Your employer may be funding free, confidential psychology sessions for you right now. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) provide short-term psychological support at no cost to you — and your employer is never told what you discuss.
An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a workplace benefit offered by many Australian employers that provides employees with access to free, short-term counselling and psychological support for personal or work-related issues.
EAP sessions at The Talk Shop cover a wide range of personal and work-related concerns:
Accessing your EAP benefit is straightforward:
Contact your HR department or check your employee handbook to confirm whether your employer offers an EAP and which provider they use.
Call or register with your EAP provider to obtain an authorisation code or referral for your sessions. They will confirm how many sessions you are entitled to.
Call us on 1300 224 665 or book online. Provide your EAP authorisation details and we will confirm your appointment. If The Talk Shop is not your employer’s default provider, ask your HR team if you can choose your own.
Your sessions are completely free and confidential. If you need ongoing support after your EAP sessions are exhausted, we will help you transition to the most suitable funding option.
Most EAP programs provide 3–6 free sessions. If you need ongoing support after your entitlement is exhausted, there is no need to start over with someone new.
We believe in lasting therapeutic relationships. Your psychologist will support you in transitioning to the best funding option for continued care — whether that is Medicare (with a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan), private health insurance extras, or self-funded sessions.
Yes — completely. Your employer is not informed that you are using EAP, what you discuss, or how many sessions you attend. Only aggregate, de-identified usage data may be reported to employers.
Many EAP programs extend to immediate family members (spouse/partner and dependant children) at no additional cost. Check with your EAP provider to confirm.
If your employer does not offer an EAP, you can access psychology through Medicare (with a GP referral), private health insurance extras, or self-funded sessions. Our team can help you find the right option.
This depends on your EAP provider. Some providers have a panel of preferred practitioners; others allow you to choose freely. Ask your HR team or EAP provider whether The Talk Shop is an approved provider.
We will help you transition to Medicare, private health insurance, or self-funded sessions with the same psychologist wherever possible, so your therapeutic progress continues uninterrupted.
Yes — EAP sessions at The Talk Shop are available via Telehealth (video call) as well as in-person at our Melbourne locations. Confirm Telehealth availability with your EAP provider.
Check with your HR team today — your employer may already be funding free psychology sessions for you. Our team is ready to help you get started.
