Talked for Work vs Converge

Employee assistance programs have long been a priority in many workplaces, but the landscape has evolved, and so have employees’ expectations.

Where employee counselling services used to be enough, the expectation now is for workplaces to minimise both physical and psychosocial risks, provide confidential wellbeing services across the stages of the stepped care model, and include immediate family members in employees’ health benefits, among other measures.

In Australia, two key players in this space are Talked for Work and Converge International. If you’re still considering which service provider to work with, or you’re ready to switch providers, this comparison article can help.

Disclaimer: The information provided below is based on publicly available details about the mentioned platforms as of April 2026. For the most current and accurate information, please visit the Talked for Work website or the Converge website.

Key features at a glance

Both Talked for Work and Converge offer flexible pricing structures that businesses can choose from.

Talked for Work offers a pay-as-you-go model, allowing organisations to pay only for services and sessions that their teams actually used. There's also an option to purchase a bundle of therapy sessions at a discounted rate.

Converge offers two tiers: Converge Essentials and Converge Enterprise+. The latter is customisable, and you can also purchase separate services like psychometric testing for prospective hires and access to learning modules.

Exploring Talked for Work

Talked for Work is an Australian-based wellbeing service provider primarily known for connecting Aussies with fully qualified and carefully vetted psychologists. But apart from therapy sessions, Talked for Work may also provide other services, such as access to a wellbeing platform, psychosocial support, and critical incident support, among others.

Some benefits, particularly counselling and therapy, can also be extended to employees’ partners and family members.

Talked is committed to ensuring a human-first approach, so employees get a real, expert, and compassionate human connection at every touch point. Our core mental health team consists of carefully vetted AHPRA-registered clinical and general psychologists, PACFA-registered counsellors, psychotherapists, and mental health nurses.

Anyone who wants to use Talked can start by using our matching tool or by manually browsing therapist profiles and choosing someone who fits what you’re looking for. You can also book free 15-minute consultations so you can get to know different therapists, then choose one you’d like to have full sessions with.

Exploring Converge International

Converge International, formerly known as the Interchurch Trade and Industry Mission (ITIM), is one of the country’s longest-standing EAP providers. Their services cover different health and safety needs of employees, like counselling, including pastoral counselling or chaplaincy, critical incident response, and leadership development programs.

Converge has Christian roots and a strong association with the Anglican church in Australia, making them ideal for faith-centred workplaces. However, they do work with various organisations regardless of faith or core values.

In terms of mental health support, Converge has a team of clinicians who can support different concerns, like workplace issues, grief, relationship issues, and more. However, it’s unclear if their clinicians include AHPRA-registered psychologists or if all of them are counsellors. Many of their staff are also chaplains.

Converge clearly outlines what’s included in their list of packages, with additional services available separately if needed.

Free initial psychologist and counsellor consultations

Initial consultations can help you determine how aligned and comfortable you feel with a therapist. This client-therapist connection is very important, and it’s actually a proven strong predictor of positive therapy outcomes.

Free consultations aren’t available on Converge, but you can access them on Talked. Talked lets anyone access free, no-obligation 15-minute consultations with any clinician of their choice.

Psychology, counselling, coaching

Talked for Work provides psychology sessions, general counselling, and leadership coaching within a single platform. Employees can select their preferred practitioner or receive guidance through the triage system, ensuring that the support aligns with their needs. In-person sessions are also available for some tiers.

Converge also offers counselling and coaching services, but it’s not clear if they provide sessions with psychologists. They cater to a broad range of concerns, including work stress, personal issues, and career transitions, but employee choice in practitioners may be more limited.

One thing that Talked and Converge have in common, however, is they can both extend their counselling services to employees' partners and families.

Preventative and early intervention resources

Mental health support isn’t only for people in crisis or those who have diagnosed conditions. After all, it’s still always better to prevent than to cure.

This is why Talked provides digital resources aimed at prevention and early intervention, including a wellbeing index tool, mental health assessments, and self-help resources and courses.

Psychosocial risk assessment & management

Defining and addressing psychosocial hazards in the workplace is a key part of risk mitigation and prevention. It also reduces an organisation’s exposure to legal risks and hefty worker compensation claims.

Both Talked and Converge offer structured psychosocial risk assessment and management services in line with Safe Work Australia’s guidance. These help employers identify and address environmental or organisational risks that could impact mental health.

Critical incident response & support

Talked supports organisations through critical incidents with both remote and on-site response options. This includes immediate support, post-incident reporting, and optional training to help teams recover and rebuild.

Converge also has experience in this area and offers rapid crisis response, on-site trauma support, and staff debriefing. They also provide training for managers and teams dealing with grief, violence, or workplace trauma.

Wellbeing library

Talked’s wellbeing library is designed to support different learning styles and personal preferences. It includes a wide range of resources such as video guides, audio content, self-paced courses, and easy-to-read articles.

These resources are available on-demand and complement clinical care by helping employees build practical skills over tim.

Converge also offers a digital resource hub through its website and app, featuring articles, tip sheets, and wellbeing tools. These materials cover a range of topics, but the format follows a more traditional, information-based approach. It doesn’t include the same level of multimedia diversity or interactivity found in Talked’s library, but it can still be helpful in raising awareness and determining issues that might need more than self-help.

Real-time dashboard and insights

Talked gives organisations access to real-time analytics on usage, wellbeing trends, and engagement levels - all without breaching confidentiality. This enables HR teams to spot patterns early and adjust wellbeing strategies accordingly.

On top of this, Talked also provides quarterly reports to help HR teams assess what’s been going on in their team and if there are any wellbeing needs that have not been addressed or that need additional support.

Converge doesn’t provide real-time data, but they do provide a dashboard for daily as well as long-term trends.

Customisable plans

Both Talked and Converge offer flexible fee structures allowing organisations to customise the support they receive based on their headcount, budget, and workplace risk profile. Talked has a pay-as-you-go pricing option, so organisations will only have to to pay for the services they actually use.

This flexible nature of both Talked and Converge services lets you be more in control and better ensure that you’re prioritising initiatives based on actual needs or employee feedback.

Final thoughts

Every workplace has different needs when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. For some, a modern, integrated platform like Talked for Work offers the flexibility and depth to support teams through change, growth, and stress. For others, a traditional and wide-reaching service like Converge International provides the reliability and breadth they’re after.

Choosing a provider is about more than ticking boxes. It’s about making sure your team feels genuinely supported and has timely access to the kind of care that suits them. If you’re reviewing your current EAP or looking to implement one for the first time, consider setting up meetings with both providers to understand how their models work in practice.

Feel free to request a demo or reach out to us anytime via team@talked.com.au.