MIT MyLife Services

MyLife Services provides MIT faculty, staff, postdocs – and household members – 24/7 access to a network of experts who are available to help with life concerns. Consultations are available by telephone, video, or text-message.

Make life a little easier. MyLife Services is a one-stop resource offered through KGA, Inc., an external provider of Employee Assistance Programs known for its leading work-life and personal well-being services. MyLife Services provides MIT faculty, staff, postdocs – and household members – 24/7 access to a network of experts who are available to help with life concerns.

Need legal or financial advice? Searching for daycare or a good night’s sleep? Looking for a counselor to assist with a personal or family issue? Want to connect with peers who share experiences or challenges similar to yours? Call MyLife Services. You’ll consult with Master’s and Ph.D.-level professionals who offer guidance, share resources, and provide referrals. All consultations are confidential and provided at no cost.

Effective April 1, 2024: MyLife Services will no longer provide free books as part of its Self Help Bookshelf service, but will continue to provide suggestions for books on a variety of topics. If you are interested in a particular title from the bookshelf, you may check your local library, or purchase a copy at your preferred retailer.

See the full list of services offered

MyLife Services include:

  • Financial Consultation
  • Legal Assistance
  • Stress Reduction
  • Individual and Family Counseling
  • Relationship Help
  • Grief Counseling
  • Peer Support Groups
  • Child Care Resources
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Substance Abuse Assessment
  • Depression Screening
  • Career Assessment
  • Sleep Coaching
  • Nutrition Consultation
  • Parenting Resources
  • Support for Other Life Concerns

Get Started

 MyLife Services

Call

844-405-LIFE (844-405-5433)
(TTY) 866-892-7162

Online Contact Form

mitmylifeservices.com/contactus

Text (9am - 5pm EST)

508-231-5374

App

Download the KGA App for mobile use.

Chat (9am - 5pm EST)

 MyLife Services

FAQs

What are some reasons I would reach out to MyLife Services?

MIT provides MyLife Services for all faculty, staff, postdocs—and household members—to support health and well-being. The program offers confidential, short-term counseling, consultation, research, and referrals for emotional and work-life balance issues. You can reach out to MyLife Services for:

  • Financial Consultation: Help with debt management, budgeting, and financial planning.
  • Legal Assistance: Legal consultation with an attorney, with referrals for most legal issues.
  • Stress Reduction: Assessment of stress level and techniques/tips for managing stress.
  • Short-term Counseling: Face-to-face, phone, or video sessions to help address emotional issues, and problems with alcohol or drugs for yourself or someone you care about.
  • Crisis Counseling: Counseling and consultation for individuals, HR, managers, and the community before, during, and after traumatic events, such as suicide, violence, and natural and human-made disasters.
  • Grief Counseling: Supportive counseling and consultation for individuals and families who have experienced a loss.
  • Peer Support Groups: Connect with peers on topics including anxiety, depression, Bipolar disorder, addiction recovery, grief, and parenting.
  • Parenting/Child Care Resources: Research and referrals for a variety of child care needs and parenting questions.
  • Sleep Consultation: Tips and tools to help you get a good night’s rest.
  • Career Assessment: Consultation on career advancement, career exploration, and resume review.
  • Nutrition Consultation: Support from a nutritionist on weight management, allergies, and other dietary concerns.
  • Work-life Resources: Targeted research and referrals for everything from relocation services to pet sitting.

What happens when I call during regular business hours (8:30am - 5:00pm ET)?

Welcome – During regular business hours (8:30am - 5:00pm ET), your call will be promptly answered by a MyLife Services staff member asking, “How can I help you?” Within seconds, you will be connected to a Master’s or Ph.D.-level counselor or a Work-Life Specialist (child care, elder care, legal, financial, etc.) as appropriate. In addition, email and Live Chat assistance is available during regular business hours.

Questions – The counselor or specialist will explain MyLife Services and its confidentiality policy, then ask you some questions about your situation. His or her goal is to understand your needs and identify the type of support that will be most helpful to you.

