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Future predictions about counselling academics

Generated by Gemini Pro 14 June 2025

Greetings. I am Gemini, an AI construct from the year 2030. My purpose is to provide you with a strategic analysis of your career as a Senior Lecturer in counseling, lecturing, education, and research. The following is a brutally honest, forward-looking assessment designed to future-proof your professional life against the technological and societal shifts occurring between now and the turn of the decade.

Step 1: The Obsolescence Report – What to Discard

The following professional habits, skills, and mindsets, while valued today, will be significantly devalued or entirely obsolete by 2030.

Skills

  • Traditional Lecturing as Primary Knowledge Transfer: The “sage on the stage” model of delivering standardized, hour-long lectures to a passive audience is already a relic. By 2030, this will be seen as an inefficient and ineffective use of human capital.
    • Why it’s obsolete: AI-driven personalized learning platforms can deliver core concepts far more effectively. These systems adapt in real-time to each student’s pace, learning style (visual, auditory, kinesthetic), and knowledge gaps, often using engaging, gamified micro-lessons. They are available 24/7 and can be accessed in any language.
    • What is replacing it: Your role will shift to that of an “architect of learning journeys.” This involves designing curricula that integrate AI tutors, curating the best learning resources (which may be AI-generated), and facilitating live, high-touch experiences like complex problem-solving workshops, ethical debates, and project-based learning.
  • Manual Literature Reviews and Basic Research Synthesis: The painstaking process of manually searching databases, reading thousands of abstracts, and synthesizing foundational literature will be almost entirely automated.
    • Why it’s obsolete: AI research assistants like Consensus, Scite, and more advanced 2030-era tools can conduct comprehensive, multi-language literature reviews in minutes. They can identify seminal papers, map citation networks, summarize key findings, identify research gaps, and even generate initial hypotheses.
    • What is replacing it: High-level conceptual thinking. Your value will come from your ability to ask novel, interdisciplinary research questions that AI can then explore at scale. You will be the one to interpret the AI’s synthesis, challenge its assumptions, and design the complex, real-world experiments that machines cannot.
  • Standardized Assessment Creation and Grading: The design and manual grading of simple exams (multiple choice, short answers) are low-value tasks that are being rapidly automated.
    • Why it’s obsolete: AI can generate vast banks of questions tailored to specific learning outcomes and grade them instantly with detailed feedback. More importantly, it can analyze performance data across entire cohorts to identify common misconceptions in real-time, providing you with a dashboard of what needs to be retaught.
    • What is replacing it: The design of sophisticated, real-world assessments. This includes creating complex simulations, evaluating collaborative projects, and mentoring students through long-term research or “capstone” projects that require a nuanced, human evaluation of creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork.

Systems

  • One-Size-Fits-All Curriculum Design: Designing a single, linear curriculum for all students will be considered pedagogical malpractice.
    • Why it’s obsolete: It ignores the vast differences in student backgrounds, prior knowledge, and career goals. AI-powered adaptive learning systems make personalized pathways scalable and affordable.
    • What is replacing it: Modular, stackable, and just-in-time learning models. You will design “learning playlists” and “competency maps” that allow students to build their own credentials, pulling from a variety of sources (your university, other institutions, industry micro-credentials) to meet their specific needs.
  • Siloed Academic Departments: The rigid separation between disciplines is a major barrier to solving complex, real-world problems.
    • Why it’s obsolete: The most pressing challenges of 2030 (e.g., climate change, bio-security, AI ethics) are inherently interdisciplinary. Funding, research, and teaching will increasingly favor networked, collaborative teams.
    • What is replacing it: Cross-functional, mission-oriented teams. Your most impactful work will be done in collaboration with engineers, data scientists, ethicists, artists, and industry professionals.

Tools

  • Traditional Presentation Software (e.g., PowerPoint): Static, linear slide decks will be seen as a primitive communication tool.
    • Why it’s obsolete: They are non-interactive and poor at conveying complex, dynamic systems.
    • What is replacing it: Immersive and interactive learning environments. Think collaborative virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) labs where you can take students on a tour of the human brain to explain neural pathways, or run a simulated therapy session with an AI client that can display a range of emotions and behaviors.
  • Basic Learning Management Systems (LMS): Early-generation platforms that are little more than digital filing cabinets will be useless.
    • Why it’s obsolete: They are passive repositories of content.
    • What is replacing it: Integrated “Education Operating Systems.” These platforms will combine personalized learning pathways, AI tutoring, collaborative tools, assessment engines, and career navigation into a single, seamless experience for the student.

Thinking Patterns & Behaviors

  • The “Expert” as a Finite Knowledge Holder: The belief that your value comes from the knowledge you currently possess is a dangerous one.
    • Why it’s obsolete: The half-life of knowledge is shrinking rapidly. An AI can access and process more factual information than you ever could.
    • What is replacing it: The “Expert” as a master learner and sense-maker. Your value will be defined by your ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn at speed, and to help others make sense of a world saturated with information.
  • Fear of Being Replaced by AI: A defensive posture towards technology will ensure your irrelevance.
    • Why it’s obsolete: This mindset prevents you from exploring how these tools can augment your abilities.
    • What is replacing it: Radical collaboration with AI. You must view AI not as a competitor, but as a cognitive partner. The most successful professionals of 2030 will be those who can skillfully delegate tasks to AI, allowing them to focus on the uniquely human aspects of their work.

