Introduction to the Special Issue on Counselling in Australia (original) (raw)
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Counselling Psychology Quarterly Counselling Psychology in Australia: History, status and challenges
Counselling psychology in Australia has developed and matured since its emergence in the 1970s. This article provides a brief historical overview and situates counselling psychology (CP) in relation to other applied areas of psychology in Australia. A review of registration, professional organisations, work and role settings and core features is provided. Australian counselling psychologists work predominantly in private practice, as well as hospitals, counselling agencies, universities, medical practices, prisons and government departments. They provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment for mental health disorders and psychological problems related to adverse life events. In addition, they provide couple, family and group therapies. Challenges facing CP in Australia are explored, including a reduction in training programmes, inequities in funding for psychological services and tensions with the definition and description of the scopes of practice.
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Counselling, Psychotherapy, and Health, 2005
This survey research aimed to describe Australian counsellors associated with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). Data was collected using both a postal and an electronic mail survey. The counsellors' (a) demographic characteristics, (b) counselling training and development, (c) provision of counselling services, (d) professional involvement and interest in counselling, and (e) competence level regarding six specific counselling areas were assessed. Australian counsellors associated with the ACA are thus described and specific recommendations for ACA activities are provided.
Australian counsellors and psychotherapists: A profile of the profession
Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 2008
In the absence of comprehensive Australian data on the counselling and psychotherapy profession, this study aimed to examine the profile of professionals affiliated with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) to inform future policy and service planning. PACFA's First Workforce Survey was undertaken in 2004. This cross-sectional survey was mailed and emailed to all members of 41 professional associations affiliated with PACFA. A total of 316 full responses were received. This paper presents findings related to demographics, training and specialisation, theoretical orientation, professional affiliations, work and practice settings, and work roles. The study provides a baseline for future workforce surveys and a resource for policy development for the profession.
Who are Australian Counsellors and how do they attend to their professional development
2009
Australian counselling is still a developing profession and, as of 2008, three workforce surveys have been conducted in an effort to identify the characteristics of Australian counsellors and describe their activities. Two published workforce surveys used as their foci members of two different counselling organisations, the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) (Pelling, 2005; Schofield, 2008). The third published workforce survey examined individuals advertising themselves as counsellors in the Australian Yellow Pages (Pelling, Brear, and Lau, 2006). All three studies illustrate methodological strengths and limitations and purport to describe counsellors in Australia. In this chapter we compare and contrast the methods used and the results obtained in these published workforce surveys to date. Results show many similarities among the findings, possibly illustrating a fairly homogeneous group despite the differ...
More Than Just Counselling: Australian Counsellor Job Advertisement Trends
2023
Research on counsellors in Australia has tended towards workforce surveys that profile association members, and thus, tend to reflect the interests and priorities of counsellors and the counselling profession. However, little is known about what the employment context offers and expects of counsellor positions. This exploratory point-in-time study undertook a content analysis of counsellor job advertisements and categorised the findings into three main areas: conditions, description of the role, and selection criteria. The findings suggest that for counselling roles, employers are less concerned about whether applicants have had specialised counselling training, but that they have tertiary qualifications in cognate disciplines and can undertake a wider range of tasks in addition to providing counselling. Several role requirements specified by employers are not mentioned in contemporary Australian counselling training standards, though most are mentioned in the profession's scope of practice documents. This research provides counselling educators, counselling students, and counsellor jobseekers data on possible trends of contemporary employment patterns appearing in advertised counsellor positions. COVID-19 seismically shifted counselling from its tendency to identify almost exclusively with face-to-face formats of practice, to one where anyone practising during lockdowns was forced to take their practice only online for a period (Beel, 2021). Although societies have largely removed social distancing restrictions, counselling practice in the digital space is believed to be here to stay (Hanley, 2021). While this is a significant historical moment for counselling delivery in Australia, it also underscores a reality that counselling practice continues to evolve (albeit generally slowly), brought about by social, technological, theoretical, and research contributions (Soares et al., 2020). This evolution needs to be identified, and where appropriate, reflected in counselling educational programs, professional training standards (Beel, 2021; Lewis, 2015), and scope of practice documents. Internationally, various trends in counselling observed over time include increased use of technology; integration of knowledge of brain science, the common factors, mindfulness, trauma-informed practice, and climate change considerations; and the importance of adapting counselling for diverse populations (
A survey of advertised Australian counsellors
International Journal of Psychology, 2006
As counselling is a developing profession without statutory regulation in Australia, anyone can engage in counselling practice and use “counsellor” as a professional title. Not much is known about those who call themselves counsellors in Australia. This survey research in a field setting aimed to describe Australian Yellow Pages Advertised Counsellors, thus providing a snapshot of advertised counsellors in Australia. This research was thus designed to describe those who are engaging in advertised counselling practice in Australia. Data was collected using a multiple mailing survey method and resulted in a 62.2% return rate. The counsellors' (1) demographic characteristics, (2) counselling training and development, (3) provision of counselling services, and (4) professional involvement were assessed. Advertised Australian counsellors tend to be female, mature, Caucasian, married or partnered, heterosexual, have families, and hold Christian beliefs. The majority of counsellors liv...
Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia
The aim of the 2020 workforce survey was to profile professionals affiliated with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) to inform future policy and service planning. PACFA is a national peak body for Australian counsellors and psychotherapists, representing 3,500 members across all states and territories. This study builds on previous workforce studies, the first of which was conducted in 2004. An online questionnaire was circulated to PACFA members covering participants’ demographics, qualifications, employment, sources of client referrals, client groups and presentations, along with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting previous findings, participants predominantly identified as female, as coming from Australian or English backgrounds, and as being located in or around major cities. Notably, a higher proportion of counsellors and psychotherapists than psychologists and psychiatrists (who also have qualifications as counsellors or psychotherapi...