Crisis support & counselling

The Health and Wellbeing Committee recommends that barristers who are in any way concerned about their psychological wellbeing should seek professional help.

Members and their immediate families can select one of the counselling service providers for up to five sessions of crisis support and counselling services.

Trained consultants are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to deal with any crisis situation.

Seeking support and counselling for mental health issues generally will not affect a barrister's ability to practise. The Victorian Legal Services Board’s policy is to encourage lawyers who are experiencing a mental health condition to voluntarily seek appropriate treatment. The VLSB only requires lawyers to disclose mental health conditions if their condition will affect their ability to meet their legal practice obligations. More information is on the VLSB+C website here.

Re-Vision Group

Crisis support and counselling is available to members in need.

Re-Vision Group is one of two independently run counselling services funded by the Victorian Bar, available for the benefit of our members and their families.

Telephone 03 9650 5540 for immediate crisis help or to make an appointment.

The services at Re-Vision Group are provided by Bernadette Healy and her associates. Bernadette is an experienced psychologist and all associates are psychologists or clinical social workers with extensive experience in counselling. Bernadette Healy has been providing counselling services to Victorian Bar members over many years.

The service provides a place for you to talk confidentially about aspects of your life, whether professional or personal, which are causing difficulty, in a private city location away from the legal precinct.

The confidential and supportive service is provided by experienced professionals committed to the delivery of worthwhile and ethical services and to adherence with professional codes of ethics. Referral to appropriate specialist services is available, if and when required.

A significant number of barristers have already used this service. Ring Bernadette on 03 9650 5540 to make an appointment. Bernadette can help with:

  • Relationship difficulties
  • Loss of motivation at work and at home
  • Loss and grief issues
  • Experiencing oneself as behaving in ways which don’t make sense, such as overreacting to little things
  • Feeling disconnected from others
  • Decreased interest in activities which were previously enjoyed
  • A general feeling of not being oneself
  • Recurring troubling thoughts and feelings
  • A sense of purposelessness
  • Ongoing sadness not related to specific loss situation
  • A feeling that 'where I am in my life is not how I thought it would be'
  • Increased use of avoidance and procrastination at work
  • Increased use of alcohol and other forms of self-medication
  • Unwelcome changes in normal patterns such as sleeping, eating and exercising
  • Unexplained physical issues such as continual tiredness and headaches
  • General sense of not having much fun and laughter

Converge International

Converge International provides one of two independently run counselling services funded by the Victorian Bar, available for the benefit of our members and their families.

Telephone 1300 687 327 for immediate crisis help or to make an appointment.

Converge International has more than 60 years’ experience in Australia. Their services are delivered by qualified and experienced psychologists, social workers and counsellors.

  • Counselling to our members and their immediate families
  • Manager Assist, Career Assist, Conflict Assist, Money Assist, Nutrition & Lifestyle Assist
  • Crisis Counselling (Emergency Telephone Counselling)

Converge will assess the urgency and book appointments or refer to the appropriate Converge area. Urgent phone appointments can occur within 20 minutes.

Converge also offers specific helplines. Click the links for brochures about the services: