Is your counsellor actually qualified?

When we are experiencing relationship struggles, and make the decision to seek help, sometimes we focus on the person who feels right. Someone warm, relatable, or has the experience that feels relevant to us. What can often be overlooked, is the specific training required to be a counsellor.

Unfortunately, the title “counsellor” isn’t protected in Australia. Almost anyone can advertise themselves as a counsellor, and see clients. They can put up a website, have multiple followers on social media, but have no qualifications, supervision, or accountability. It isn’t until the client is sitting in the room with the counsellor, that they realise that something feels off.

This is why accreditation is needed.

In order to be accredited, governing bodies such as PACFA (Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia) set the standard on what a properly trained counsellor should look like.

To be accredited, and stay accredited, a Certified Practising member has to:

• Have a minimum of a Bachelor degree or above.

• Study must be done over 2 or more years.

• Completed a minimum of 400 hours of counselling instruction.

• Completed 200 hours of direct person to person instruction focussed experiential practice and skills development.

• Completed a minimum of 40 client contact hours and 10 hours of supervision.

The next level is for a Clinical member and has to have:

• Graduated over 2 years ago

• Completed a minimum of 750 client hours, post graduation.

• Completed a minimum of 75 hours supervision.

Both Memberships require:

• Regular clinical supervision, which is an ongoing check in on the counsellors practice.

• Commit to an enforceable code of ethics.

• Keep up with professional development each year.

• Answer to a formal complaints process if something goes wrong.

Whilst none of this can guarantee the right personal fit between yourself and a counsellor, it does mean that the person who are seeing has been trained properly, is being supervised and can be held accountable.

Where do I fit into this?

I am an accredited member of PACFA, and I am the current Convenor of the ACT Leadership Team. In that role, I help plan and deliver ongoing professional development for other counsellors, create genuine opportunities for us to connect with each other, and work to strengthen professional engagement at a local level.

Questions to ask your counsellor before your first session:

• Are you accredited with a recognised body, like PACFA or the ACA?

• What is your specific qualification ( certificate, diploma, degree, post graduate)?

• How long have you been practising?

• Do you receive regular clinical supervision?

• Have you worked specifically with couples, or mostly individuals?

• Do you have experience in the issues I want to talk to you about?

These are all valid questions, that will help you decide if the person who want support from, is the right fit for you.