The NSW Labor Council and Unions NSW have written a letter to state Attorney-General Michael Daley urging the NSW government to amend the law and give counselling sessions legal privilege.
Under current legislation, defence lawyers can subpoena files from therapy sessions, including voice and video recordings, from sexual assault support services.
Many services comply with the requests to produce the notes rather than mount costly legal challenges, Unions NSW Secretary Mark Morey said.
"Nearly 100,000 Australian women have been sexually assaulted by a co-worker in the last decade, making it a significant workplace issue," Mr Morey said on Friday.
"No survivor should walk into a courtroom and discover that the defendant's lawyers have been reading their therapy sessions."
The letter calls for the NSW Criminal Procedure Act to be amended to give counselling notes absolute privilege, the same status as legal advice.
The state government has embarked on other measures to bolster victim support in recent weeks, including scrapping good character as a mitigating factor in sentencing decisions.
However, the NSW Bar Association spoke against that proposal, saying courts must reserve the right to assess all available evidence before making a decision.
It comes amid growing calls in Victoria for sexual assault complainants to be given the right to pre-record their evidence ahead of trial.
Current court processes cause "unnecessary harm and distress" to victim-survivors, an open letter published on Thursday said.
Addressed to Premier Jacinta Allan and Attorney General Sonya Kilkenny, the letter was signed by 18 organisations, including community legal and sexual assault services.
Pre-recorded evidence is available in some circumstances, including for child witnesses and some vulnerable complainants, but is not a guaranteed right in Victoria.
That gap leaves many victim-survivors waiting years to give evidence, prolonging trauma and undermining their recovery, campaigners say.
"If I had been able to pre-record my testimony, I could have given my evidence much earlier, when my memories were clearer, and avoided the harm and disadvantage caused by having to wait years for the trial," lived experience advocate Rebecca Hall said.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
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