Family and Relationship Counsellor

A Family and Relationship Counsellor provides therapeutic support to individuals, couples, and families experiencing relationship difficulties, conflict, or life transitions in private practice, community health services, or not-for-profit organisations. They use evidence-based counselling techniques to help clients develop communication skills, resolve conflicts, and improve relationship dynamics. Counselling is not registered under AHPRA, but employers often look for membership of a professional body such as the Australian Counselling Association.

Conduct initial assessment interviews with individuals or families to identify presenting problems, relationship patterns, and underlying psychological factors. Develop personalised treatment plans based on assessed needs, using evidence-based approaches such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, solution-focused therapy, or systemic family therapy. Facilitate individual, couple, or family counselling sessions to address communication barriers, conflict resolution, infidelity, separation, grief, or parenting challenges. Apply therapeutic techniques including active listening, reframing, role-play, and genogram mapping to help clients gain insight into relationship dynamics. Monitor client progress against treatment goals and adjust therapeutic interventions based on client response and emerging issues. Maintain detailed and confidential clinical notes compliant with privacy legislation and professional standards for record-keeping. Provide psychoeducation to clients regarding relationship development, attachment, trauma responses, and healthy communication patterns. Recognise and manage disclosure of abuse, domestic violence, or child safety concerns by following mandatory reporting obligations under relevant state legislation.

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 emotional weight from clients' trauma and crises every day, and there's a real risk of burnout. Pay is modest compared to other health degrees, especially in community services. Building a private practice takes years to become financially stable, and you'll face mandatory reporting obligations that can create legal and ethical complexity when child safety or abuse is disclosed.

Jobs concentrate in major cities within community health services, not-for-profit organisations, and private practice. Regional areas have fewer positions. Remote counselling is growing but most employers prefer face-to-face initial sessions, limiting work-from-home flexibility.

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 Documentationcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Conflict Resolutioncore
• 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
• Conflict De-escalation
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Group Facilitation
• Inclusive Practice
• Interpreter and Accessibility Coordination
• Referral Coordination
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Report Writing
• Workload Self-Management
• Written Communication

• 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.

Last updated: 30 October 2026