Could in-house therapy improve agency culture?

By the time a young creative in an Indian ad agency hits their third all-nighter of the week, they’re not chasing awards; they’re barely functioning. Jokes about hustle culture, ‘Sleep is for the weak’ or ‘Pitch deck > peace of mind’, aren’t punchlines anymore; they’re coping mechanisms for a system where burnout is built in.

A July 2024 report by MediBuddy and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) revealed that 62% of Indian employees experience work-related burnout, triple the global average. Within high-pressure sectors like advertising and media, the numbers only worsen. A global study by Resilient Marketing Minds found 83% of marketers reported experiencing burnout, and 64% said they had considered quitting due to lack of mental health support. 

In India, these numbers aren’t statistics; they’re lived realities. People leaving agencies not because they lack talent, but because they lack support. Mental breakdowns are rebranded as sabbaticals. Slack channels labelled ‘#mentalhealth’ are added to company culture decks, but little actually changes on the ground.

It’s not that agencies aren’t doing anything. Many have introduced Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), mental health workshops, and even designated wellness days. But the question is, is this enough? 

The therapy gap - What exists vs what’s needed

When asked if in-house therapy should be a standard workplace provision in today’s agency environment, DEI professionals responded with a unanimous ‘YES.’

“Yes, a hundred per cent – and this is overdue,” said Meghna De, a DEI Professional. For her, in-house therapy isn’t just a trend; it is a necessity. She points out that while many agencies offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), they often fail to address the root of the problem.

“Traditional support systems like EAPs are often too clinical and/or under-utilised. They tend to be more reactive, and are not trauma-informed or culturally/contextually relevant,” she adds.

This reflects the broader industry picture. While 80% of mid- and large-sized firms in India offer EAPs, actual usage hovers at just 5–10%. The root cause is that many employees don’t trust outsourced, anonymous services, or they simply forget that these resources exist.

Shweta Sampat, Founder, Tribe Consulting, HR Consultant & Culture Observer, says, “Traditional EAPs… are outsourced, anonymous and sometimes forgotten between onboarding and offboarding. In-house therapy is not just access. It is visibility that silently but powerfully says: we see you, and your mental health isn’t an HR footnote.”

Shweta highlights a key gap between perception and action. On-paper wellness benefits mean little if they’re invisible or feel like token gestures. In-house therapy sends a stronger message, she argues: one of commitment, not convenience.

“Employees often need a safe space to talk, vent, or process stress. … Offering it in-house removes the financial barrier... Normalising therapy at work helps break the taboo around mental health... A mentally healthy workforce is more engaged, creative, and productive,” says Akshara Sharma, DEI Strategic Project Manager.

So, why the hesitance? 

Although burnout is prevalent, many leaders in the agency world still hesitate to introduce therapy into the workplace. But it’s not always about the budget. Often, the hesitation stems from something deeper —a discomfort with change and a fear of what therapy might reveal.

Shweta Sampat believes the hesitance stems from the fear of — What if therapy uncovers a bigger problem? 

She says, “Because they fear what it might unearth. Therapy challenges toxic norms, and that can feel threatening. … Employees already are seeking therapy. They’re just doing it in secret… Normalising it doesn’t expose weakness. Admitting to vulnerability is actually courage—it shows strength.”

She explains that some leaders worry therapy will open a can of worms. What if people start speaking up about stress, bad managers, or toxic work practices? There's also the concern that promoting therapy might make the agency seem like it’s struggling.

But the truth is, people are already struggling. They’re seeing therapists on their own time, during lunch breaks, and paying for it out of pocket.

Alongside fear is another issue. Misunderstanding. Mental health is still seen as a personal issue by many, something to be handled quietly and outside of work. But in fast-paced, high-pressure environments like agencies, this disconnect can be damaging.

“There is a major culture shift needed in agency working environments. What I have seen work is showcasing the business impact of a psychologically safe workplace. This helps create ownership with managers and senior leadership,” says Meghna De. 

Studies show that workplaces with strong psychological safety perform better. According to a 2024 report by Gi Group, 74% of Indian employees say their wellbeing is directly impacted by workplace safety, and 94% say psychological safety influences their decision to stay. When trust is missing, talent leaves, or quietly disengages.

And while stats make the case, personal stories highlight what’s at stake. Sampat recalls a strategist who was once winning awards, but slowly started disappearing. “He kept saying, ‘I just need to get through this next pitch.’ He never made it to the next one,” she says.

He eventually took an 18-month break to recover from burnout.

Stories like this are not rare. A global study by Resilient Marketing Minds found 83% of marketers have experienced burnout, and 64% considered quitting because they didn’t feel supported. In India, the silence is even louder; three out of four employees fear being judged if they talk about mental health at work.

If leaders are afraid that therapy will expose uncomfortable truths, the reality is that those truths are already visible in resignations, breakdowns, and missed deadlines. Supporting mental health doesn’t create problems; it finally starts to solve them.

How will change happen? 

So, if therapy is needed and the hesitation is being called out, what would it take to embed mental health into agency life truly? Not as a token benefit or emergency response, but as something that sits beside briefs, deadlines, and KPIs?

“We need to normalise mental health support as a core part of how we work. Not just a benefit—but a built-in practice,” says Akshara Sharma. 

For her, this begins with small, structural shifts. “Weekly wellbeing check-ins, calendar-blocked sessions, visible leadership support. It should be as easy to reach a therapist as IT,” she adds. 

Meghna De adds, “Every individual has different needs—therapy formats must reflect that. One-on-one, virtual, group, peer support—all of it matters.”

Representation, too, can’t be an afterthought. De says, “You need queer-affirming, trauma-informed, and culturally competent therapists—especially in high-pressure agency setups.”

Small shifts 

While building in-house therapy may take time, some changes don’t require budgets; rather, they just require intention.

“Train your managers to stop managing only output and start tuning into people. Support doesn’t always need a therapist. Sometimes, it starts with knowing how to listen without trying to fix, or not turning a one-on-one into a performance review,” Sampat says.

This idea of everyday care also resonates with Akshara Sharma.

“Start every team meeting with a wellbeing check-in. It doesn’t have to be heavy—just something that makes people feel seen,” she shares.

Some examples Sharma suggests include:

• “On a scale of 1–10, how’s your energy today?”

• “What’s a small win you had this week?”

• “If your mood was a weather forecast, what would it be?”

“These moments help reduce stigma, build team trust, and make emotional expression normal,” she adds.

The truth is, people are already struggling; they’re just doing it quietly, on their own. Agencies don’t need to wait for someone to burn out or quit to take action. Making therapy easy to access, training managers to check in with empathy, and integrating mental health into everyday work isn’t a big ask. It’s just what’s needed. The real question is, will agencies care before it’s too late?