Comparing Talked for Work vs Access EAP

About 17% of the Australian population had experienced anxiety disorders in the past year, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and about 1 in 5 individuals aged 16-85 had a mental disorder.

As such, it’s not unlikely to meet colleagues who have diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health conditions, making workplace wellbeing and psychosocial safety even more important.

Two key players in workplace wellbeing are Talked for Work and Access EAP. Let’s get to know them more, what specific services they offer, and which one might align best with the needs of your team.

Talked for Work vs Access EAP at a glance

Talked for Work gives you a clear starting point by offering three structured tiers: Essential care, Enhanced care, and Complete care. Each tier includes a defined set of services, with the option to add extra features depending on what your team needs. You can view a full breakdown of what's included at each level on Talked’s pricing page.

Access EAP doesn’t offer tiers but they can customise their services for every company they work with. What this means is it’s completely up to you what you’d like to include and exclude from your contract. The disadvantage of this, however, is that you wouldn’t be seeing estimated costs until you agree on specific services and limits.

If you're budgeting for employee wellbeing or comparing providers, having transparent pricing from the outset can make the decision-making process much easier. This is where platforms like Talked for Work often appeal to organisations looking for clarity and predictability.

Talked for Work in a nutshell

Talked for Work is where human-first mental health care and tech-enabled tools meet. Rather than focusing solely on counselling, it offers a wide range of support services in a user-friendly digital platform, including psychology and counselling sessions, clinical triage with a mental health nurse, medication support, personal safety tools, self-paced resources, and more.

Talked is designed by Aussies for Aussies, ensuring that all services comply with Australian government standards and local contexts. A major differentiator of Talked, for example, is that all Talked psychologists and counsellors are registered and accredited by Australian peak bodies, such as the AHPRA for psychologists and the PACFA for counsellors.

Going farther than counselling

Counselling can play a big part in someone’s wellbeing, ways of coping, and career planning. But for employees with serious mental health conditions, a psychologist might be a better fit than a counsellor.

On Talked, you have the option to meet with a counsellor or a psychologist. It’s also easy to begin. Depending on a company’s package, employees can be eligible for counselling or psychology sessions on a pay-per-session basis or a provision of 3 to 6 sessions per employee per year.

Employees using Talked for the first time also have the option to book free 15-minute consultations with any psychologist and counsellor, or, depending on their tier, access the clinical triage. The triage lets you speak with a mental health nurse who will assess your needs and provide expert recommendations and/or referrals.

Access EAP in a nutshell

Access EAP is a long-standing EAP provider that supports organisations through a traditional yet trusted model of workplace mental health care. Their core services focus on short-term, confidential counselling for employees and their families, helping them navigate personal or work-related challenges such as stress, conflict, grief, and mental health concerns. In addition to counselling, Access EAP also provides crisis response, wellbeing check-ins, and leadership support to help employers foster mentally healthy workplaces.

What sets Access EAP apart is their ability to tailor programs to meet specific organisational needs. While they don’t offer set packages or tiers, they work directly with each client to create a customised support plan.

Human-first clinical triage

Triage is an important clinical step and first point of human connection. Talked ensures that when someone reaches out for support, regardless of their concern, they are met by a real person with the experience and compassion to understand their situation.

This human-first approach helps employees feel seen, supported, and guided to the right type of care from the start.

Access EAP doesn’t offer this service, However, for they do have urgent response services for critical incidents.

Free psychologist consultations

Finding the right therapist is important. That’s why Talked offers unlimited 15-minute introductory sessions with psychologists, completely free of charge. This allows employees to explore their options and build a strong therapeutic relationship from the beginning, which is known to improve outcomes.

This feature is not offered as part of Access EAP's service model. While counselling is available, the ability to meet and screen counsellors before a full session is not standard.

Counselling and therapy

Employees can book therapy or counselling sessions at any time through the Talked platform, including after-hours, weekends, and holidays. Depending on tier and and an employee’s chosen therapist, in-person sessions may also be available.

