Counsellors help people through difficult times in their lives, often when they are most vulnerable. Prepare for a career in counselling by building your personal and professional skills. With a focus on building counselling relationships with your clients that are essential to effective practice, you’ll gain the skills you need to succeed in a rewarding career.

You’ll have the opportunity to develop professional skills for a career in counselling by critically appraising the counselling literature, learning foundation skills of applied counselling practice, and developing a sound understanding of the core principles of counselling and case conceptualisation.

After graduating from this course, you may apply to study the Master of Counselling and gain exemption from those units that are common to both degrees.

4 reasons to study a Graduate Diploma in Counselling at Murdoch

• Study on your own terms – we offer flexible study arrangements allowing you to study full-time or part-time or at our Perth or Mandurah campus to suit your circumstances.
• Take advantage of our scholarships such as the Murdoch University Academic Excellence Award and Postgraduate Access and Equity Scholarship.
• Benefit from experiential learning in a supportive environment.
• Learn from highly experienced staff with industry and practical experience in counselling.

Develop your skills

Build essential skills and knowledge to meet your career or study goals. Topics you’ll cover include:

• coached practice in small groups
• counselling adults
• counselling children and adolescents
• experiential learning in group counselling
• introduction to creative arts therapies.

Graduates with corresponding undergraduate degrees may be employed in government and non-government counselling organisations working with adults, children, families and couples.

Careers could include:

• Counsellor
• Psychotherapist
• Caseworker
• Support Worker
• mental health professional.

Professional recognition

This course is accredited by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). As a graduate, you will be eligible to apply for Practicing Membership with the ACA. The Graduate Diploma is a requisite step towards the Master of Counselling degree which is accredited by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).