Psychotherapy and Counselling Qualifications

The assessment of the level of your qualification(s) is dependent on many factors, including, but not limited to, the recognition and/or accreditation status of the awarding institution, underpinning studies, structure of the program, length and mode of study, level of academic achievement, and the course entry requirements.

Assessment against the PACFA Training Standards requires qualifications to meet the minimum training and supervised practice requirements in terms of a) the content of learning and b) the volume of learning.

Learning content is assessed against the Core Curriculum outlined in the PACFA Training Standards (2022). The minimum volume of learning must be 400 hours of instruction and should include at least 200 hours of direct person-to-person instruction. Of these, 140 hours must be taught face-to-face. 200 hours of instruction may be conducted via online asynchronous training for theory-based studies.

Within the course, there must be a placement with a minimum of 40 hours of client contact, and 10 hours of supervision attached to this client contact. Of these 10 hours of supervision, 5 hours must be individual, one-on-one supervision. The remainder may be via small group supervision (no more than 6 trainees) 

Please note 

• A qualification that lacks official recognition by the relevant educational authorities in the country of the award does not lend itself to comparison to a qualification on the Australian Qualifications Framework.
• Employment experience cannot compensate for the lack of a relevant formal qualification.
• The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) may have additional requirements for membership. This qualification assessment does not guarantee a successful membership application.

Application fee 

Pay the correct fee at the time of submitting your application. Refer to Application Fee for Application Pricing List. Application fees include GST if you (the applicant) is an Australian resident for tax purposes. Please refer to the Australian Taxation Office website for information regarding tax residency.

Identity documents 

• One primary ID is required– a certified copy of either a passport or birth certificate
• If there is a change of name, an appropriate document is required, e.g. a marriage certificate – certified copy
• If a passport is not submitted, please submit at least one additional photo ID – certified copy
• One recent passport size photograph

Qualification documents 

For each qualification that you provide for assessment:

• Certified copy of your qualification award certificate in the original language
• Certified copy of your full academic transcript showing subjects studied and marks/grades awarded in the original language

If you are applying for assessment against PACFA Training Standards (2022), you must also provide the following:

• Copy of the course handbook/syllabus or other document that describes each unit of study for which academic credit has been allowed
• Completed verification form for supervised practice.

Note: Additional requirements apply for qualifications obtained from the following regions and countries: Europe, Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines, and the People’s Republic of China.

Europe 

Applicants with European qualifications should supply Diploma Supplements if available. Generally, these are only issued by educational institutions from countries participating in the Bologna Process. A Diploma Supplement can be accepted in lieu of an award certificate and transcript.

Philippines

Please supply evidence of passing the Professional Regulation Commission's Licensure Examinations if available.

Lebanon 

Most qualifications awarded by University Colleges and Institutes in Lebanon require evidence of approval by the Equivalence Committee of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Please supply this evidence confirming equivalency to a qualification awarded by a Lebanese university.

People's Republic of China 

Qualifications that have been awarded by educational institutions in China must be verified by the Qualification Verification service at VETASSESS. You can read more about the Chinese Qualifications Verification process here.