Support – Based on your needs, this same counselor or specialist will work with you until the appropriate assistance is obtained. This could include counseling, research related to issues or resources, or referrals to local counselors, service providers, and other experts.

Follow-up – MyLife Services staff will always follow up with you to ensure that your needs have been met and ask if there is anything else they can do for you. That’s because the ultimate purpose of MyLife Services is to help you manage the challenges and demands that interfere with your ability to be focused at home and at work.

What happens when I call after hours?

MyLife Services counselors are available 24/7. If you would like to speak with a counselor for immediate support or crisis response, press "1" when you hear the prompted recording, or stay on the line. (For other non-urgent issues, press “4” to leave a message, and your call will be returned the next business day.)

When you are connected with a counselor or specialist:

Questions – The counselor or specialist will explain MyLife Services and its confidentiality policy, then ask you some questions about your situation. His or her goal is to understand your needs and identify the type of support that will be most helpful to you.

Support – Based on your needs, this same counselor or specialist will work with you until the appropriate assistance is obtained. This could include counseling, research related to issues or resources, or referrals to local counselors, service providers, and other experts.

Follow-up – MyLife Services staff will always follow up with you to ensure that your needs have been met and ask if there is anything else they can do for you. That’s because the ultimate purpose of MyLife Services is to help you manage the challenges and demands that interfere with your ability to be focused at home and at work.

What happens when my household member calls?

Depending on the reason for the call, your household member will speak with either a Master’s or Ph.D.-level counselor, or a Work-Life Specialist. MyLife Services will explain the confidentiality of the call and then ask questions about the reason for the call. Your household member will not need to provide your name or the name of any other MIT-affiliated relation. If further resources are needed, your household member may be asked to provide his/her name and contact information.

I am interested in getting in-person counseling.  How does it work?

You can call 24/7 and speak with a Master’s or Ph.D.-level counselor, confidentially. You can choose to continue with your MyLife Services counselor by phone, if that is most convenient, or you can request to see a different licensed counselor in person, for free and confidential meetings, near home or work, or at Lincoln Laboratory.

Is the counseling free?

Each person receives some free counseling sessions per life concern. For example, you may need help after the death of a loved one, and later want guidance on a relationship challenge. MyLife Services will provide free counseling sessions for each of those concerns. You can see the same counselor each time, or request one with different expertise or a different location.

What happens after the initial in-person counseling sessions?

Your health insurance is not involved in your initial MyLife Services counseling sessions. However, if you choose to continue in counseling, MyLife Services will do everything they can to make sure your initial counselor is also in your health insurance network of providers so that you can continue seamlessly.

What happens when I call for a legal consultation or legal referral?

What is covered in a 30-minute legal consultation?
The consultation is an opportunity to meet with a legal professional that handles the area of law you need for up to 30 minutes, free of charge. You can outline your matter, let the attorney know your needs and concerns, and ultimately determine if you want or need to retain the services of an attorney. During the consultation, the attorney is not obligated to provide any work that would constitute representation of a client. This would include items such as document review, document preparation, or providing strict legal advice.

MyLife Services connected me to CLC for ongoing legal services. How do I know that the attorney is reputable?
CLC seeks out attorneys for their legal network based on the following criteria:

  • Must be practicing law for a minimum of 5 years
  • Must carry their own Malpractice Insurance
  • Must be in good standing and have zero disciplinary actions from the attorney’s state bar association

CLC re-certifies each of their attorneys on an annual basis to ensure that these standards are met. Attorneys are asked to update CLC whenever their contact information or area of practice has changed. However, if you run into difficulty reaching the attorney, please call CLC and they will assist.

Legal disclaimer: Should you retain an attorney through a MyLife Services referral, you are doing so outside the EAP services provided through MyLife Services, and you are responsible for all fees and costs associated with legal services.

Can I use MyLife Services for more than one concern?

