In business environments, the only constant is change: new objectives emerge, unforeseen obstacles arise, and challenges multiply, demanding swift responses. And, of course, we are human; it is natural that, under pressure, stress, vulnerability, or anxiety may surface. However, in such cases, the ideal is not to “avoid” these emotions, but to have regulation tools (both at an individual and team level) that allow us to overcome them with resilience.
In this context, it is no coincidence that more and more organisations are integrating mental health into their business strategy. However, this integration must be done with a clear purpose: instead of offering a “therapy button” whenever something gets complicated, the goal should be to empower teams to solve problems with good judgment, autonomy, and composure; that is, to turn psychological support into a means to learn and move forward, not an end in itself.
That is when we talk about ethics in therapy for companies. It is not about intervening randomly, but instead intervening with clinical precision, where value is created, for the right duration, and with measurable goals and outcomes.
Therefore, at ifeel this philosophy translates into our “Measurement-Based Care” strategy, aimed at fostering organisational resilience, decreasing absenteeism, and enabling data-driven decision-making. In other words, we understand mental health as a lever for well-being that translates into increased productivity and tangible savings, rather than just another employee benefit.
What does “ethical use” of therapy mean?
Ethics is one of the most important pillars in psychologists’ training, and with good reason: our first responsibility is to safeguard the well-being of every person we support. That well-being, of course, includes not encouraging unnecessarily long therapeutic processes that generate dependency, nor making someone invest time and money when little value is added. In other words, therapy should be a means to achieve goals, not a talisman without which we cannot function.
Transferred to the organisational context, ethics in therapy starts from the same premise: protecting the well-being of both employees and the company. Therefore, processes (whether individual or at the team level) must not be endless or create a relationship of dependency. Instead, they should be oriented towards achieving specific goals, with an estimated duration planned and a priority on transferring skills, so that each person manages their mental health with greater autonomy.
ifeel begins its therapeutic process with a clinician-led triage conducted by psychologists, which determines the employee’s level of risk and, consequently, defines the most suitable type of intervention (video therapy, text therapy, or guided self-care), activating support in under 24 hours.
This way, we reduce waiting times from weeks to hours and avoid unnecessary absences and preventable costs, while ensuring every employee receives the support they require, when they need it.
For organisations, the benefit is twofold: resources are optimised by intervening precisely and only where clinical impact exists, and costs are lowered by preventing overuse of the service and reducing absenteeism associated with unaddressed functional deterioration.
That is why, at ifeel, our data-driven methodology is focused on delivering ethical therapy, as we are committed to improving people’s mental health while simultaneously boosting operational and financial efficiency within companies.
From unlimited therapy to purposeful therapy
As the term suggests, “unlimited therapy” implies indiscriminate use of the psychological service, which, in itself, is not always problematic; nevertheless, when examining the reason for such ongoing demand, a lack of real tools and the replacement of learning with permanent support is often revealed. The risk is clear: we swap one problem for another. We go from “I don’t know how to solve my problems by myself” to “I depend on the professional to solve them”. Within organisations, this pattern results in the consumption of psychological services without direction, low efficiency, scant traceability of service impact, and substantial resource investment.
In contrast, talking about ethics in therapy, or “purposeful therapy”, means focusing on objectives, appropriate duration, and skills transfer. At ifeel, we rely on our team of chartered clinical psychologists and rigorous practice to provide support that truly transforms: more independent, resilient individuals with greater autonomy in managing their mental health and performance.
For this, we conduct differential diagnoses, allowing intervention where the root cause really lies. The key, therefore, is a proper assessment that enables resources to be allocated personally. For example, high-risk patients are assigned to structured video therapy, medium-risk risk to text-based therapy with protocols, and those whose risk is low are given a guided self-care and psychoeducation process.
This model balances access with clinical efficiency, prevents crises, and promotes resilience by reinforcing abilities such as emotional regulation, coping, behavioural activation, sleep hygiene, and time management, rather than sustaining dependence on the service.
All of this, of course…is underpinned by data. In fact, ifeel’s internal research has shown that both in pilots and in implementation, sustained improvements are observed on SOFAS tests, as well as a reduction in absenteeism risk: in high‑risk populations, cumulative decreases range between 20% and 36% after 6–8 weeks of treatment, with transitions from high to medium/low risk that translate into fewer days of absence and greater functionality in critical tasks.
