Talked for Work vs Sonder

Going beyond the traditional is central to both Talked’s and Sonder’s employee care programs. If you haven’t yet decided how to support your team’s wellbeing (or you’re considering switching providers), this comparison might just give you the insights you need.

Key features at a glance

Zooming in on Talked for Work

Talked for Work is a leading wellbeing platform designed especially for Australian organisations.

Guided by the Stepped-Care framework, Talked for Work ensures that employees who seek support are directed to services and tools that fit their needs, whether that falls under preventative tools, early intervention, crisis support, counselling or clinical treatment, medical support, legal or financial advice, or something else.

Human-centredness is also at the core of what we do. Even with advanced tech in our toolkit, we ensure that anyone who uses Talked receives support from real, compassionate, and qualified mental health professionals, including AHPRA-registered clinical and general psychologists, PACFA-registered counsellors, psychotherapists, and mental health nurses.

Talked strongly believes in the utmost importance of a positive client-therapist relationship. That’s why we offer multiple ways to help employees find a therapist they feel safe and aligned with, including:

• An AI-powered matching tool that suggests up to three therapists based on your concerns and preferences

• A therapist directory where you can browse profiles and choose who you’d like to work with

• Clinical triage with a mental health nurse, who can provide expert recommendations and refer you to a therapist suited to your needs

• Free and unlimited 15-minute consultations, so you can speak with different therapists until you find the right fit

Note that services vary depending on which Talked for Work tier a business is subscribed to and how they want to customise their subscription. Explore Talked for Work’s Pricing Page for more information on Talked’s Essential Care, Enhanced Care, and Complete Care plans.

Zooming in on Sonder

Just like Talked for Work, Sonder positions itself as a holistic employee care platform. Apart from mental health services, Sonder also offers personal safety tools, early intervention resources, injury management, as well as medical, financial, and legal advice, all through a single app.

Sonder has four packages designed for different organisational needs and priorities: Starter Care, Sonder Safe, Essential Care, and Total Care.

Clinical triage

Talked for Work

Talked for Work takes pride in meeting employees where they are – whether they’re in distress, feeling confused, or they simply want some advice.

Through triage services, Talked’s Care Team provides immediate support to employees via video call, phone call, or chat. Depending on the clinician’s assessment, the employee will receive tailored recommendations and referrals, like a referral to a GP, a psychologist, or another wellbeing or emergency service.

Sonder

Triage is also a core part of Sonder’s services. Every employee goes through triage with a care specialist, from which they are guided to personalised services that fit their concerns.

Therapist choice

Talked for Work

Talked lets you choose your psychologist, counsellor, or psychotherapist. You’re free to browse Talked’s therapist directory, read therapist profiles, and book free introductory sessions with as many therapists as you need until you meet someone who feels like the right fit.

Alternatively, you can also use Talked’s AI-powered matching tool to get upto three therapist recommendations who fit your needs and preferences. You can also switch therapists anytime, with no explanations needed.

Sonder

Sonder connects you with a therapist based on suitability and availability, which makes the process of seeking support more efficient. However, not being able to choose your own therapist can make it harder to build trust, feel fully comfortable, or maintain continuity in care.

If you want to change therapists, you will need to contact Sonder's support team to request it.

Psychology, counselling, coaching

Talked for Work

Guided by the Stepped-Care approach, Talked offers different levels of mental health support, including psychology sessions for clinical concerns and counselling for more generic issues like stress and anxiety.

Sessions are available via telehealth and in-person appointments. Plus, all therapists on Talked are Australia-based and registered in authoritative peak bodies, such as the AHPRA for psychologists and PACFA for counsellors, ensuring that you meet someone who’s truly qualified and who deeply understands the local Aussie context.

Sonder

Sonder’s mental health team also includes vetted psychologists and counsellors.

However, because Sonder operates across multiple regions, it’s not always clear whether Australian employees are consistently connected with Australia-based practitioners. While their clinicians are vetted, the platform does not specify that support is always delivered by professionals with local registration or Australian-specific clinical expertise.

Continuity of care

Talked for Work

Talked is committed to supporting ongoing mental health care, even beyond the sessions paid for by an employer. Employees can continue seeing the same therapist by easily transitioning to Medicare-rebated sessions (if eligible) or using their private health insurance. 

This seamless handover ensures therapeutic relationships aren’t interrupted, making it easier for employees to maintain progress without starting over with someone new or waiting for their employer-funded credits to reset.

Sonder

Sonder provides a fixed number of counselling or therapy sessions per employee, and once those are used, additional sessions aren’t available until the next allocation resets.

There’s no built-in process to transition to Medicare or private insurance with the same therapist, which can create a gap in care or force employees to find a new provider outside the platform if they want to continue their treatment.

Preventative and early intervention resources

Talked for Work

Talked provides a wide range of on-demand wellbeing resources, including articles, self-help videos, audio guides, digital courses, and more. 

These resources are designed to support proactive self-care as well as early intervention against stress and other mental health issues. On top of this, Talked also offers wellbeing tools like an in-app journal, mental health self-assessments, and a wellbeing index tracker.

