Counsellor (General)

A Counsellor (General) provides individual and group counselling services to clients experiencing emotional, behavioural, relationship, or life transition difficulties in community health, education, workplace, or private practice settings. They apply evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help clients develop coping strategies, resolve conflicts, and improve psychological wellbeing. The role involves assessment, goal-setting, delivery of structured interventions, and ongoing evaluation of client progress.

Conduct initial intake assessments and comprehensive client interviews to identify presenting problems, history, and underlying concerns using standardised assessment tools. Develop individualised treatment plans with measurable goals in collaboration with clients, documenting agreements and expected outcomes. Deliver counselling interventions using recognised therapeutic modalities such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, or interpersonal therapy. Monitor and evaluate client progress against established goals using outcome measurement instruments and clinical observation. Maintain contemporaneous case notes and clinical records in accordance with privacy legislation and professional standards set by counselling peak bodies. Provide crisis support and safety assessment when clients present with suicidal ideation, self-harm risk, or acute distress, including risk management planning. Facilitate referrals to specialist services such as psychiatry, drug and alcohol treatment, or domestic violence support when clients require care beyond counselling scope. Conduct group counselling sessions on topics such as grief, stress management, or relationship skills, managing group dynamics and individual needs within the group setting.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll carry heavy emotional weight from clients in crisis, including suicide risk and trauma. Many positions are part-time or casual contract work, so job security and income are patchy. You need a bachelor degree minimum, and ongoing professional development is mandatory. Pay is modest compared to other health degrees.

In practice, most jobs are in capital cities and large regional centres. Schools, community health services, and hospitals in metro areas employ most counsellors. Remote work is rare. Private practice exists but requires building your own client base and managing business costs.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2721, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Case Note Writingcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Participant or Client Advocacycore
• Professional Boundaries Maintenancecore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Service Navigation and Referralcore
• Trauma-Informed Communicationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Accept own accountability
• Appointment Scheduling
• Conflict Resolution
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Group Facilitation
• Inclusive Practice
• Referral Coordination
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Report Writing
• Time Management and Prioritisation

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Counsellor (General) workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 10 October 2026