CourseFinder helps you discover and enroll in top courses from Australia’s leading providers, making it easy to kick-start or continue your career journey.
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CourseFinder helps you discover and enroll in top courses from Australia’s leading providers, making it easy to kick-start or continue your career journey.
Follow Us
© 2026 CourseFinder Australia Pty Ltd, All Rights Reserved
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What is a Counsellor?
What will I do?
What skills do I need?
Resources
A counsellor helps people work through mental, social, career, and school challenges. They give clients a safe, private space to talk openly. Counsellors use proven therapies to guide clients toward better coping and well-being. This career suits people who care deeply about helping others grow.
Counsellors work in many different settings. You can find them in schools, hospitals, community health centres, and private practice. Some focus on grief, trauma, relationships, or drug and alcohol recovery. This variety makes the role both wide-ranging and engaging day to day.
Daily tasks include one-on-one sessions, client notes, and treatment plans. Counsellors also run group sessions and refer clients to other services as needed. Staying current with research and attending training are key parts of the job.
About 40,100 counsellors are employed in Australia, with 2,800 new roles added each year (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025). The median full-time salary is about $112,000 per year (ABS, 2025). With demand for mental health support rising, counselling offers strong career prospects. Search for counselling courses on CourseFinder to take the first step.
Good talking skills are the base of effective counselling. Counsellors listen with care and reply with empathy, helping clients feel safe and heard. They also think clearly to size up each case and pick the right support plan.
Being strong on the inside is just as vital as clinical skill. Counsellors often hear hard and painful stories, so they must manage their own feelings. Knowing their own limits helps them stay steady and keep clear work limits.
Cultural know-how matters in a diverse country like Australia. Counsellors must respect and adapt to the values and life stories of each client. A drive to keep learning keeps their work ethical, current, and strong.
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CourseFinder makes every effort to ensure the information we provide is correct at the time of publication. We welcome your input to help keep our career profiles as accurate and up to date as possible. All queries and feedback will be taken into consideration as we conduct periodic reviews of our content. Add your voice to the conversation!
Laura Atkinson is an Account Management and SEM specialist at Course Finder Group with six years' experience in the Australian education sector. She works day to day with universities, TAFEs and independent training providers, which gives her a close view of how courses map to real career outcomes. She writes practical guidance on career pathways, choosing the right qualification and what to expect when moving into a new field.
