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Health & Community

Diploma of Counselling

SKU:CHC51015

Begin a meaningful career and gain the skills to get the best results from your clients and make a lasting impact. You will be job-ready and fully equipped to achieve your career goals.
  • Flexible payment options
  • Study to fit into your routine
  • Nationally recognised accreditation
  • Start studying as soon as you enrol
  • No exams, ever.
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Flexible payment options

Payment plans
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Diploma of Counselling

Is this course right for me?

We speak with students everyday who aren’t sure if this is the right course or institution for them. Here are some quick links to help you decide.

Studying with Open Colleges What our students say
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Diploma of Counselling

Select Payment Option

Pay in weekly instalments

Pay as you go

Save 9%


Pay in 100 instalments over the length of your course.

$95.10

Weekly

Total course cost: $9,710.00

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was $10,710.00


Pay Upfront

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$7,497.00

Save $3,213.00

was $10,710.00

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Diploma of Counselling

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Diploma of Counselling

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Intro to Diploma of Counselling

A Fulfilling Career Awaits

Our nationally recognised CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling is designed to progress your career while helping others reach their goals. Gain a comprehensive introduction to counselling and therapy and transform yourself into an in-demand counsellor ready to change people’s lives for the better.

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Common job Outcomes

  • Case Worker
  • Counsellor
  • Intake Counsellor

Job Skills

  • Counselling interviewing skills
  • Effective communication skills
  • Therapy Techniques
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Course breakdown

What you’ll learn in this course

This qualification includes a range of units designed to develop skills in empathy, rapport building, mediation during conflict and more. Graduate job-ready and fully qualified for a career as a professional Counsellor.

Diploma of Counselling

CHCCSL001
Establish and confirm the counselling relationship
  • Use a structured approach to counselling
  • Establish the nature of the helping relationship
  • Confirm the helping relationship
CHCLEG001
Work legally and ethically
  • Identify and respond to legal requirements
  • Identify and meet ethical responsibilities
  • Contribute to workplace improvements
CHCDIV001
Work with diverse people
  • Reflect on own perspectives
  • Appreciate diversity and inclusiveness, and their benefits
  • Communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and situations
  • Promote understanding across diverse groups
CHCDIV002
Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety
  • Identify cultural safety issues in the workplace
  • Model cultural safety in own work
  • Develop strategies for improved cultural safety
  • Evaluate cultural safety strategies
CHCCSL002
Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills
  • Communicate effectively
  • Use specialised counselling interviewing skills
  • Evaluate own communication
5/ modules
View all
Totally suited to what I was looking for as I needed to be able to complete it in my own time. I found the counselling diploma content was comprehensive and gave me a good base of understanding and confidence that I have been able to apply in the workplace. I found all online staff were accessible, pleasant and easy to deal with. The platform occasionally had issues but nothing that wasn't sorted within a few days. Fellow students were incredibly supportive. Overall a very positive experience.
Joanne
Read more
Completing the Diploma in Counselling gave me the confidence to seek opportunities to further my education. I have now almost completed a social work degree, and I could not be happier with the choice to start my educational journey with Open Colleges. One crucial piece of advice that all new prospective students should make a note of is to start looking for work experience as soon as possible
Brenda
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Was able to complete the course in my own time, and was extremely pleased with the support I received. Flexible for parents and widely acknowledged in the country for employment opportunities once graduated.
OC Graduate
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Studying with Open Colleges

Study designed to
fit into your routine

What ever your reason for study, our courses are
designed to fit into your routine. 

  • No exams, ever.

    We mean it. Instead, assessments range from open book multiple choice quizzes, portfolios, videos & written assessments

  • Flexible study to fit into your routine

    Study anywhere at any time with 24/7 access to your units.

  • A learning platform optimized for online study

    Our courses are curated to maintain engagement across video, written content, assignments & audio.

Envision your routine while studying with Open Colleges

How quickly do you want to finish your course?

