Support
Who to call, and when.
This is the list. It runs from most urgent to least, so if tonight is bad, the first card is the one you need and you can stop reading after it. Everything here is free unless it says otherwise.
If someone is in danger right now, call 000. That includes you.
If you're not safe with your own thoughts
Any hour, any night. You don't need to be in crisis to call, and you don't need to know what to say.
Lifeline
13 11 1424 hours. Text 0477 13 11 14 if talking is too much, or chat online at lifeline.org.au.
Suicide Call Back Service
1300 659 46724 hours. Phone, chat and video counselling for anyone thinking about suicide, or worried about someone who is.
MensLine Australia
1300 78 99 7824 hours, for men. Counsellors who work with relationships, separation, anger and family violence, whichever side of it you're on. Chat and video at mensline.org.au.
13YARN
13 92 7624 hours. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, answered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis supporters.
If it's about what's happening at home
These services are for anyone affected by family violence, including men, and including control that has never involved a raised hand. You don't have to be sure it counts before you call.
1800RESPECT
1800 737 73224 hours, national. Text 0458 737 732, or chat and video at 1800respect.org.au. Interpreters through 13 14 50.
Safe Steps
1800 015 18824 hours, Victoria. The state's family violence response centre, for anyone in Victoria experiencing or afraid of family violence.
MensLine Australia
1300 78 99 7824 hours. Listed again here on purpose. If you're a man who isn't sure whether what's happening to you is abuse, this is the call that helps you work it out.
If you're worried about your own behaviour
Calling is the thing that changes it. Nobody on the other end is going to be shocked, and you can stay anonymous.
Men's Referral Service
1300 766 491For men who want to change how they behave toward a partner or family. Counselling, and the way into a men's behaviour change program near you. Also for family and friends who are worried about a man. Chat at ntv.org.au.
If you're in the middle of a separation
The seven-month group is for men who are past the worst of it. If you're still in it, these are the places I'd point you to first, and the ones I wish I'd known about. None of them needs a referral.
Dads in Distress
1300 853 437Free peer support for separated dads, run by Parents Beyond Breakup. Zoom groups most days, in-person groups weekly in some areas, and you can sit and listen before you say anything. Helpline open every day, morning to early evening. parentsbeyondbreakup.com
CatholicCare Victoria, men's program
1800 123 228Low-cost counselling for men over 18, by phone, online or in person. $50 a session, $20 with a concession card, and they'll talk about it if money is tight. No referral needed, and no religious requirement. catholiccarevic.org.au
Relationships Australia Victoria
relationshipsvictoria.org.auCounselling and post-separation parenting programs across nineteen Victorian centres. There's no single statewide number, so find your nearest centre on the site and call it directly.
Family Relationship Advice Line
1800 050 321Free, national, and you can stay anonymous. Information on separation, parenting arrangements and the basics of family law, and the way into a Family Relationship Centre for dispute resolution. Weekdays 8am to 8pm, Saturdays 10am to 4pm. familyrelationships.gov.au
Victoria Legal Aid
1300 792 387Free legal information, and advice if you're eligible. 8am to 6pm weekdays. The line gets busy, so call early or use the Legal Help chat at legalaid.vic.gov.au. Nothing on this site is legal advice.
If it isn't urgent and you just need people
Most men don't need a crisis line. They need somewhere to say how it's going, once a month, to men who'll still be there next month.
The Men's Table
1800 636 782A monthly dinner with about twelve men, no facilitator, no cost beyond the meal. You go to an "Entree" first to see whether it's for you. Tables across Australia and online. themenstable.org
Beyond Blue
1300 22 463624 hours. Counsellors for when it's heavy but not an emergency, and help finding longer-term support. Chat at beyondblue.org.au.
If you're not sure what you need
Call MensLine on 1300 78 99 78. That's what it's for, and working out what you need is a reasonable thing to ask a counsellor to help with.
You can also write to me. I read everything and I reply in business hours, which is the reason it isn't the first thing on this page. This site isn't a crisis service, and I'm not a therapist or a lawyer. What I can do is tell you honestly whether the seven-month group or one-to-one coaching fits where you are, and if neither does, point you at something that will.
There are four situations where I'll say so straight away. If you've used violence or you're under a court or agency direction, the answer is a behaviour change program through the Men's Referral Service. If you're in crisis, it's the lines at the top of this page. If you need clinical care, it's a GP or the therapist you already have. And if the separation is only months old and nothing has settled yet, it's Dads in Distress or CatholicCare now, and the group later.
Every number and price on this page was checked against the service's own website on 3 September 2026. Services change. If something here is wrong, please tell me so I can fix it.