We can provide general information and resources by email, tailored to the information that you’ve provided. If you would like additional support regarding an eating disorder or body image concern, you can call our Helpline on 1800 33 46 73, or chat online via our webchat service to chat with a counsellor.
If you are looking for an eating disorder practitioner, you can directly search Butterfly Referral Database on our website.
If you have a general enquiry about a Butterfly service that is not related to the Helpline, you can submit an enquiry through our website Contact us.
Please note the Butterfly National Helpline is not a crisis service. In case of an emergency, please call 000, or if you are in crisis call Lifeline 131 114 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
A gentle reminder
Our staff members are dedicated professionals who strive to assist individuals in need. We request that you act respectfully and safely towards our staff at all times. If someone behaves in a way that is abusive, threatening or in any way places others at risk, our staff may not reply to your email. Please see Butterfly’s Charter of Rights for more information.
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Our Helpline is not a crisis line and we cannot provide medical help. If you or someone you know is in crisis please contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800). If it is an emergency please call 000.
We aim to respond to emails within 1-2 days. There are times when the Helpline experiences a high demand, and at these times there may be a longer wait. If you would like more immediate support, you can call us on 1800 33 4673 and rather than waiting on hold, you can keep your place in the queue and receive a call back. We will attempt to call you back as soon as possible between the hours of 9am to 11pm, Australia Eastern Standard or daylight Savings times adjusted. Alternatively you can chat online via our webchat service to chat with a counsellor.
Butterfly asks questions about your age, gender, LGBTIQA+ identity, if you identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person and if you have a culturally or linguistically diverse background. Asking people about these key demographic questions helps us:
- better understand how various community groups access the Helpline.
- know if we are receiving contacts from vulnerable groups in the community.
- make decisions regarding how to best increase access to the Helpline for vulnerable groups, tailor our support and language to your personal circumstances, and ensure we are providing culturally safe services.
- bridge gaps in knowledge and increase equity of access in the healthcare sector for vulnerable groups.
Your privacy and confidentiality is important to us. We collect and store your email address as well as any personal information you share with us. Information collected from the email is stored securely. We do not share your information to anyone outside of the Butterfly Helpline team except when you or someone you know may be in immediate danger. In this case a counsellor may need to take steps to help keep you and others save.
If you contact us more than once, the counsellor may review your previous records. This can help us provide you with a better service. For more information please read our Privacy Policy.
If you provide a mobile phone number, you will receive a brief satisfaction survey following the email to help us enhance our service. You can also complete the form on our ‘Feedback’ page to send us your feedback, compliments or complaints.
Butterfly Helpline can only provide services to people in Australia. If you are currently living or travelling outside of Australia, we encourage you to seek support from a service located near you. Some options include:
UK – https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/
Ireland – https://www.bodywhys.ie/
USA – https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
Canada – http://nedic.ca/
New Zealand – https://www.ed.org.nz/