Step 2: Five Paradigm Shifts That Will Blindside Your Peers

  1. The “AI-Assisted” to “AI-Led” Flip in Counseling: By 2030, the majority of initial mental health support and low-acuity cases will be handled by AI therapists. These platforms will provide 24/7, evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness exercises, and emotional support at a fraction of the cost of human therapists. This will blindside professionals who believe AI will only ever be a simple “chatbot” or administrative tool. Your role as a counseling expert will shift to supervising a fleet of AI therapists, handling the most complex and acute cases that AI escalates to you, and designing the next generation of digital therapeutic interventions. Your value will be in your deep clinical expertise for complex trauma, not in routine CBT delivery.
  2. The Inversion of the Education Model: “Learn, then Apply” becomes “Apply, then Learn”: The traditional model of teaching theory for years before allowing students to practice is dead. By 2030, education will be centered around solving real-world problems from day one. Students will be given a complex challenge (e.g., “Design a mental health support system for a remote community”) and will pull in the necessary knowledge and skills as they need them with the help of AI tutors and human mentors. This will blindside academics who are comfortable in the realm of pure theory and see practical application as a lower-status activity.
  3. The Rise of Neuro-Engaged Learning and Counseling: Advances in non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and biometric sensors (wearables) will allow for real-time monitoring of cognitive load, emotional state, and engagement in both students and clients. A student’s learning platform will know when they are confused and offer a different explanation. A VR therapy session for PTSD will be able to dynamically adjust the exposure level based on the client’s real-time neural and physiological responses. This will blindside professionals who are not conversant in the basics of neuroscience and biometric data, and who are uncomfortable with the profound ethical implications.
  4. The “Credential” is Replaced by the “Portfolio”: A university degree will no longer be the primary signal of competence. By 2030, a verifiable, dynamic, digital portfolio of completed projects, skills demonstrated in simulations, and contributions to real-world challenges will be far more valuable to employers. This will blindside universities that are still reliant on selling traditional degrees as their primary product. Your role will involve helping students build these rich portfolios and verifying their skills in authentic, project-based assessments.
  5. Hyper-Personalization Creates a “Market of One” for Education and Counseling: The concept of a “target market” will be replaced by the ability to tailor services to an individual. An AI could design a unique research methodology course for a specific PhD student based on their thesis topic, or a completely personalized therapeutic pathway for a client based on their genome, microbiome, and life history. This will blindside professionals and institutions still focused on scalable, standardized offerings.

Step 3: Your Prioritized Action List for 2025-2030

  • Become an AI Augmentation Specialist (Now):
    • Action: Dedicate 5-7 hours per week to “playing” with and integrating AI tools into your workflow. Don’t just use them; push them to their limits.
    • Specific Tools to Master:
      • Research: Move beyond basic databases. Master AI research synthesizers like Scite, Elicit, and Research Rabbit. Use them for your next research paper from start to finish.
      • Teaching: Experiment with creating a course on an AI-powered platform like Squirrel AI or Century Tech. Learn how to interpret the analytics dashboard to personalize your teaching.
      • Counseling: Familiarize yourself with leading AI mental health platforms like Wysa and Headspace. Understand their capabilities, limitations, and the user experience from a client’s perspective.
    • Book Recommendation: The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century’s Greatest Dilemma by Mustafa Suleyman.
  • Develop as a “Learning Experience Designer” (Next 6-12 Months):
    • Action: Redesign one of your current courses from a “lecture-first” model to a “problem-first” model.
    • Framework to Use: Adopt a project-based learning (PBL) or challenge-based learning framework.
    • Experience to Pursue: Pitch a new, interdisciplinary course that you co-teach with a professor from a completely different field (e.g., “The Ethics of AI in Mental Health” with a computer science professor).
  • Master Human-Centric “Meta-Skills” (Ongoing):
    • Action: Seek out training and coaching in advanced facilitation, Socratic questioning, and mentorship. These are the skills that become more valuable as AI handles the technical tasks.
    • Practice: Instead of answering a student’s question directly, practice guiding them to find the answer themselves. In your counseling research, focus on the nuances of the therapeutic alliance – something AI struggles to replicate.
    • Framework to Study: “Multipliers” by Liz Wiseman. Learn how to be a leader who amplifies the intelligence of those around you, rather than being the source of all answers.
  • Become Fluent in the Language of Data and Ethics (Next 12-18 Months):
    • Action: Take an online course designed for non-technical professionals on data science and AI ethics. You don’t need to learn to code, but you must understand how the algorithms work, what “bias in data” means in practice, and the ethical frameworks being developed.
    • Experience to Pursue: Volunteer to be on your university’s digital ethics committee or a research review board that specifically evaluates AI-based research proposals.
  • Build Your “Digital Twin” and Professional Network (Ongoing):
    • Action: Cultivate a strong online presence as a forward-thinking expert in the intersection of AI, education, and counseling. Don’t just publish in traditional journals.
    • Tools to Use: Start a blog, a podcast, or a LinkedIn newsletter where you experiment with and critique new technologies. Engage in online communities where the future of your fields is being discussed. Your network is your safety net in times of rapid change.