Counselling is also a central part of Access EAP’s service, available during business hours with options for after-hours support. However, based on Access EAP’s website, this provider works solely with counsellors except for perinatal counselling which are psychologist-led.

Proactive, early intervention resources

Talked provides a robust range of proactive wellbeing tools including self-guided courses, mental health assessments, mood trackers, video and audio guides, and other digital content. The goal is to help employees address issues early before they escalate.

Access EAP also offers a range of learning materials but it isn’t clear what formats they take - whether they are all reading materials or if there are also videos, audios, etc. 

In terms of learning and development events, both platforms can organise them for you depending on your needs and preferred delivery mode (online or face-to-face).

Welfare checks

When there are concerns about an employee’s wellbeing - especially after a critical incident or a concerning disclosure during triage - Talked can initiate a welfare check to ensure their safety. Talked may also connect employees to necessary support or emergency services if needed.

Access EAP doesn’t list welfare checks in their services, but it’s possible to request one during or after critical events or when there are serious concerns about an employee’s safety.

Medical advice & GP access

Through the Complete Care tier, Talked offers access to a mental health nurse and bulk-billed GP services. Employees can also obtain a Mental Health Treatment Plan for Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist.

Access EAP does not offer direct access to GPs or medical advice as part of their standard EAP services.

Psychosocial risk assessment & management

Complying with Work Health and Safety (WHS) obligations includes identifying and managing psychosocial risks. Talked helps organisations understand these risks, conduct assessments, and implement safety plans that align with regulatory requirements and protect both staff and the business.

Critical incident response & follow-up

In the event of a workplace crisis, Talked provides immediate support through phone- or chat-based care and, if needed, deploys on-site trauma responders. The service includes post-incident follow-up planning to help prevent future risks and support long-term recovery.

This same service is also a key feature of Access EAP. They provide 24/7 access to psychological first aid and ongoing support after traumatic events. The service is well-suited to workplaces that may face sudden high-impact incidents.

Real-time safety services

For workplaces with high-risk roles, Talked provides real-time safety tools such as a "check on me" timer, 24/7 access to Talked’s Care Team, and proactive welfare alerts. 

These tools offer an extra layer of protection, especially for isolated or field-based workers.

Manager support services

Talked lets managers access leadership coaching and mental health training. In higher-tier plans, they also have direct access to Talked’s Care Team for consultation on staff issues, crisis management, and wellbeing strategy.

Likewise, leadership support is a recognised feature of Access EAP. They offer coaching, training sessions, and guidance for managers dealing with complex team dynamics or wellbeing concerns.

Both platforms also let managers request assistance for an employee who might be in danger.

Wellbeing library

Talked offers a rich and diverse wellbeing library designed to support different learning styles and preferences. Whether your team prefers to read, watch, listen, or engage in interactive content, they’ll find something that suits them. The library includes practical articles, self-paced courses, video guides, audio meditations, and mindfulness tools.

Access EAP also provides a resource library. However, the format of these materials is not clearly outlined. It’s unclear whether employees can access multimedia content such as videos or audio, or if the library consists mainly of written resources like guides and tipsheets.

Real-time dashboard and insights

Talked offers real-time data tracking through its Complete Care tier, giving you up-to-date insights into engagement, usage, and risk areas. Lower tiers still provide regular reporting, such as monthly or quarterly reviews, helping you monitor the impact of your wellbeing initiatives without comprising employees' rights to confidentiality.

Access EAP doesn’t offer real-time insights but they can provide reports upon request, including employee feedback from post-counselling satisfaction surveys. It isn’t clear if they provide monthly or quarterly summaries proactively.

Final thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to supporting your team’s mental health. Both Talked for Work and Access EAP offer meaningful support, but they do so in very different ways.

Talked for Work brings together psychological support, medical care, safety tools, and proactive wellbeing resources into one platform. Current partners also praise Talked's fast and reliable service, psychologist-vetting process, and flexibility in booking, choosing, and changing psychologists.

If you want more details to decide on your workplace wellbeing provider, feel free to request a demo or reach out to Talked via team@talked.com.au.