Counsellor jobs in Australia

Counselling in Australia is a broad field practiced by professionals from a range of backgrounds. Counsellors use therapeutic approaches such as person-centred therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, narrative therapy, and CBT to support clients through emotional difficulties. While counselling is not a protected title in Australia, professional membership through PACFA or the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) is expected by most employers.

Counsellors work in community health centres, employee assistance programs (EAPs), schools, GP clinics, headspace centres, family services, and private practice. EAP counselling roles are particularly common and often involve short-term, solution-focused work.

The sector distinguishes counsellors from psychotherapists largely by the depth and duration of work — counsellors typically address current life issues and symptoms, while psychotherapists engage with deeper, longer-term therapeutic processes. Many practitioners hold qualifications in both.