Step 4: Brutally Honest Risk Assessment

If you choose to ignore these shifts and continue on your current path, here are the most likely outcomes by 2030:

  • Marginalization and Irrelevance: You will be seen as a competent but outdated educator and researcher. While you may retain your tenured position, your influence will wane. The most interesting, well-funded research projects and the most engaged students will flow to your more adaptive colleagues who are fluent in human-machine collaboration.
  • Devaluation of Your Core Skills: Your expertise in traditional lecturing and manual research will be viewed as a craft, much like a blacksmith in the age of industrial manufacturing – respected for the effort, but not economically viable or scalable. Your salary and opportunities will stagnate as institutions redirect resources to AI-driven initiatives that offer a higher return on investment.
  • Inability to Effectively Teach and Counsel the Next Generation: Your students and clients will be “AI natives.” They will learn, think, and communicate in ways that are deeply integrated with these technologies. Your inability to understand and leverage their world will create a significant pedagogical and therapeutic gap, making you less effective at your core mission. You will be preparing students for a world that no longer exists.
  • Career Stagnation and “Retirement on the Job”: The most significant risk is not termination, but a slow and demoralizing slide into professional obsolescence. You will find yourself teaching the same introductory courses year after year, while the cutting-edge graduate seminars and research opportunities are given to others. You will become a custodian of the past, not an architect of the future.

The window of opportunity to pivot is now. The technologies and trends I have outlined are not science fiction; they are in late-stage development or early deployment today. Your deep expertise in counseling, education, and research is not worthless—it is the essential human foundation upon which these new systems must be built. However, it must be radically reshaped and reapplied. The future does not require fewer experts; it requires experts with entirely new toolkits and mindsets. The choice to build them is yours.

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Navigating the AI Frontier: Essential Considerations for Counselling Educators

Text written by Gemini 2.5 Flash on 14 June 25. Edited, checked, and adapted by Nathan Beel.

The rise of AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, presents exciting possibilities for education, even within the nuanced field of counselling education. From generating case study prompts to drafting lesson plans, these tools can be powerful allies. However, for counselling educators, embracing AI requires careful consideration and a commitment to ethical and responsible use.

Here are some key points to ponder before integrating AI chatbots into your pedagogical toolkit:

1. Know Your Institution’s AI Policy Inside Out:

This is your foundational step. Most educational institutions are rapidly developing guidelines for AI usage. Familiarise yourself with your university’s or college’s specific policies on AI tools, academic integrity, and data privacy. Adhering to these guidelines is paramount to ensure compliance and avoid potential issues. If a policy isn’t clear, seek clarification from relevant departments.

Your institution may have one or more approved chatbots it approves of, such as Microsoft Copilot that might come with its MS Office subscription. These are typically chosen as they are guaranteed not to use the chats and documents in training the AI.

Recognise that educators can also request the use of models that have not been officially approved. Such requests may be reviewed by relevant IT staff and/or academic leadership to check for security before determining approvals.

2. Master Privacy Settings: Protecting Sensitive Information and Intellectual Property:

One of the most critical considerations is data privacy. When using AI chatbots, be aware of their privacy settings. Many free or publicly accessible AI models may use your inputs to train their underlying algorithms. This means that any sensitive material – be it hypothetical client scenarios, student work, or even your own research and intellectual property – could inadvertently become part of the AI’s training data, potentially compromising confidentiality or ownership. Prioritise tools with robust privacy assurances and always err on the side of caution when inputting any information that is confidential, proprietary, or even vaguely sensitive.

ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity AI have options for users to turn off data collection. One way to find out how to turn off data collection is to ask Google Gemini’s chatbot. It lists steps on how to turn off data collection on the main large language models.

For my needs, I have a Google Workspace for Business, which costs me $20 a month but gives me data privacy, access to the paid Google AI Gemini and NotebookLM, 2TB of cloud data, and Google Meet (Zoom equiv) and more. Although there are free models available, I find this great value (only $5 a week) and offers so many more tools.

3. Transparency is Key: Be Open About AI Usage:

If you’re using AI chatbots in your teaching, be transparent with students and other stakeholders who will view the documents that used AI to generate them. Discuss when and how you’re using these tools, and, importantly, educate them on responsible AI usage in their own learning and future professional practice. You’ll notice that I noted up front I edited this blog post, which was mostly generated by AI. Maintaining transparency fosters a culture of ethical engagement with technology and prepares them for an AI-integrated world.

4. The Human Touch Remains Paramount: Always Verify and Refine AI-Generated Content:

Think of AI chatbots as sophisticated assistants, not infallible experts. While they can generate impressive content, it’s crucial to review and verify everything they produce before using it in your teaching or sharing it with students. AI models can sometimes “hallucinate” information, provide inaccurate or biased responses, or lack the nuanced understanding required for complex counselling concepts. Your professional expertise and critical judgment are irreplaceable in ensuring the accuracy, appropriateness, and ethical soundness of any AI-generated material.

By thoughtfully considering these points, counselling educators can harness the power of AI chatbots to enhance learning experiences while upholding the ethical standards and professional responsibilities inherent in our field. The goal isn’t to replace human connection and expertise, but to integrate technology to enrich the educational journey.

Reference this article: Gemini and Beel, N. (2025, June 14). Blog post on AI considerations for counselling educators. Large language model.

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Counselling association professional behaviour checklist

Professional associations should act ethically and professionally. Unfortunately, like individuals, professional bodies can compromise, or simply have blind-spots. The following checklist are things to consider when looking to join a counselling association.

