: Retitled the heading “Understanding Workplace Mental Health Benefits” as “Mental health benefits your employer may offer”; reworded phrases in the text, such as “provide comprehensive support, combining” to “combine”; renamed the link text “Understanding Telehealth Costs & Insurance” to “Costs once your EAP sessions run out”.
Reviewed for educational clarity and safety language by Lisa Lewis, RN, BSN
Many employees don't realize they already have free or discounted therapy available through their workplace benefits: Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) typically cover 3-8 free sessions, and many employer health plans include telehealth. From traditional EAPs to modern platforms like Lyra Health, Spring Health, and Modern Health, this guide helps you understand and access these valuable resources.
How to read this workplace mental health guide
Read this workplace mental health guide for education only. It is not medical or mental health advice. Workplace benefits vary significantly by employer. Contact your HR department or benefits administrator for specific information about your coverage.
EAP and workplace mental health services are confidential and separate from your employment record. Using these services does not affect your job status.
Mental health benefits your employer may offer
Employers may offer several types of mental health support, including an employee assistance program model used by modern vendors like Lyra:
- Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Free short-term counseling and referrals
- Mental health platforms: Access to therapy through services like Lyra, Spring Health, Modern Health
- Health insurance mental health coverage: Therapy covered under your medical plan
- Wellness programs: Stress management, mindfulness, and wellness resources
- Mental health days: Paid time off for mental health
- Coaching services: Work-life coaching and support
Lyra Health is a modern EAP offering confidential, data-driven mental health support and work-life services sponsored by employers. Stronger mental health benefits can improve wellbeing and help reduce absenteeism and presenteeism.
Employee Assistance Program (EAPs)
Most large and many medium-sized employers offer EAPs, and some now deliver that support through vendors like Lyra rather than only traditional referral-based programs. In many cases, Lyra offers free, confidential help for employees and family members, including dependents when covered by the employer.
What EAPs Typically Include
- Free counseling sessions: Usually 3-8 sessions per issue per year; many EAPs offer up to eight at no cost and may allow more support for separate issues during the calendar year
- Confidential services: Your employer doesn't know you used it
- Family coverage: Often available to eligible family members, such as spouses and children, when the employer includes them
- Various issues covered: Mental health, relationships, stress, substance use, financial concerns
- Referrals: Connection to longer-term care when needed
- 24/7 crisis support: Phone lines for urgent situations
- Work-life services: Help finding childcare, eldercare, dependent care, legal resources, financial planning, and identity theft support
How to Access Your EAP
- Check your benefits portal or employee handbook
- Ask HR for the EAP contact information (you don't need to explain why)
- Call the EAP phone number directly
- Many EAPs now offer online portals and telehealth options
- You may be able to self-refer without going through HR
EAP Limitations
- Limited number of sessions (typically 3-8)
- Designed for short-term issues, not ongoing treatment
- Provider quality and availability varies
- May need to transition to other care for longer-term needs
- Some EAPs have limited telehealth options
Modern Workplace Mental Health Platforms
Many employers now offer mental health benefits through specialized platforms that combine referrals, direct behavioral therapy, specialized coaching, and digital tools in one place rather than acting only as referral services.
These platforms also make it easier for people to access resources and connect with professionals at their convenience.
Lyra Health
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Lyra Health partners with employers to provide mental health care:
- Therapy sessions: Often fully covered by employer, and eligible members may get up to 20 therapy or mental health coaching sessions per person per year at no cost, including some people without dependents enrolled in a medical plan when the benefit allows it
- Evidence-based care: Support for everyday stress and more serious clinical care needs on one platform
- Fast matching: AI-powered matching helps connect you with the right provider based on your specific needs and preferences
- Telehealth and in-person: Choose your preferred format
- Coaching options: A Lyra coach can help build a personalized care plan, teach practical mental health strategies, and support guided self care at your own pace
- Medication management: Available at some employers, but may be subject to deductibles, co-pays, or co-insurance under your health plan
- Family coverage: Often includes dependents, and the network includes culturally responsive providers for diverse backgrounds and experiences, plus a global network of providers to support employees and family members across regions
Before matching, users typically answer a few quick questions so Lyra can pair them with the best-fit provider. Access is often available in less than two days.
How to access: Check if your employer offers Lyra through your benefits portal or HR. Lyra also reports a 26% average reduction in overall healthcare claims costs for participating employers.
