WORK-RELATED MENTAL HEALTH
Support when work has affected more than work.
Problems at work rarely stay neatly there. Conflict, bullying, harassment, organisational change, a workplace incident or a difficult return after injury can affect confidence, relationships, sleep, emotional regulation and how safe or capable you feel long after the working day ends.
Comma + Co provides counselling for adults navigating the psychological and emotional impact of work-related experiences, whether or not you have lodged a WorkCover claim.
Private counselling is available now. WorkSafe-funded counselling through Comma + Co is planned to become available in 2027, subject to provider registration.
WHAT COUNSELLING CAN SUPPORT
When work starts affecting the rest of your life.
You do not need to wait until things become unmanageable to seek support. Counselling can help make sense of whaat has happened, understand its impact, rebuild confidence and develop practical ways of responding to what comes next.
01 WORKPLACE EXPERIENCES
Bullying, harassment, conflict, difficult workplace relationships, organisational change or experiences that have left you feeling unsafe, undermined or uncertain about returning.
02 PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT
Anxiety, overwhelm, loss of confidence, emotional reactivity, difficulty switching off, disrupted sleep or finding that work is occupying far more mental space than you want it to.
03 RECOVERY + RETURN TO WORK
Making sense of capacity, rebuilding confidence, preparing for conversations or changes at work, and navigating the emotional complexity of returning after an injury or period away.
04 IDENTITY + WHAT COMES NEXT
When a workplace experience has changed how you see yourself, your career or what you want from work, counselling can provide space to consider what has happened and make decisions with greater clarity.
These aren't diagnostic criteria or a checklist of things you need to be struggling with. Counselling is individual, and we'll work out together what would be useful for you.
COUSELLING OR COACHING?
Different support for different needs.
Comma + Co offers both counselling and executive coaching, but they serve different purposes.
Work-related counselling is appropriate when work has had a psychological or emotional impact. The focus may include distress, confidence, identity, relationships, coping, adjustment, recovery or the effects of a difficult workplace experience.
Executive coaching is focused on professional development, leadership, decision-making, communication, performance and navigating complexity at work. It is not a substitute for counselling where psychological distress or injury is the primary concern.
Sometimes the line is not immediately obvious. We can help clarify which service is the better fit before you begin.
OUR APPROACH
Making sense of what
work has changed.
Work-related distress can affect confidence, identity, relationships, decision-making and your sense of safety, not just how you feel about your job.
Counselling provides space to understand what has happened, recognise the impact it is having now and work out what would be useful from here. That may include stabilising after a difficult workplace experience, rebuilding confidence, understanding patterns in how you are responding, preparing for conversations or decisions, or considering what you want work to look like in the future.
If return to work becomes part of the picture, it can be explored in the context of your broader recovery and capacity rather than treated as the only goal.
WORKCOVER
If WorkCover becomes part
of the picture.
You do not need a WorkCover claim to see Comma + Co, and having a claim does not prevent you from attending privately.
If you are considering a claim, already have one underway, or expect WorkSafe funding may become important, we can talk through what that means before you begin. Comma + Co is not yet able to provide WorkSafe-funded counselling, with provider registration planned for 2027.
That way you can make an informed decision about whether private counselling with Comma + Co is the right fit for you now, including any implications for continuity of care later.
For GPs and referrers
Private referrals for work-related counselling are welcome now. WorkSafe-funded referrals are planned from 2027, subject to provider registration.
IF YOUR CLAIM IS BEING ASSESSED
What provisional payments
might mean for you.
If you lodge a WorkCover claim that includes a mental injury, you may be eligible for provisional payments. These allow eligible workers and volunteers to access reasonable treatment and support while the claim is still being assessed.
If the claim is not accepted, provisional payments can continue for up to 13 weeks, provided the eligibility requirements are met.
At present, provisional payments cannot be used to fund counselling with Comma + Co because WorkSafe-funded counselling must be delivered by a registered WorkSafe provider. If you want WorkSafe to pay for counselling during this period, you will need to use an eligible registered provider.
If you specifically want to work with Comma + Co, private counselling remains available.
CONTINUITY OF CARE
Starting with the right arrangement matters.
Beginning counselling and then changing therapists purely because funding arrangements change can interrupt continuity of care and require you to rebuild a therapeutic relationship with someone new.
If you are likely to rely on WorkSafe funding, we will be transparent about what Comma + Co can and cannot currently provide before counselling begins.
If you choose to start privately with Comma + Co, we can also discuss whether you expect to continue privately or whether transferring to a registered WorkSafe provider may become necessary later.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A few practical things you may want to know.
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No. You can access private counselling for work-related concerns whether or not you have lodged a WorkCover claim.
You might be seeking support because of workplace conflict, bullying, harassment, organisational change, an injury, loss of confidence, difficulties returning to work or simply because work is having a significant impact on your wellbeing.
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Yes. You can still choose to attend Comma + Co privately if you have a pending or accepted WorkCover claim.