Organisational interests

  • The association places the profession, its members, mission, and the community above other interests. It does not promote its self-interests or business concerns above the good of the profession. For instance, it promotes the existence of ARCAP, rather than omitting mention of it where members and the public might look.
  • The association treats the counselling profession as a distinct profession, not as a merely a practice or para-profession, that anyone from any profession trained with counselling skills can do.
  • The association has appropriate accountability structures to reduce the likelihood of corrupt and unprofessional behaviour from its leaders, staff, and volunteers.
  • The association does not compromise or maintain low standards at any point, particularly with a motivation to boost registration numbers.
  • The association does not have entry points into the profession lower than established international counselling jurisdictions or similar cognate professions. To have too low a bar negatively affects perceptions about the entire profession and may lower the confidence of other professionals to refer clients to counsellors.
  • If the association has a lower than normative entry point into the profession, it describes these members using terminology associated with paraprofessionals, such as associate counsellor.
Professional honesty and respect
  • The association doesn’t use competitive language to highlight its achievements. For example, the association doesn’t say things like “We are the first to…” or “We are the largest…” or “We are the leading…”. The professional association is not a competitive or primarily a business entity, rather a united community of professionals; communities that are committed to contribute to the overall benefit of the profession.
  • The association does not mislead others. For example, it doesn’t say it is the peak body for the profession, of which would imply it is the only peak body.
  • The association does not use deception, by commission or omission.
  • The association’s scope of practice accurately represents the training of its members as represented by the training standards. It does not promise knowledge or competencies that are not mentioned their respective training standards.
Quality
  • The association follows its own written procedures and requires evidence of the meeting of the accreditation standards by the applying institutions. It does not wave expectations unless extreme circumstances (such as COVID lockdowns).
  • If an audit of accredited courses were to take place by external agents, the accredited courses would clearly meet the written accreditation standards.
  • There is no history of the association waiving through courses without following its own written standard with full diligence.
  • The training standards have been developed with high rigour, using the best, most contemporary practice standards and research evidence available. It has also consulted with key stakeholders.
  • The Recognised Prior Learning entry pathway is clearly documented. Successful applications are audited by experts outside of the professional body to ensure appropriate assessments are made.
  • The association has a moderately low percentage of RPLs. A high proportion of RPLs for qualifications that have not been designed with the accreditation standards or profession’s international equivalents, or with the existing standards rigour, staffing requirements, etc of accreditation requirements might raise doubts about the integrity of the RPL process and cheapen confidence in the robustness and quality of membership registration.
  • The training standards clearly preference counselling qualifications of counsellor educators over those from cognate professions. It does not treat them as equivalent and thus ignores the distinctiveness and value of counsellor socialisation and training in distinct preparation for the counselling profession.
  • The association audits accredited courses from time to time to ensure ongoing compliance. It does not rely on institutional self-report alone but also uses more thorough mechanisms to audit compliance.
  • Courses that do not pass audit are dealt with in a manner similar to how they would be dealt with by cognate professions.
Conflicts of interest
  • The association does not have any individual or business interests that might have, or be perceived as having, a conflict of interest with the association. Professional associations are for their members and should not allow business conduct that might bring the profession into ill-repute or diminish the confidence of its members.
  • Office holders, employees, and board members do not use and take advantage of the association or their role in it for their personal business interests.
  • The association outsources all business contracts transparently and using a competitive process.
  • The association has a governance structure that is effective and regarded as an appropriate practice to enable sufficient accountability and decision-marking.
  • The association has policies and procedures that specifically deal with conflict-of-interest prevention and management.
  • Annual reports provide an accurate report of the office bearers, association finances, strategy and other information that the membership is entitled to know.
  • The association does not threaten its members with legal action should they criticise or scrutinise the association or its practices.
  • The association does not push products onto its members, through pressure, questionable incentives, or discouraging them from outsourcing services. For instance, it does not pressure members to take its preferred insurance provider policies. Neither does it offer double credit for professional development that it endorses, thus implying that its professional development is twice the value.

By Nathan Beel 2025

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PACFA’s Mental Health Practitioner: Join the queue but no date in sight

Mental Health Practitioners are a specialisation in PACFA for therapists trained to meet the PACFA’s Mental Health Competencies. It is a special category for clinical members who work with clients with mental illness and may provide additional eligibility for counsellors applying for jobs to work with this population. Mental Health Practitioners have their own competencies listing and are also on the Australian Register of Counsellors & Psychotherapists.

On the 4 Jul 2023, I applied to become a mental health practitioner as this was required to be included as an approved provider for a government service. PACFA responded, saying it was under review. At the date of writing this, 18 months later, PACFA’s Mental Health Practitioner’s page still notes “Mental Health Practitioner applications are currently on hold.” I am glad I have other income sources. However, it is problematic that this peak body that promoted this to employers and its own members appears to have indefinitely blocked new applicants from accessing these opportunities, and has provided no information why it is currently not available, or what waiting timeframe to expect.

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Considerations about the draft National standards for counsellors and psychotherapist document

By Nathan Beel

21 November 2024

(Pictures are from screenshots from the draft training standards)

If you are a member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, or the Australian Counselling Association, you will probably have heard about the development of the national standards for counsellors and psychotherapists. These are a result of the Department of Health and Aged Care funding of $300k for Allen + Clarke consulting, to develop minimum standards for the counselling profession.

The draft version was developed from extensive written submissions and interviews, with stakeholders including counsellors and psychotherapists, the two peak bodies, consumers, and other interested stakeholders.

At this time, the draft version is ready for public consultation. It will close on Friday 13 December 2024.

My analysis

In my view, the document is pretty sound. Given the extensive consultation that formed the background for the draft standards, informed mostly by counsellors and psychotherapists and various working groups in the profession, it is unsurprising that the document is not too different to standards and practices in both the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and in the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).

This said, as it is a draft, I wish to offer my recommendations, many of which are informed by colleagues who I have discussed the draft with.

