Counsellor
Help individuals, couples and families work through emotional, relational and behavioural challenges.
Registration: Australian Counselling Association or PACFA membership
Salary
Cited figures only: median full-time weekly earnings for the ANZSCO unit group Counsellors (2721) from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia), and where available the QILT graduate starting salary for the matching study area.
| Figure | AUD | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median full-time weekly earnings | $1477 | Your Career (2026-09-23) |
What a counsellor actually does
Counsellors run booked 50 to 60-minute sessions, in person or via telehealth, with five to six clients a day being a sustainable pace. Sessions follow a structured approach (CBT, solution-focused, narrative, or relationship-focused) and the counsellor takes a contracting, goal-setting and review approach across an episode of care. Between sessions there's case-note writing, supervision prep and referral letters. Counsellors don't have AHPRA registration so the work is typically funded through employee assistance programmes, private health insurance (some funds), self-funded clients, NDIS or community-services contracts. Counsellors often pick up evening and Saturday slots to fit working clients. Most counsellors invest in monthly clinical supervision (about $150 a session) as a registration requirement and to manage emotional load. Without Medicare access unless you become a registered counsellor under an MBS-eligible programme, building a full caseload takes time.
Typical tasks
- Conduct counselling sessions in person or via telehealth.
- Use evidence-based approaches such as CBT or solution-focused therapy.
- Refer to clinical services when scope of practice exceeded.
Skills you'll use
- Active listening and reflective questioning
- Person-centred and motivational interviewing techniques
- CBT and solution-focused therapy frameworks
- Risk screening and referral to clinical services
- Contracting and ethical boundary-setting
- Working with grief, trauma and relationship rupture
- Note-taking that protects client confidentiality
- Self-care and supervision habits
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 12 with English (you don't need a specific science background)
- 2Complete an ACA or PACFA-accredited Bachelor of Counselling, or a Bachelor of Psychological Science with a counselling postgrad
- 3Alternatively, complete a Diploma of Counselling (CHC51015) followed by an advanced diploma or bachelor
- 4Apply for membership with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) or Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
- 5Start under supervision in a community-services agency, EAP provider, school or private practice
- 6Accrue supervised hours required for higher membership levels (ACA Level 2 or 4, PACFA Provisional to Full)
- 7Consider niche training in grief, trauma, family violence, sex therapy or relationship work
Where you can work
- Community-services agencies (Relationships Australia, Lifeline, Anglicare)
- School wellbeing teams and tertiary student services
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providers
- Private counselling practices
- Family-violence and sexual-assault services
- Hospitals and palliative-care teams
- Telehealth-only counselling platforms
Career progression
Typical stages and roles. Years of experience are a rough guide; pay at each stage depends on the employer, award or agreement.
- Provisional or new counsellor0-2 yearsTypical roles: Provisional counsellor, Community counsellor, Helpline counsellor
- Registered counsellor3-7 yearsTypical roles: ACA Level 2 or PACFA member counsellor, Private-practice counsellor, EAP counsellor
- Senior counsellor or supervisor7+ yearsTypical roles: Senior counsellor, Clinical supervisor, Practice owner
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You're patient and empathetic without losing professional distance
- You can sit with hard emotions for an hour at a time without flinching
- You're committed to ongoing supervision and self-reflection
- You're realistic about the income trajectory in early years
- You can hold confidentiality across complex family or workplace situations
This might not suit you if
- You want Medicare-rebatable mental-health work without further training
- You can't tolerate the slow build of a private caseload
- You don't cope with vicarious trauma exposure
- You want a high-paced clinical environment with quick measurable outcomes
Ways in
Uni and TAFE routes for counsellor. We only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.
University
Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.
TAFE / VET
Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.
Sources
ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Your Career (yourcareer.gov.au) directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.