  • 24 months
  • 18 months
  • 12 months
Learn more about online study
  • Daily routine
  • 06:30 am - 07:45 am

    Morning coffee + Study session

  • 07:45 am - 09:00 am

    Morning routine + Commute

  • 09:00 am - 01:00 pm

    Work

  • 01:00 pm - 02:00 pm

    Lunch + Study

  • 02:00 pm - 05:00 pm

    Work

  • 05:00 pm - 06:30 pm

    Evening routine

  • 06:30 pm - 08:30 pm

    Study session

  • 08:30 pm - 09:15 pm

    Study break

  • 09:15 pm - 10:30 pm

    Study session

  • 10:30 pm - onwards

    Relax

Study for a minimum 32 hours per week to complete modules in 12 months

  • Daily routine
  • 06:30 am - 07:45 am

    Morning coffee + Study session

  • 07:45 am - 09:00 am

    Morning routine + Commute

  • 09:00 am - 01:00 pm

    Work

  • 01:00 pm - 02:00 pm

    Lunch + Study

  • 02:00 pm - 05:00 pm

    Work

  • 05:00 pm - 06:30 pm

    Evening routine

  • 06:30 pm - 08:30 pm

    Study session

  • 08:30 pm - onwards

    Relax

Study for a minimum 21.3 hours per week to complete modules in 18 months

  • Daily routine
  • 06:30 am - 07:45 am

    Morning coffee + Study session

  • 07:45 am - 09:00 am

    Morning routine + Commute

  • 09:00 am - 01:00 pm

    Work

  • 01:00 pm - 02:00 pm

    Lunch + Study

  • 02:00 pm - 05:00 pm

    Work

  • 05:00 pm - 06:30 pm

    Evening routine

  • 06:30 pm - 07:30 pm

    Study session

  • 07:30 pm - onwards

    Relax

Study for a minimum 16 hours per week to complete modules in 24 months

Your course may include work placement which will be completed in addition to weekly study blocks.

We'll help you study smarter! 

Get in touch for tailored study advice

Our passionate team

Your trainer

Kelly Merchant
Kelly has worked at Open Colleges for the past 5 years as a Trainer & Assessor and has worked within the industry of counselling for the past 15 years. Along with her Bachelor of Behavioural Science (psyc) Degree and Post Graduate Diploma of Counselling, she has comprehensive experience in training and counselling students through academic and personal challenges, to motivate and empower them to achieve their goals.
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Kelly Merchant

Health & Community
Kelly has worked at Open Colleges for the past 5 years as a Trainer & Assessor and has worked within the industry of counselling for the past 15 years. Along with her Bachelor of Behavioural Science (psyc) Degree and Post Graduate Diploma of Counselling, she has comprehensive experience in training and counselling students through academic and personal challenges, to motivate and empower them to achieve their goals.
Kelly has worked at Open Colleges for the past 5 years as a Trainer & Assessor and has worked within the industry of counselling for the past 15 years. Along with her Bachelor of Behavioural Science (psyc) Degree and Post Graduate Diploma of Counselling, she has comprehensive experience in training and counselling students through academic and personal challenges, to motivate and empower them to achieve their goals.

Kelly runs her own private counselling practice with a special interest in working within trauma, grief, loss and relationship issues as well as working for the charity Bears of Hope where the focus is on pregnancy and child loss support. Currently, Kelly is furthering her own education through studies in crisis counselling.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours of work placement do I need to do for Diploma of Counselling?

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The course contains a minimum of 160 hours of work placement. Download the course guide to find out what the suitable workplaces are for this course.

Can I start my own practice upon completion this qualification?

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The Diploma of Counselling is designed to give the basic skills for entry level roles as a counsellor. So, we would not recommend starting your own practice upon completing this qualification.Most counsellors who start their own practice have completed a Bachelor of Counselling and some training in small business management first. They also need to be registered with the ACA, PACFA or another membership body.

Can I work as a school counsellor once I've completed this course?

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This will vary from school to school. However, most schools will require a minimum of the Bachelor of Counselling, and registration with the ACA and PACFA, or another counselling membership body.

Does this allow me to become a member with the ACA?

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Unfortunately, no.

Any Diploma of Counselling (CHC51015) that is not an ACA accredited course and incomplete by 30 June 2023, will no longer be eligible for ACA Provisional Membership, as Provisional Membership will cease on 1 July 2023.

This will mean that new ACA Members applying from 1 July 2023 will be required to have completed an ACA-accredited course in Counselling. In instances where an applicant has used recognition of prior learning (RPL) to gain credit towards their qualification, ACA will accept a maximum of 40% RPL, otherwise the qualification will not be recognised.

Study and pay, your way

Payment Options

Pay Upfront
Save 30%
$7,497.00 Save $3,213.00
was $10,710.00
Week to week
Pay as you go
Save 9%
Pay in 100 instalments over the length of your course.
$95.10 Weekly
Total course cost: $9,710.00
Save $1,000.00
was $10,710.00
Full course breakdown
TBD

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