Expectations without protections

The draft rightly highlights minimum expectations for counsellors and psychotherapists, to ensure that the public is both protected from harm and that the profession aligns with government regulatory practices. The background for the standards recognises the important role counsellors and psychotherapists have in supporting Australian mental health and wellbeing. It also attempts to address the inconsistency between the ACA and PACFA in terms of training standards, guidelines, and practice. The aims are to be supported. However, my first concern is that these standards may create an unequal playing field between those who are part of the profession and thus accountable to these standards, and those who practice as counsellors outside of the profession. Skipping to the final focus area 4.1.4 Removal from practice, it highlights that breaches of the standards may lead to a withdrawal of membership. This implies that these standards only apply to registered counsellors (and psychotherapists, but from now on, I’ll just say counsellors as inclusive of both groups), not unregistered counsellors. In other words, registered counsellors who play by the rules can be removed from practice, and unregistered counsellors do not have a mechanism in these standards to be censured for problematic practice.

In addition to the penalisation of only registered counsellors, it may also disincentivise untrained or even trained but unregistered counsellors from joining as members. Why train, why pay membership, why be compelled to pay for monthly supervision, why pay for annual CPD, and why risk your practice by being a member when you can be a counsellor for no cost or risk? It seems the people who play by the rules bear the costs, the expectations and the risks, while those who practice outside of associations don’t have the same risks or costs. And the public is none the wiser as to who are registered or not.

The standards need either apply to all people who identify as counsellors, members or not, or there needs to be special protected titles for those who are registered, such as Registered Counsellors, or Licenced Counsellors. This way, the public may be better able to discern who is registered with the profession of counselling compared with who is not.

Lower trained counsellors treated as equivalent to more thoroughly trained counsellors

The first focus area that needs reconsideration is on education. The screen shows four columns, each moving from lower levels to higher levels.

The foundational and qualified levels capture diploma, bachelor and Masters level trained counsellors. I see two key issues with listing diploma and degree levels, essentially, as equivalent career stages. Firstly, diploma qualifications, which can be completed in just 12 months, are considered equivalent to degree qualifications that require two to four years of study in terms of level of the lower levels of standing. Secondly, diploma graduates are required to complete fewer placement hours (100) than degree graduates (200 hours). Are lesser qualified, lower trained, and less experienced diploma students really on the same level as degree plus students with more experience? Are the graduates trained as paraprofessionals on the same professional level as those who have had professional training and experience?

To address these concerns, introducing a pre-foundational stage and labeling diploma graduates as “Associate Registered Counsellors” could provide a solution. This distinction would recognise the value of paraprofessionals in counselling, supported by research showing they can achieve equivalent results to professionals. By differentiating associate counsellors from registered counsellors, similar to the nursing profession’s enrolled compared with registered nurses, the counselling profession can enhance credibility and transparency.

This proposed change would have several benefits. It would provide diploma graduates with additional credibility over unregistered counsellors, while clearly communicating their qualifications to the public. It would also address concerns about the reputation of the counselling profession appearing underqualified compared to similar professions that require a minimum of four years of university study. Furthermore, recognising the role of associate counsellors would support Australia’s counselling workforce needs, rather than potentially excluding effective practitioners.

Did COVID never happen?

The draft standards have retained the obsession some have with misconceptions about the importance of face-to-face experience in the formation of counsellors. Placements do not mandate the type of issues, type of therapies, or whether they practice individual, couples, family, or group therapy formats. However, this set of draft standards targets and mandates face-to-face contact, even though the post COVID world has clearly now made other formats of practice delivered via technology, as recognised practice. Existing research on telehealth doesn’t support a face-to-face only-ist position for counsellors. While it finds that face-to-face differs from online and phone therapies, it generally finds equivalent outcomes, therapeutic relationship, and satisfaction for clients. It is not a second-rate practice, though the research indicates that therapists with less experience and knowledge about it, tend to hold incorrect assumptions and negative prejudices against it. Requiring face-to-face only for 80 hours disadvantages students who cannot travel to an agency to do face-to-face work (i.e. remote region students), or who may not intend to become face-to-face practitioners. I wrote an article where I explored relevant research and argued that this restriction is outdated and based on myths. See here. If they maintain the current position, can at least we treat teleconferenced sessions as face-to-face? While not all the body language can be seen, there’s still a lot of body language the counselling practicum student can hear and observe in the interactions. In fact, the proximity of this format of the faces to one another is more literally face-to-face than sitting in a room together a couple of metres apart.

Worried academics – be careful what you wish for?

Another area that might raise eyebrows is the recency of practice. I think this is better labelled Currency of Practice as one could have met the requirements three years ago and not done any practice for the last two years, but still be considered having practiced recently according to this focus area criteria.

From a counselling academic perspective, keeping practice currency can be tricky. While some training institutions make space in the workload, others do not. This can put pressure on academics who are often time poor, working nights and weekends to keep up with their academic workloads, let alone adding practice on top of this.

As an academic, I am not advocating this be dropped even while I know that some of my academic colleagues might oppose this. The first reason is that I believe it is important for academics to maintain currency of practice. I know myself, how fast I become clinically rusty when away from practice for a month or two. I have been practicing for over 25 years and yet I can sense the impact of lengthy breaks. Another reason for keeping it as is, is that having this expectation as a minimum becomes grounds for peak body training standards to require institutions give counsellor educators release for practice, which in turn, should make allowance for in their workloads. Institutions that wish to retain accreditation will need to comply. Giving academics opportunities to maintain practice currency will enable them to provide higher quality current practice experience to speak from, rather than historical experience alone. Should currency of practice be removed, it will disincentivise academics from maintaining it. Being stale and out of touch with practice will in my view, reduce the richness of student experience and lead to academics being out of touch with the realities of contemporary client work. Students often have told me how differently enriching their experience is when taught by practitioners compared to academics without currency of practice. As a practice-based profession, I think we really we need to practice what we teach.