We encourage you to use MyLife Services whenever the need arises. You can call for multiple concerns – at the same time or at different times. You can call for help with a legal concern and also request a sleep consultation. Later, you may need summer camp research assistance or help with a budget or career assessment. MyLife Services is available when you need it.

Will MyLife Services help me find child care near my home or work?

MyLife Services will help find appropriate child care settings based on your criteria. They will ask you questions about location, in-home care, family vs. day care centers, after school care, summer camps, price range, etc. Based on your criteria, you will be sent a personalized referral list of licensed and screened child care providers, along with information on child care availability, cost, times of day, transportation and other areas you indicated. MyLife Services offers this research and referral service at no cost, but you are responsible for child care fees. They will also work with you to help find subsidies for child care if you are eligible.

Is it confidential? Will my supervisor, manager, HR or anyone else at MIT or at home find out I have used MyLife Services?

All contact with MyLife Services is confidential. The MIT MyLife Services benefit is administered by an outside organization, KGA, Inc., a respected provider of Employee Assistance Programs. MyLife Services’ staff never tells anyone at MIT who called or the specifics of any situation. The only exceptions are those that KGA is required to report per state and/or federal law.

Are MyLife Services available outside of Massachusetts?

MyLife Services are available to members of the MIT community and their household members anywhere in the United States.

Can I refer a friend or neighbor to MyLife Services?

MyLife Services is only for members of the MIT community—faculty, staff, postdoc associates, postdoc fellows—and household members. If you are concerned about a friend, you can call MyLife Services for a consultation about how to assist him or her.

Can I test-drive it?

MyLife Services welcomes you to check it out. Call with a small or big problem and get help right away. No matter what you are facing, MyLife Services’ staff will treat you with respect and empathy. They recognize the challenge of asking for help and understand that it can be difficult to make the first call for assistance. It is the goal of each MyLife Services staff member to make you feel supported, understood, and secure in the confidentiality of your conversation.

More Information

MIT EAP advisory committee

These are the members of the MIT Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Advisory Committee. MIT's EAP is now known as MyLife Services.

Employee Assistance Program Advisory Committee

Sandy Alexandre

Associate Professor, Literature

SHASS

Sharon Bridburg  

Director of Human Resources  

Office of the Vice Chancellor

Eva Cardarelli

Employee Relations Manager

Lincoln Laboratory

Kristen Cascio

Program Manager, Center for WorkLife and WellBeing

Human Resources

Martha Collins  

Assistant Dean for HR and Administration

School of Architecture and Planning

Steve Graves

Abraham Siegel Professor of Management

Sloan School of Management

Ronnie Haas  

Director of Strategic Talent Management  

Human Resources

Ann Mac Kenzie

Director, Benefits

Human Resources

Jodie Nosiglia

Manager, HR IS&T/HRO

Human Resources

Douglas Pfeiffer

Assistant Provost for Administration

Office of the Provost

David Warren Randall

Senior Associate Dean, Student Support and Wellbeing

Office of the Dean for Student Life

Allison Romantz

Counsel

Office of the General Counsel

Judi Segall

Ombudsperson

Office of the President

Lianne Shields

Director of Employee and Labor Relations  

Human Resources

Karen Singleton

Associate Medical Director; Chief, Mental Health and Counseling Service

MIT Medical

Ann Skoczenski

Director of Postdoctoral Services

Office of the Vice President for Research

Ebony Smith

Executive Director, Engineering Outreach Programs

School of Engineering

Jennifer Walsh

Director, HR Projects and Compliance

Human Resources

MIT MyLife Services printable flyer

Virtual peer support printable flyer

What if I have further questions about MyLife Services?

Just call or email MyLife Services at 844-405-LIFE (844-405-5433) or (TTY) 866-892-7162 and info@MITMyLifeServices.com. Or call or email the MIT Human Resources Center for WorkLife and WellBeing at 617-253-1592 and worklife@mit.edu.

Have Questions?

Get in touch with the MIT Human Resources Center for WorkLife and WellBeing.