Spring Health
Spring Health provides mental health benefits to employees through their employer:
- Assessment-driven care: Personalized recommendations based on your needs
- Therapy sessions: Individual therapy with licensed providers
- Coaching: For stress, work-life balance, and personal growth
- Medication management: Psychiatric services available
- Digital tools: Self-guided programs and exercises
- Moments: On-demand exercises for immediate support
- Family support: Resources for dependents at many employers
How to access: Check your employer's benefits or search "Spring Health [your company name]."
Modern Health
Other Workplace Mental Health Providers
- Headspace for Work: Meditation and mindfulness app access
- Calm for Business: Sleep and relaxation app
- Ginger (now Headspace Health): On-demand coaching and therapy
- Talkspace for Business: Text and video therapy
- BetterUp: Coaching platform focused on professional development
Where to Look
- Benefits portal: Your employer's online benefits system
- Employee handbook: Often outlines available resources
- HR department: Can explain your options
- Benefits orientation materials: From when you started
- Open enrollment documents: Annual benefits information
- Intranet: Company internal resources page
Questions to Ask HR
- Do we have an EAP? How do I access it?
- Do we offer any additional mental health benefits or platforms for employees and clients?
- How many therapy sessions are covered?
- Are family members eligible, and which benefits-eligible employees and dependents can use the service from day one?
- Is telehealth available?
- What's the cost to me (if any)?
- Is there coaching available in addition to therapy?
If your employer uses Lyra's Employee Assistance Program (EAP), it's typically a free, confidential service that helps employees and family members manage everyday challenges and mental health issues. Ask who exactly qualifies, including spouses, children, and dependents enrolled in the employer's plan when applicable.
Confidentiality and Privacy
Understanding privacy protections is important for feeling comfortable using workplace mental health benefits:
What's Protected
- EAPs are confidential: Your employer typically only knows aggregate usage data, not individual names
- HIPAA protection: Mental health records are protected health information
- Separate from employment: Using services doesn't affect your job status
- Therapy content: What you discuss in sessions is confidential
- Mental health platforms: Lyra, Spring Health, Modern Health all have strong privacy protections
Exceptions to Confidentiality
As with any therapy, confidentiality may be broken if:
- There's risk of harm to yourself or others
- Abuse of a child, elder, or vulnerable adult is suspected
- Court order requires disclosure
- You provide written consent for disclosure
Protecting Your Privacy
- Contact EAP or mental health platform directly, not through work systems
- Use personal devices if you prefer
- Schedule sessions outside work hours if you want complete separation
- Your manager doesn't need to know why you're requesting time off
Work-Related Mental Health Issues
Common workplace stressors that therapy can help with, and where evidence-based coaching and therapy options can support both everyday stressors and diagnosed conditions that matter:
- Burnout: Exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness; learn more about recognizing and addressing work burnout
- Work stress: Deadline pressure, workload, conflicts
- Anxiety: Performance anxiety, imposter syndrome, job insecurity; anxiety disorders affect about 31.1% of U.S. adults at some point
- Work-life balance: Difficulty disconnecting, overwork
- Workplace relationships: Difficult colleagues, management issues
- Career concerns: Job satisfaction, transitions, meaning
- Remote work challenges: Isolation, boundaries, motivation
- Discrimination or harassment: Processing and coping (separate from HR reporting)
- PTSD: Can follow experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event and affects roughly 7–8% of the U.S. population at some point; work can intensify symptoms
- Layoff anxiety: Job security concerns
- Return to office stress: Adjustment to changing work arrangements
- Depression: Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and affects more than 264 million people of all ages
Maximizing Your Benefits
Combine Resources
- Use EAP for initial sessions, then transition to insurance or mental health platform; some platforms also provide 24/7 digital resources between live sessions to support well being
- Use coaching for work issues, therapy for clinical concerns
- Supplement with meditation apps if your employer provides them for psychological and physical health
- Don't forget about financial planning and legal issues through EAP, plus identity theft resolution and caregiver support such as child, elder care, or pet care referrals
If You Need More Than Employer Benefits Provide
- Ask about referrals to longer-term care and whether your employer-sponsored platform supports ongoing therapy maintenance and relapse-prevention planning
- Check your health insurance mental health coverage; see our guide on understanding insurance coverage and use our online therapy cost calculator to compare cash pay vs. copays
- Use out-of-pocket options; see our comparison of online therapy platforms that accept insurance
- Use Headway to find insurance-covered providers
- Your EAP can often help coordinate transitions
Mental Health Accommodations at Work
If mental health conditions affect your work, you may be entitled to accommodations:
- ADA protection: Mental health conditions may qualify as disabilities
- Possible accommodations: Flexible scheduling, modified workload, work-from-home options
- How to request: Work with HR and provide documentation from a healthcare provider
- You don't have to disclose your diagnosis: Only that you have a condition requiring accommodation
- FMLA: May provide job-protected leave for mental health treatment
A therapist can help you handle accommodation requests and provide necessary documentation.
