Graceville based business helping workplaces handle the human side of work.
When you employ someone, you’re not just getting their skills and experience. You’re also getting the rest of their life in the background. And as anyone who’s ever managed a team knows, that matters. Whether it’s family pressure, financial stress or something deeper, personal struggles don’t stop at the office door.
That’s where TLC EAP (Employee Assistance Program) steps in.
Based right near the train station in Graceville, TLC EAP is a team of more than 16 qualified professionals offering counselling and support services for businesses that want to look after their people properly. With experts in counselling, financial coaching, family law and First Nations cultural support, the team covers a wide range of employee needs, with local, in-person sessions available across Brisbane and Ipswich.
TLC EAP was founded by Mary Mackenzie, a former sales manager with 25 years in the industrial world, who saw firsthand just how much support was missing in many workplaces. “There were definitely times I could have done with extra support, both personally and professionally. But EAP was never even offered,” she says.
After requalifying in 2019 with a Bachelor of Counselling and Coaching, Mary opened a private practice and began building a team. Today, that team includes professionals like Cancer Coach Claire Kelly, Financial Coach Sloan Wilkins, Family Lawyer David Marcolin and Counsellor Ronella Onyeajum, who also brings cultural expertise as a First Nations advisor. Together, they bring a depth of experience across life’s trickier moments, both personal and professional.
TLC EAP offers everything you’d expect from a traditional Employee Assistance Program, like confidential counselling, mental health support and coaching, but without the corporate red tape. Instead of lock-in retainers, which don’t always make sense for smaller businesses, TLC offers a pay per use model. That means you only pay for what your team actually uses, making it accessible and cost effective for small and medium sized organisations.
And what staff can access is extensive. Grief and loss counselling, workplace relationship support, addiction services, diet and nutrition advice, cancer and wellness coaching, financial coaching (not advice or product sales, just real guidance on budgeting and goals), family law consultations and support during transitions like redundancies or terminations.
TLC EAP also runs practical, professional workshops covering topics like emotional intelligence, mental health first aid and respectful communication. These are especially valuable in industries where these conversations have traditionally been pushed aside. “I love running workshops in manufacturing and industrial settings,” she says. “I’ve had so many men come up to me afterwards saying, ‘Why weren’t we ever taught this stuff?’ Or they ask to take the handouts home for their boys.”
The impact is real. One employee, with a long history of trauma, told her it was the first time they’d ever been able to access counselling and it was through their workplace. “She just couldn’t believe it,” she says. “She was so grateful.”
With a trusted, growing team and a flexible model designed for real businesses, TLC EAP is a genuinely local alternative to the big players. More than anything, it’s about giving staff the tools to cope, communicate and thrive and giving businesses the peace of mind that someone is there to support them when it really counts.
TLC EAP
101 Verney Rd W, Graceville QLD 4075
(07) 3544 0902
tlceap.com.au