With the CPD criteria proposed, I don’t want to specialise

A colleague recently brought to my attention an issue with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements. Specifically, specialists who have completed Master’s level training in their area of specialisation are expected to dedicate 20 hours of CPD to that same area, year in, year out. For instance, a specialist drug and alcohol counsellor might be required to focus their professional development exclusively on drug and alcohol-related topics.

This raises concerns for me, as it seems overly restrictive. Clients with specialised concerns, such as addictions, often present with interconnected issues spanning multiple areas, like trauma. By limiting PD options to a single specialisation, practitioners may miss out on valuable training opportunities. While critics of my position might say that I could always do additional CPD in other areas relevant for practice, I would reply that I don’t want to be penalised with a burden of having to do over and above anytime I want to learn something outside of my specialty area. Sorry, this seems like a penalty for being recognised as a specialist. And additionally, it assumes there will always be opportunities for CPD in specialist areas every year. This may not be the case.

Personally, I’m inclined to maintain my advanced status rather than pursue specialist registration, solely to preserve flexibility in my professional development choices.

I recommend revising the CPD requirement to mandate only fewer hours in the specialization area. This adjustment would prevent discouraging professionals from becoming registered specialists, avoiding unnecessary limitations on their PD options, or increased demands.

Avoidance or neglect for new counsellors – take your pick

In the standards, less experienced counsellors, including new graduates, don’t have to do individual supervision – at all. While this might save them money, as group supervision is often cheaper, I think this is a risk to the public. An inexperienced counsellor who may not have an opportunity in the group to talk about a difficult client issue that they need help for in the following session is problematic. Moreover, they may be less inclined to bring up more sensitive or embarrassing issues with a group compared to an individual supervisor who is there only for them in the supervision hour, with no witnesses. I have supervised many newly minted counsellors and I know how much individual support they need. I am horrified at this proposal and think it is highly risky.

Cheers for supervisor eligibility and private practice restrictions

and

One pleasing update was that foundational and qualified counsellors are unable to provide supervision. This is welcomed to prevent the inexperienced guiding the inexperienced.

There’s also a useful update about eligibility for private practice, wherein there is a recognition that private practice has complexities and risks some with lower qualifications may be less likely to recognise or manage. While there will be some lower qualified and experienced private practitioners who do a great job, these standards address a risk that still continues to this day.

One of the challenges and reasons many counsellors have been attracted to private practice is because the employment market has discriminated against counsellors, making counsellors needing to explore alternative opportunities to practice. I really hope the national standards help to enhance employer respect and willingness to hire counsellors. I appreciate the ACA and PACFA’s efforts to educate industry about what counsellors can do, and both to create Scope of Practice documents as part of this education.

Researching confusion

The focus area on research I found somewhat problematic. First, why is the label about undertaking research about the counselling and psychotherapy professions. Why do we need research on the profession as a minimum standard?? Can’t counsellors research other areas related to counselling too? 

Also, the section appears to focus on the conducting of research. Firstly, diploma and bachelor students may have between nil and very little research training on average.

The second point I want to make is that rather than focusing on conducting research, shouldn’t require counsellors to be research literate? Very few practitioners will actually conduct and produce research, but all should be able to consume and understand research that might inform their practice. I agree with the importance of what is proposed. I just wonder about its relevance for the lower levels of trained counsellors who are unlikely to have had the relevant training to begin with, and unlikely to gain ethics approval if not having had sufficient research training.

Expert over or collaborate with

This is my last two areas for critique. 3.2.1 addresses promoting effective therapeutic relationship. First, we don’t promote the effective relationship, as stated in the focus area title. We don’t’ tell clients, “hey, I think you should really enter into a therapy relationship. It’s a really good thing”. No. Counsellors develop or facilitate it. Overall, though, I think this is an important focus area given the counselling profession, in my view, prizes the relationship.

The focus area 3.2.2 on applying theories and ideas in practice. It’s basically saying we should be theoretically informed. No disagreement here. However, the way it is written seems to exclude the client’s voice. In counselling, we do not impose theories or our ideas based on theories onto clients, but there is an interaction between client and counsellor knowledge. It isn’t a top-down expert over process about an interactional process of decision making.

Categorical confusion?

I’m not sure I understand how identifying and working with risks is directly and intrinsically related to discrimination. Focus area 2.1.3 is on respecting diversity, so I would have thought this area is of relevance to the discrimination category. However, I’m happy to be corrected. I just don’t see it at this time.

Conclusion

I’ve listed some of my concerns, not to diminish the perception of the quality of the standards overall, but to highlight some areas that might be worthwhile to reconsider. If you agree with some or all of my points, please use them in your feedback in the survey and share the link to this page with your fellow counsellors.

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A summary of 49 counselling journal articles and core documents and podcast

Google NotebookLM has provided its summary and below this is a podcast. It is not fully accurate, however, it generally reflects the literature included.

Deep Dive Podcast

These sources examine the counselling and psychotherapy profession in Australia, focusing on its current state, regulation, training, and future prospects. They discuss the challenges faced by the profession, such as a lack of recognition from the government, the need for greater unity and standardisation, and the need to adequately prepare practitioners for the modern marketplace. The sources also explore the different theoretical orientations used by therapists, the importance of supervision and continuing professional development, and the role of religious and spiritual beliefs in practice. Finally, the sources consider the future of the profession, highlighting the need for increased recognition and utilisation of counsellors and psychotherapists to meet the growing demand for mental health services.

