Family and Marriage Counsellors assist individuals, couples and families with marriage and relationship difficulties. They may work in a call centre.
Occupation description
Family and Marriage Counsellors assist individuals, couples and families with marriage and relationship difficulties. May work in a call centre.
Occupations considered suitable under this ANZSCO code:
- Family Court Counsellor
Occupations not considered under this ANZSCO code:
Other occupations included in the ANZSCO Unit Group 2721 Counsellors:
- Careers Counsellor
- Drug and Alcohol Counsellor
- Rehabilitation Counsellor
- Student Counsellor
- Counsellors nec
Psychologists are advised to contact the Australian Psychological Society for assessment as a Psychologist for migration purposes.
Family and Marriage Councellor is a VETASSESS Group A occupation
This occupation requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher, in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Description of Pathways
The information below describes the available pathways for a Skills Assessment under Group A. Please note that in order to achieve a successful Skills Assessment Outcome, a positive assessment for both qualifications and employment is required.
Pathway 1
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher degree and in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation. Bachelor degree or higher degree includes AQF Master Degree or AQF Doctoral Degree. In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Pathway 2
This pathway requires a qualification that has been assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor Degree or higher, in a field not highly relevant but related to the nominated occupation, as listed below, and an additional qualification in the field of Counselling or Psychotherapy at a minimum of AQF Graduate Diploma level. Related fields for a Bachelor qualification include:
- Psychology / Psychological Science
- Psychiatry
- Social Work
- Mental Health / Mental Health Nursing
- Special Education
- Behavioural Science
- Criminology
Bachelor degree or higher degree includes AQF Master Degree or AQF Doctoral Degree. In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Please note - To be eligible, the one year of employment must have been undertaken after the completion of a qualification comparable to an AQF Bachelor Degree or higher.
Qualification and Employment Criteria
Employment
Family and Marriage Counsellors assist individuals, couples and families with marriage and relationship difficulties. May work in a call centre.
Highly relevant tasks include, but are not limited to:
- conducting counselling interviews with individuals, couples and family groups.
- assisting the understanding and adjustment of attitudes, expectations and behaviour to develop more effective interpersonal and marital relationships.
Additional tasks may include:
- maintaining accurate and confidential client records.
- referring clients to other practitioners and service providers where appropriate.
In Australia, there are currently no legal requirements for licensing or registration for the occupation of Family and Marriage Counsellor. Membership of a professional body such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia may be required by employers.
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How to apply
If you're a professional choosing to migrate to Australia, chances are you're likely to be assessed by us. We assess 361 different professional occupations, assessing your skills, experience and qualifications.
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