Back
Understanding the road to mental health support
By: Benefits by Design | Tuesday May 6, 2025
Updated : Monday May 5, 2025
This is a guest blog post by Allison Rew, Director, Partnerships for Health Solutions, a division of People Corporation.
Discover a path to better mental health awareness and support. The CMHA Mental Health Week runs from May 5 to May 11, 2025, and this year’s theme, ‘There’s more to me – Unmasking Mental Health’, is all about being open with ourselves and each other. This blog explores the positive impact mental health check-ups and talk therapy can potentially have on peoples’ lives.
The importance of mental health check-ups
Just as routine physical check-ups are essential for maintaining overall health, regular mental health assessments play a crucial role in emotional and psychological well-being. Monitoring your mental health helps you stay aware of your emotional state and enables you to seek appropriate support when needed. This is often a good starting point for many who are thinking about beginning counselling with a qualified professional, but are unsure where to start.
There are many free, online tools available to start a mental health check-up. Choosing a credible source such as the Canadian Mental Health Association’s mental health meter is important. Note: information provided by mental health check-ups does not replace professional advice.
Overall, a self-assessment can help you:
- Gain awareness of potential mental health concerns
- Identify that everyone’s mental health experiences ups and downs
- Open the conversation about getting mental health support
- Access appropriate mental health resources
Taking action after a mental health check-up
The path of each person’s mental health journey is varied. A mental health assessment can point you in the right direction, including work-life balance tools, bolstering your social connections, or counselling.
What is talk therapy?
Talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy, helps people feel better by talking with a trained professional. Therapy can help those with mental health conditions or anyone going through challenging times.
There are different approaches to therapy and some work better for certain people or situations. No matter the type, only licensed professionals can provide this kind of support.
The goal of talk therapy is to identify, evaluate, diagnose and treat mental health issues. It aims to give people the tools to move forward and recover.
Key benefits of talk therapy
The benefits of talk therapy include:
- understanding emotions more clearly,
- managing stress better,
- healing from past experiences or traumas,
- improving self-esteem and confidence, and
- coping with anxiety or depression more effectively.
Mental and physical health are closely connected. If you are facing challenges at work or in your relationships, your body may let you know in its own way. This is especially true if you ignore your feelings and push them down. You may notice tension in your back, headaches or stomach pain. Therapy addresses the root of the issue and the emotions attached to it. Many people find that they feel better both mentally and physically after starting therapy.
It feels good to be truly heard by another person. While you share and communicate, part of a therapist’s job is to listen in an open, non-judgmental manner. By going to therapy, you are no longer alone with your problems.
People Connect’s Mental Health Assessment
People Connect provides a proprietary comprehensive mental health self-assessment that can be completed by plan members at any time*. These assessments are a quick and accessible way to recognize symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. By taking an online assessment, you can gain valuable insights into your mental well-being and take proactive steps toward self-care.
Benefits by Design (BBD) clients who have Life Insurance through Empire Life have access to the embedded Business Assistance Program (BAP) with People Connect. Employees can access the mental health self-assessment by logging into the People Connect platform.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) also provides the same access to the assessment.
If identified as a helpful support, up to 6** sponsored hours are available through the EAP before paid sessions begin.
How an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) Improves Mental Health
*Questionnaire reports are stored confidentially on the People Connect platform and can be accessed at any time. All information is stored confidentially and are never shared with your employer.
**Dependant on plan design.
Find out how our People Connect BAP and EAP solutions can help your employees identify and take action to enhance their mental health.
Discover a multitude of ways to nurture your employees’ health with the 2025 Roadmap!
[FREE DOWNLOAD] 2025 Health and Wellness Roadmap (PDF: 2MB)