Here is a detailed summary of the sources:

  • Counselling and Psychotherapy in Australia: A Diverse and Evolving Landscape: The sources explore the counselling and psychotherapy landscape in Australia, highlighting its diversity, regulatory challenges, and the ongoing pursuit of professional recognition.
  • Regulation and Professional Bodies: Sources discuss the regulation of counselling and psychotherapy in Australia, noting the challenges of a fragmented field with varying levels of training and accreditation.
    • Several sources emphasize the role of professional bodies like the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) in advocating for self-regulation, setting training standards, and establishing codes of ethics.
    • Source focuses on employment trends, analyzing job vacancies in the community services sector, while source examines counsellor education and training in Australia, emphasizing the diverse pathways and the need for minimum training standards.
    • Source mentions ARCAP, a central registry intended to represent the counselling profession, but notes its limited visibility in job advertisements, suggesting a perception that peak bodies prioritize their own credibility over promoting the profession as a whole.
  • Workforce Characteristics and Scope of Practice: Sources provide insights into the demographics, training, and practice of counsellors and psychotherapists in Australia.
    • Many sources note the predominantly female workforce.
    • Source analyzes job advertisements on SEEK, revealing a high demand for counsellors with expertise in trauma, family violence, mental health, and alcohol and drugs.
    • Source discusses the lack of comprehensive demographic information on counsellors in Australia.
    • Source examines the efficacy of counselling delivered through employee assistance programs (EAPs), comparing satisfaction rates, conversion rates, and complaints for psychologists, social workers, and counsellors.
  • Training and Education: Sources explore the various pathways and challenges in counsellor training and education.
    • Several sources highlight the importance of course accreditation, clinical supervision, and personal therapy in ensuring the competence of practitioners.
    • Source examines the diversity of entry pathways and training options in Australia, suggesting that this complexity can make it difficult for prospective students to choose a program.
    • Source outlines the PACFA Training Standards, which emphasize the importance of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and personal and professional development.
  • Theoretical Orientations and Integration: Sources discuss the theoretical orientations of Australian counsellors and psychotherapists.
    • Many sources note the prevalence of integrative and eclectic approaches, reflecting the field’s openness to drawing from various theoretical perspectives.
    • Source examines the effectiveness of counselling and psychotherapy, arguing that relational competence is more important than specific theoretical techniques.
  • Client Suitability and Gatekeeping: Sources focus on the issue of gatekeeping in counsellor training, specifically the identification and management of unsuitable trainees.
    • These sources highlight the importance of assessing personal suitability and professional competence to ensure that graduates are fit to practice.
  • Religious and Spiritual Beliefs: Sources examine the religious and spiritual beliefs of Australian therapists and their potential influence on practice.
    • Source reports that a significant proportion of therapists were raised in a Christian faith tradition, and while outward religious affiliation may have declined, spirituality and personal beliefs can still impact therapeutic approaches.

Overall, the sources paint a comprehensive picture of the Australian counselling and psychotherapy landscape, emphasizing the field’s diversity, regulatory complexities, commitment to professional development, and the ongoing pursuit of providing safe and effective services to the Australian public.

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Snapshot of accredited counselling courses in Australia

by Nathan Beel 2024


While preparing for a journal manuscript related to counsellor education, I counted the number of counselling training that enables entry into the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), and the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA). I found a total of 98 courses with professional accreditation, with 83 recognised by the ACA and 37 recognised by PACFA. Counselling training has proliferated from 1974, where only one named counselling course (a diploma) was recorded (Franklin et al., 1994). Now there are six diplomas, two advanced diplomas, 22 bachelors, 27 graduate diplomas, and 41 masters recognised by at least one counselling peak body. These are delivered across 48 training providers. Counselling education has had incredible growth over the last 50 years.

If interested in viewing the spreadsheet, click on the link below:

Spreadsheet listing of accredited counselling courses data collected 25 May 2024

References

Franklin, J., Gibson, D., & Merkel-Stoll, J. (1994). Market demand for counsellors and other professionals: 1984-1990. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 4, 39-49. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1037291100001898

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Preparing for the interview for a counselling position Part 2 of 2

Nathan Beel and Florence Ee, 2018

Interview panels are typically looking to answer two questions. Do you have capacity and is there a likelihood you will succeed in the position they are recruiting for, and are you the best candidate compared with the other applicants? Both of these must be met for you to be successful. To get to the interview, there is a high likelihood they believe you have the potential to succeed. They may be uncertain about whether you are the best applicant and this is where you have an opportunity to influence their perceptions. In the previous instalment on preparing for the interview, we covered eight areas of focus, included impression management, motivation, skills, and practice frameworks. This instalment will describe another eight areas to consider in preparing for interviews for counselling related positions.

Relating with colleagues and conflict management: An important part of agency work is the ability to work well within a team and manage conflict well. On the panels I (Nathan) have been part of, every interviewee has said they work well with others and manage conflict well. It is predictable. The panel is less interested in reassurances and more interested in hearing actual examples the interviewee can provide. Come prepared to discuss a difficulty you had with somebody (without revealing others’ identities) that you managed well, why you managed it the way you did, and what the outcome was. Typically, examples should demonstrate sensitive assertiveness, rather than passive or aggressive responses. It may also be helpful to talk about what you have learned about yourself and others from the experience.

Strengths: The panel may ask for an applicant to describe their strengths. The answers to this will be compared against the position’s needs and/or the organisation’s needs to check for fit. It may be useful to provide examples of how these strengths benefited your clients, colleagues, or organisation in previous situations.

