In an emergency, always call 000.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a state of crisis. 

Life changing events turn our worlds upside down.  In this post, we have compiled a comprehensive list of Australian counselling and support services to help you in times of need.

Connect the Dots is a service run by Clarity Road to help women affected by a life changing event to make sense of their situation. The service can help you to understand and take action on legal issues, Child Support, Centrelink, financial problems, counselling and more.

Lifeline provides 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14. Online crisis support chat is also available from 8pm every night (AEST). Visit www.lifeline.org.au/gethelp.

Suicide Call Back Service is a 24/7 professional helpline that offers support to those at risk of suicide, as well as their carers and the bereaved. Call 1300 659 467.

Choose Life Services is a non profit, privately funded non-government community service seeking to offer hope specifically to those struggling with life issues that may lead to suicidal thoughts and behaviours and to those who are impacted by suicide.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25. Call 1800 55 1800.

Eheadspace is a confidential, free and secure space where young people 12 – 25 or their family can chat, email or speak on the phone with a qualified youth mental health professional. Visit their site or call 1800 650 890.

ReachOut.com is an online youth mental health service that provides practical information, tools and support to young people for everyday troubles to really tough times.

beyondblue is an independent, not-for-profit organisation working to address issues associated with depression, anxiety and related disorders in Australia. They also have a 24 hour hotline that offers counselling and support services.  Call 1300 224 636.

Hope for Life is a service provided by the Salvation Army with information, resources and training for those that support people who are at risk of suicide or have lost a loved one to suicide.

The Salvation Army has a number of services available to those in crisis, including accommodation and refuge, addiction services, domestic violence, family and personal support, financial assistance, human trafficking and slavery, legal services, missing persons, problem gambling, youth services and emergency services.

Relationships Australia is a leading provider of relationship support services for individuals, families and communities. They aim to support all people in Australia to achieve positive and respectful relationships.

Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit organisation and world leader in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

SANE Australia provides a confidential service with information about symptoms, treatments, medications, where to go for support and help for carers of young people with mental illness.  Call  1800 18 SANE (1800 18 7263).

St Vincent De Paul in Australia has more than 40,000 members and volunteers, who work hard to assist people in need and combat social injustice across Australia. Visit their website to find out the services offered in your State.

Family Relationships Centres are a source of information and confidential assistance for families at all stages in their lives. Centres have a focus on providing family dispute resolution (mediation) to enable separating families achieve workable parenting arrangements outside the Court system. Whether you are going through separation, starting a relationship, want to make your relationship stronger, or having relationship difficulties, the Centres can help.

Bush Support Services has an understanding that the particular mental health of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous remote health workers is a result of the unique nature of remote work.  They provide personalised care for remote health workers.  Call 1800 805 391.

Anglicare provide support and assistance across Australia.  You can access their state programs in the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, NSW, Queensland and Victoria here.

Country Women’s Association aims to improve the conditions for women and children and make life better for families, especially those living in regional, rural and remote Australia.

Veterans & Veteran’s Families Counselling Service provides services to eligible members of the veteran and ex-serving community and their families, who are experiencing service-related mental health and wellbeing conditions.

ACT

ACT Services has responsibility for a wide range of human services functions in the ACT, including multicultural affairs, community services, arts, older people, women, public and community housing services and policy, children, youth and family support services and policy, disability policy and services, therapy services, Child and Family Centres, the ACT Government Concessions Program, homelessness, community engagement, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, and community disaster recovery.  You can access their women’s services here.

Canberra Emergency Relief Providers lists organisations that can help with food or financial assistance in an emergency.

Victim Support ACT provides information, advocacy, support and counselling services to people who have been a victim of crime in the ACT.

ACT Counselling provides psychological counselling to people in Canberra and the surrounding region who need assistance to cope with life’s challenges.

New South Wales

Aboriginal Counselling Services provides crisis intervention and therapeutic counselling for families, individuals and communities within NSW.

Northern Territory

Mobile Outreach Service Plus works with children, young people, families and remote communities by providing counselling, support and education where children and young people are at risk of, or have been traumatised by, abuse or neglect. This includes sexual, physical and emotional abuse and/or where children or young people exhibit problem sexual behaviours or sexually abusive behaviours. 

Shelter Me is a directory of services for homeless Territorians, managed by NT Shelter and funded by the Northern Territory Government.

Queensland

Zig Zag is a community based not-for-profit organisation in Brisbane that provides a number of services to young women and the wider community. Services include counselling and support to young women who have experienced sexual assault and medium term supported housing to young women who are homeless.

Child Safety Service Qld is a 24-hour state-wide service that provides after hours responses to clients of the department, members of the public and staff from government departments and community agencies in relation to child protection matters.  Call 1800 177 135.

Gambling Help Online  provides free, professional face-to-face and telephone counselling. Counselling may include help with addictions, relationships and financial counselling for people with gambling-related problems and their families.  Their helpline is a free, confidential telephone help service which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and offers immediate information and assistance over the phone, crisis support and referral to your closest Gambling Help service.  Call 1800 858 858.

The Women’s Centre Townsville is a women’s services hub run by women for women,  incorporating the Sexual Assault Support service, a Specialist Homelessness Service and a Women’s Health Service.

United Synergies provides direct support to individuals (and in particular young people), families and communities, to assist them in achieving stability and security in their lives and reaching their full potential.

South Australia

Women’s Information Service provides information to South Australian women online, over the telephone and in person. They aim to increase access to information that promotes choice and empowerment.

SA Emergency Shelter & Homelessness provides links to access emergency and crisis services.

Victim Support Services provides free and confidential help to adult victims of crime, witnesses, their family, and friends across South Australia.

Tasmania

Rural Alive and Well was formed to create resilience and capacity of individuals, families and the community to react to challenging life experiences with particular emphasis on suicide prevention, mental health and wellbeing.  Their focus is providing outreach support to rural communities across Tasmania.

Crisis Accommodation & Info Line provides links to crisis accommodation in Tasmania.

Counselling Tasmania can link you to organisations engaged in the emotional welfare and mental well being of people from Tasmanian, Australia and Internationally.

Victims of Crime Service supports people to deal with personal and practical problems associated with the impact of crime, to allow them to regain control of their lives.

Victoria

Suicide Line provides free professional, anonymous support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week across Victoria. Call 1300 651 251.

Life Works Relationship Counselling & Education Services is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to promote healthy, respectful and fulfilling relationships within the Victorian community.

Victims of Crime is a private Victorian entity providing referral services to experienced solicitors and psychologists specialising in crime compensation.

The Wire Information Centre provides a safe, friendly and welcoming space for all women.  Get free and confidential support and use their free facilities.

Bendigo Health Crisis Line: operates a Psychiatric Regional Triage Service.  Call 1300 363 788. This number provides access to all of their services and operates 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Crisis Help Network is an up-to-date and regularly up-dated web site dedicated to providing information about organisations able to help people in crisis. It is compiled and maintained by people who are or have been in crisis, and whose experiences are invaluable to the worth of this resource

Western Australia

Samaritan’s Crisis Line in an organisation working towards a society in which fewer individuals die by suicide. With services available to callers both locally and nationally, Samaritans Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day to all individuals, from all walks of life.

Southern AgCare provides professional counselling and support services for rural people provided by rural people in the Great Southern, WA.

Victims of Crime/Child Witness Service helps children and young people under 18 years of age who may need to give evidence in court. The children involved can be victims or witnesses to any criminal charge, in any court.