The important distinction is that WorkSafe cannot currently pay for counselling sessions with Comma + Co because the practice is not yet registered as a WorkSafe counselling provider. WorkSafe-funded counselling through Comma + Co is planned for 2027, subject to provider registration. WorkSafe can only pay for counselling delivered by a registered counsellor.
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No. At present, counselling with Comma + Co would need to be paid privately.
WorkSafe requires counsellors to be registered with WorkSafe before their counselling services can be funded. Comma + Co plans to offer WorkSafe-funded counselling from 2027, subject to successful provider registration.
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If Comma + Co is not yet registered at that point, WorkSafe cannot take over payment for your sessions with us.
You could choose to continue privately with Comma + Co, or move to an eligible registered WorkSafe provider if funded counselling becomes more important to you.
If this is likely to be relevant, we can discuss it before you begin so you can make an informed decision about continuity of care.
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Provisional payments allow eligible Victorian workers and volunteers with a claim that includes a mental injury to access reasonable treatment and services while the claim itself is being assessed.
If the claim is not accepted, eligible provisional payments can continue for up to 13 weeks.
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Not at present.
Provisional payments make treatment funding available while an eligible mental injury claim is being assessed, but they do not override the provider requirements for individual services. WorkSafe can only pay for counselling delivered by a registered WorkSafe counsellor.
If you want WorkSafe to fund counselling during this period, you will need to use an eligible registered provider. You can still choose to see Comma + Co privately.
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Not for private counselling. You can contact Comma + Co directly.
WorkSafe-funded counselling is different. Under WorkSafe's current policy, counselling is a referred service and a medical practitioner must provide a referral before funded counselling begins. Prior approval from WorkSafe is not required once the counsellor is appropriately registered.
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A rejected claim does not affect your ability to continue accessing Comma + Co privately.
If your claim included a mental injury and you were entitled to provisional payments, those payments may continue for up to 13 weeks even if the claim is rejected.
Whether a particular treatment can be paid through provisional payments still depends on the requirements that apply to that service and provider.
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If your claim is accepted, your WorkSafe agent will confirm your entitlements and can pay reasonable treatment costs covered by the scheme.
Until Comma + Co becomes a registered WorkSafe counselling provider, you can continue seeing us privately, but WorkSafe cannot fund those counselling sessions.
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No. Seeking counselling for something that happened at work does not require you to make a WorkCover claim.
Private counselling and the workers compensation system are separate. You can use counselling simply because work is affecting you, regardless of whether you ever pursue a claim.
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You can choose to access private counselling independently of your WorkSafe-funded treatment, but it is worth considering whether having two therapists working on the same issues is clinically useful.
There is also a specific funding restriction within WorkSafe's counselling policy: WorkSafe does not fund concurrent treatment by a counsellor and either a psychologist or mental health social worker.
If you are already working with another treating practitioner, we can discuss whether adding counselling is appropriate and, with your consent, coordinate care where useful.
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No. They can sometimes involve similar workplace circumstances, but the purpose of the work is different.
Counselling is appropriate when work is having a psychological or emotional impact. That might include distress, anxiety, loss of confidence, adjustment after a difficult workplace experience, changes in identity or capacity, relationship difficulties or recovery following injury.
Executive coaching focuses on professional development, leadership, decision-making, communication, performance and navigating complexity at work.
If you are not sure which service fits what you are experiencing, we can help clarify that before you begin.
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We can help you explore what you are experiencing, how it is affecting you and what matters to you as you consider your options.
We do not provide legal advice or determine whether a WorkCover claim is likely to succeed. For advice about claim eligibility, legal rights or compensation, you should speak with WorkSafe, your union if applicable, or an appropriate legal adviser.
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Where a report or written communication is clinically appropriate and within our scope, we can discuss what is being requested, why it is needed and what information can appropriately be provided.
We will also discuss consent, confidentiality and any additional fee before undertaking non-session work.
Comma + Co does not provide independent medical examinations, medico-legal opinions, workplace investigations or fitness-for-work determinations.
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Private counselling remains confidential subject to the limits explained in our informed consent and privacy arrangements.
Having a workplace issue or WorkCover claim does not automatically give your employer access to the content of your counselling sessions.
If communication with another person or organisation is requested, we will discuss what is being requested and the appropriate scope of information sharing with you, except where disclosure is otherwise required by law or under applicable safety obligations.
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Yes. Private counselling is available in person in Melbourne and online across Australia.
WorkSafe also currently permits counselling by telehealth where its applicable telehealth requirements are met.
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Comma + Co plans to apply for WorkSafe provider registration in 2027, once the applicable professional eligibility requirements are met.
Until registration is confirmed, all counselling through Comma + Co remains privately funded.
GETTING STARTED
Start with a conversation.
If work is affecting your mental health, you can contact Comma + Co whether you have a WorkCover claim, are considering one, are waiting for a decision or simply want support with what has happened.
If WorkSafe funding may affect whether Comma + Co is the right provider for you, we will be clear about that before you begin.
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