Sonder

Proactive support is also a key part of Sonder’s advocacy. Sonder offers a digital wellbeing hub with educational content, safety tips, and self-guided tools aimed at promoting self-improvement as well as early recognition of any wellbeing concerns.

Psychosocial risk assessment & management

Talked for Work

Talked offers hands-on support and training for identifying, assessing, and managing psychosocial risks in the workplace. This includes access to a team of professionals who can provide practical guidance and ensure your compliance with Work Health and Safety (WHS) requirements. 

Sonder

Sonder supports psychosocial risk management primarily by providing templated, downloadable risk management tools and matrices that organisations can use independently. While useful for self-guided implementation, direct expert involvement or tailored assessments are not a core part of the offering.

Welfare checks

Talked for Work

Talked offers both proactive and manager-initiated welfare checks, ensuring timely support for employees who may be struggling.

If a clinician identifies during triage that someone is distressed or at risk of self-harm, a welfare check can be arranged immediately or scheduled within 24 hours. Managers and HR teams can also request checks for employees they’re concerned about, with Talked’s clinical team following up sensitively and confidentially.

Sonder

Sonder’s welfare-check services are much like Talked for Work’s. Their care team can trigger a welfare check when it’s deemed necessary, and they also let managers request checks via the Sonder app.

Medical advice & GP consultation

Talked for Work

Recognising that wellbeing extends beyond mental health, Talked for Work offers 24/7 access to support for medical and health concerns like chronic conditions, seasonal illnesses, and mental health issues requiring medication.

Employees can speak with qualified nurses anytime and, if needed, be referred to a GP for personalised medical care, all within the same platform.

Sonder

Sonder also provides round-the-clock access to medical professionals. Support typically begins with a nurse-led triage, and if further care is needed, employees are referred to a GP for consultation and prescription support.

Critical incident support

Talked for Work

Talked provides a comprehensive critical incident response service that includes immediate support via call or chat, deployment of on-site trauma responders, and post-crisis support.

Responders are trained in delivering psychological first aid and stabilising crises, while the Care Team is equipped to support employees in the aftermath. Optional training is also accessible, aimed at helping teams recover, process the event, build resilience, and avoid similar incidents in the future.

Sonder

Positioning itself as a holistic care provider, Sonder also offers critical incident support, such as access to a critical incident response team, psychological first aid, and post-incident support and welfare checks.

Real-time safety tools and services

Talked for Work

Talked includes a range of real-time safety features, designed primarily for lone workers and those who might be in an unfamiliar or hazardous work site. These include 24/7 emergency assistance, “Check-on-Me” timer that alerts support staff if someone doesn’t confirm their safety, and the ability for managers to request welfare checks directly through the platform.

These tools are backed by urgent human support to ensure quick, compassionate responses when safety is at risk.

Sonder

Sonder places strong emphasis on personal safety, offering advanced tools like real-time hazard notifications and a “Track My Journey” feature that lets users share their location and request support while travelling. These services are particularly valuable for mobile, remote, or field-based teams.

Manager empowerment & training

Talked for Work

Talked recognises the vital role managers play in workplace wellbeing and supports them with one-on-one coaching, leadership workshops, and on-demand resources.

When booking therapy, managers can choose clinicians experienced in workplace and people-management issues. They can also request welfare checks for team members who might be in crisis, with Talked’s Care Team managing follow-up.

Importantly, managers are never expected to act as psychologists or counsellors. Rather, Talked empowers managers to own their roles with confidence but also know when to refer to external and expert care.

Sonder

Sonder’s services for managers primarily consist of on-demand resources like articles. Managers, like their team members, can also book counselling or therapy sessions when they need more support.

Dashboard and insights

Talked for Work

Talked provides employers with a real-time dashboard offering clear, anonymised data on platform usage, engagement trends, and presenting issues. These insights help organisations track impact, spot emerging risks, and guide wellbeing strategy.

In addition to data access, Talked conducts quarterly business reviews that support tailored analysis and continuous improvement – not just a data summary.

Sonder

Sonder offers monthly and quarterly usage reports that break down how employees are engaging with the platform across all of Sonder’s services.

These reports provide useful visibility into usage patterns and case types that lead employees to seek support. However, they are generally more focused on activity metrics rather than in-depth analysis or strategic wellbeing planning support.

Bottom line

Both Talked for Work and Sonder offer modern, holistic alternatives to traditional EAPs. Not only do they help address mental health and team dynamic challenges, but they also support workplaces in meeting WHS obligations and their local psychosocial safety policies.

Sonder shines in its focus on real-time safety tools and rapid response services, making it a strong fit for mobile, remote, or high-risk workforces.

Talked for Work, on the other hand, delivers a clinically integrated, flexible care model. Employees can choose their therapist, easily switch if needed, and continue care beyond employer-funded sessions through Medicare or private health insurance.

Combined with medical advice, manager support, and optional service add-ons, Talked offers a tailored, end-to-end solution for workplace wellbeing.

If you need more information, feel free to request a demo or reach out to us anytime via team@talked.com.au.