The Leadership Lens🔎
Leaders have a key responsibility in fostering a wellbeing culture that upholds the principles of ethics in therapy. Consequently, their role as facilitators of resources should be to promote an approach centred on autonomy and the setting of clear goals, which is essential to prevent teams from falling into emotional dependency on tools or therapeutic processes.
As a leader, your role is to ensure that any psychological support resource, whether internal or external, is communicated as a means to empower and build skills, not as a permanent solution. Lead by example: champion a style of leadership that inspires personal and professional growth, and use therapy as a springboard, not an anchor.
ifeel: ethical, effective, and cost‑saving therapy
In large organisations, absenteeism and presenteeism linked to mental health constitute a hidden yet persistent cost. In fact, the World Health Organisation estimates that mental health problems entail around $1 trillion per year in lost productivity due to absenteeism and presenteeism on a global scale. Therefore, addressing mental health through therapy ethics—starting from a correct diagnosis and large‑scale prevention- ceases to be merely a well‑being topic and becomes a business necessity, capable of protecting the bottom line and operational continuity.
Within this context, ifeel has an evidence-based clinical model combining speed, precision, and measurement. Thanks to its methodology and “Measurement-Based Care” strategy, we observe improvements of 15–25% in absenteeism risk, with average financial savings ranging between €15,000 and €50,000.
Moreover, selecting the right support channel (text versus video) and early detection reduce triage costs and total therapy time, thus increasing companies’ ROI: in sector pilots, returns of 2x to 6.5x have been recorded for costs avoided in absenteeism and turnover, thanks to optimal therapeutic assignment and the reduction of treatment weeks.
This performance is supported by therapy that is ethical, effective, measurable, and culturally sensitive. At ifeel, we have more than 600 psychologists, 30+ psychological specialities, and coverage in 25–51 languages, allowing each treatment to be adapted to the employee’s context and the reality of each operation: improving clinical adherence, reducing stigma, and delivering tangible results in groups less likely to seek help.
Clinical efficacy is monitored through validated scales:
- SOFAS: to measure social and occupational functioning
- PHQ9 & GAD-7: to evaluate symptoms
- GAS: to quantify progress within the therapeutic process
Additionally, ifeel’s NPS frequently exceeds 70–80, which is considered a level of excellence.
Finally, interventions are not limited to the individual: we offer more than 50 psychoeducational workshops for teams, leaders, and companies, as well as crisis protocols and critical incident support during risky moments.
Likewise, our dynamic HR & Finance dashboard allows real-time visualisation of solution impact, through a combination of clinical and financial metrics (usage, diagnoses, risk evolution, estimated savings, ROI, and segmentation by unit). This approach accelerates decision-making and optimises campaigns, workshops, and resources where costs truly lie.
What sets ifeel apart from other solutions?
| Differentiator | Description |
| 10x adoption vs. traditional EAPs | Access strategies without corporate email and ad‑hoc communications multiply employee participation and enable real savings. |
| “Right On Site” strategy | On‑site activation that enables access for public‑facing users or “frontline workers” through campaigns, in‑person/online onboardings, and workshops adapted to different shifts. |
| Security and compliance | ISO 27001, GDPR, TLS 1.3/AES‑256 encryption, and segregated VPCs to protect sensitive mental health data. |
| Use of the latest technology | The ethical use of technology and the generation of personalised dashboards and reports enhance operations. |
Explore ifeel’s real impact through our case studies
To gain a deep understanding of how ifeel has transformed mental wellbeing across different organisations and sectors, we invite you to download our other case studies. These detail real experiences, clinical and financial results, and the personalised strategies we have implemented to maximise impact on teams’ emotional health and productivity.
Discover how leading companies in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, finance, automotive, retail, hospitality, technology, and energy have reduced absenteeism, improved engagement, and fostered a healthy organisational culture thanks to our comprehensive solution.
Do not miss the opportunity to draw inspiration from these examples and take mental well‑being in your organisation to the next level.
Mental health at work: one of the greatest challenges for today’s organisations
When we talk about ethics in therapy, we do not mean restricting access to it, but rather directing it with clinical intelligence. Effective therapy involves having a team of professionals guided by professional ethics, enabling differential diagnosis, assigning the appropriate support channel, establishing the right duration, and setting clear objectives, while measuring impact transparently. This model produces more resilient teams, less absenteeism, reduced turnover, and higher productivity.
ifeel offers this combination through its Measurement‑Based Care methodology, positioning us as the only mental health solution that saves costs and strengthens the business.
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