If Your Employer Doesn't Offer Benefits
Options if you don't have workplace mental health coverage:
- Check health insurance mental health benefits
- Use affordable platforms like BetterHelp or Talkspace; our guide comparing BetterHelp vs. Talkspace for cheaper online therapy options can help you think through costs and fit
- Find sliding scale providers
- Community mental health centers
- Open Path Collective for reduced-cost therapy
- See our Free & Low-Cost Options Guide
Crisis Resources
If you're in crisis, don't wait for workplace benefits:
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- Emergency services: Call 911
- EAP crisis line: Many offer 24/7 support
- Some workplace mental health programs, including Lyra, also provide critical incident support after workplace tragedies or disruptive events
Frequently asked questions
What mental health benefits might my employer offer?
Employers may offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) with free short-term counseling, mental health platforms like Lyra Health, Spring Health, or Modern Health, health insurance mental health coverage, wellness programs for stress management and mindfulness, mental health days, and coaching services. Check your benefits portal or ask HR about available resources.
What is an EAP and how do I access it?
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) typically provides 3-8 free confidential counseling sessions per issue per year, covers various issues including mental health, relationships, and stress, often extends to household family members, and includes 24/7 crisis support. Access it through your benefits portal, employee handbook, by asking HR for contact information, or calling the EAP directly.
Will my employer know if I use EAP or mental health benefits?
EAP services are confidential and your employer typically only receives aggregate usage data, not individual names. Mental health records are protected under HIPAA. Using these services does not affect your job status and is completely separate from your employment record. Your manager does not need to know why you are requesting time off for appointments.
What is the difference between Lyra Health, Spring Health, and Modern Health?
Lyra Health focuses on evidence-based therapy with fast provider matching. Spring Health offers assessment-driven personalized care recommendations plus coaching and digital tools. Modern Health provides a spectrum of support including therapy, coaching, digital programs, group circles, and global availability in multiple languages. All are employer-sponsored benefits offering telehealth and often in-person options.
Can I get mental health accommodations at work?
Yes, mental health conditions may qualify as disabilities under the ADA. Possible accommodations include flexible scheduling, modified workload, and work-from-home options. You do not have to disclose your specific diagnosis, only that you have a condition requiring accommodation. FMLA may provide job-protected leave for mental health treatment. A therapist can help you handle requests and provide documentation.
What work-related mental health issues can therapy help with?
Therapy can help with burnout (exhaustion and reduced effectiveness), work stress from deadlines and conflicts, performance anxiety and imposter syndrome, work-life balance and difficulty disconnecting, workplace relationships, career concerns and job satisfaction, remote work challenges including isolation and boundary issues, processing discrimination or harassment, and layoff anxiety.
Related reading on workplace mental health
Using this workplace mental health guide safely
Workplace benefits vary by employer: check with your HR department or benefits administrator for your specific coverage.
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988), your EAP crisis line, or go to your nearest emergency room.
Sources
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Crisis Text Line
- SAMHSA: Find help, including the National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) and FindTreatment.gov
- HHS Office for Civil Rights: HIPAA and telehealth
- Telehealth.HHS.gov: How do I protect my data and privacy?
- Open Path Collective
- ADA.gov: Introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Company websites for the services named in this guide: Lyra Health, Spring Health, Headway, BetterHelp, Talkspace.
Who researched and edited this workplace mental health guide
Everything in this workplace mental health guide was written and edited by Paul Paradis, the founder and editor of Telehealth Navigator, whose background includes more than two years inside a forensic mental health hospital setting and a personal and family life that mental health runs through. Each guide begins with source material most readers don’t have time to read, such as SAMHSA program documents, CMS telehealth policy, and APA and NIMH guidance, which he translates into plain English with links to the originals so readers can check the work for themselves. Paul is not a licensed clinician, and nothing in this workplace mental health guide is medical advice, and the full process for how each guide is researched, reviewed, and updated is described in our editorial standards.