For the past seven years I’ve been a therapist with Work Life Support Services (WLSS). WLSS is a project of the Institute for Labor and Mental Health. The Institute for Labor and Mental Health is a non-profit education and counseling center. Founded by a group of mental health professionals, the Institute has been serving trade unions in Northern California since 1977. The programs of the Institute in the field of stress-reduction have gained national acclaim and support by the federal government.

WLSS partners with various local unions, trust funds and employers to provide Membership Assistance Programs (MAP). MAP is a benefit that provides free confidential counseling sessions for union members and their families. The program exists because we know that both work and home life can often be demanding and stressful. The MAP is there to offer help when you need it.

The MAP is a service that consists of confidential counseling, consulting and referral services in a broad range of areas, such as: work problems, marriage and family problems, stress management, relationship issues, communication issues, bereavement, life changes, anxiety and depression, alcohol or other chemical dependency problems.

At those times when problems can seem to overwhelm us it often helps to talk things over with someone. The MAP is a safe place for people to explore solutions to problems in their daily lives. MAP services are completely voluntary and confidential.