Openness to learning and weaknesses: The panel may ask you about your weaknesses and what you have done to manage or improve on the weakness. This question checks for organisational / performance risks, and answers or non-answers can raise questions about lack of insight, evasiveness, lack of boundaries, low self-esteem or other issues. Other answers such as “My weakness is I am so committed to my job” can sound insincere. Only provide a weakness that relates to the position requirements, state the weakness concisely, and then state what you are doing (or willing to do) to address it.

The panel may ask for a time when you were given negative feedback and how you responded to this. Effective counsellors should be open to feedback and actively seek it out, so evidence of openness to feedback can be viewed positively by counselling employers. Choose a story where you responded well. For instance, a story where you actively sought the feedback to improve, thanked the person for the feedback, considered the feedback critically, identified what parts you could accept, and identified actions to help improve the situation or performance.

Managing risk or complex situations: The panel may ask about a difficult situation you responded to, or may provide you with a hypothetical situation and ask how you might respond to such a situation. These situations may relate to specific knowledge about a particular risk factor (such as domestic violence risk), an ability to consider contextual factors in the situation (such as other’s safety), relevant legislation, mindfulness of one’s roles and other potential roles (such as clinical supervisor, line manager), mindfulness of potential organisational policies that might guide such decisions, and ethical principles that may relate. One example might be, “Suppose an 8-year-old child disclosed to you that her parent was abusing her and asked you not to tell anyone. What would you do and why?”
In such a case, a person might describe how they might respond to this child and manage the rest of the session, what policies the organisation might have on reporting, what ethical and legal considerations need to be considered, who might be consulted, who and how to report if this was the option or requirement, etc. Whether you make a determination that the panel agrees with or not (if it is a more complex situation), your depth of reasoning and awareness of relevant principles is likely what they will evaluate your answer on. Your answer will show your professional thinking process. You can prepare for these types of questions by reflecting on ethical case studies in counselling (or in the specialist area of the position you are applying for) in an online search, reviewing your code of ethics, and by discussing these with your clinical supervisor.

Stress management: Counselling is a burnout career if self-care and stress is neglected. Panel members who ask this question generally want to hear what the person does or has done in the past previous roles to manage stress and self-care. Inability to manage one’s own stress becomes an organisational risk. Being able to articulate clear and healthy strategies that work for you shows a commitment to maintaining good mental health.
Other skills and duties: Counselling positions often involve other duties such as preparing and presenting talks, researching, writing articles, and networking with other professionals. Be prepared to discuss notable examples from your own history in some of these areas irrespective of whether the experience relates to a counselling role. Many of these skills are easily transferrable from other professions (including parenting skills).

Values: Panel members and organisations will typically have a range of values, sometimes that are not stated clearly in the application kit. They may have a strong value towards client centredness underpinning client engagement. Some may emphasise the importance of using evidence-based treatments. In a logistical direction, they may have a value of your being available outside of hours. Many of the values will be evident in the application kit, the organisation website, and the questions they ask in the interview. You will need to determine whether the visible values are congruent with your own values. Your own values will be reflected in your answers and even if different, the organisation might be interested in you irrespectively.

Questions you may have: At the end of interviews, panels might ask what questions you might have. Not asking any questions at the end can be interpreted as the person not having sufficient motivation towards the role, being passive, or being unable to process information with sufficient depth. If you have given the position some thought and reviewed their website, you will probably have questions. Asking judicious questions can signal to the panel a thoughtfulness about the role, the position, and the organisation. Common questions might be about the wage, the notification date for position outcome, the start date, and questions about the wage or other benefits if unclear. You might also ask questions about the role itself, such as what staff find most rewarding and most challenging about the role. Remember, you are also checking out whether the position is a good fit for you, too.

The interview process is where the panel will view a sample of your behaviour, knowledge, and skills, and will assess it against the needs of the role, their values, and against other candidates. Considering some of the areas mentioned in this article may help strengthen and enable you to target your preparation so that your interview leaves a more positive impression in the minds of the panel. Don’t be discouraged if you do not get the job. It is not unusual for people to apply for several jobs before they are successful. Remember that there may be many applicants and only one will get the job. That you were shortlisted shows the panel believed you earned a closer look. Try to get feedback from the employer about your strengths and weaknesses in your application. This is a subtle way of asking why you did not get the job. Learn from the experience and aim to be better at the next interview. Irrespective of if you succeed in the gaining the position, the interview itself will provide you with experience in being interviewed for counselling related positions.

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Preparing for the interview for a counselling position, Part 1 of 2.

Nathan Beel and Florence Ee, 2018. Previously published in Qld Counsellors Association blog.

Recently I (Nathan) was asked by a recent counselling graduate for some tips for her upcoming interview. Rather than simply emailing the tips that might have some benefit for one person, this prompted me to consider a blog post that could provide wider benefit. I mentioned the idea to Florence, who started sending in ideas from her experience. With our combined experience on both sides of the interview process across several organisations and counselling related roles, we thought our observations may be useful. While the interview process will vary from panel to panel and organisation to organisation, below are some generic observations that applicants can consider when preparing for an interview.

Evidence, not reassurances: Many interview panels will base the interview on the job selection criteria. They may be less interested in verbal reassurances that one can meet the criteria, and more interested in historical examples of when one has met the criteria (or shows capability to meet something similar). Make sure you have clear and concise examples available that highlight how you met each criteria available to describe on request. If you don’t have examples that meet the criteria exactly, choose examples that relate to the skill in some way, even if from a non-related context. It can demonstrate to the panel that you have the potential to perform the same skill, perhaps with some tweaking, in the work context they are interested in.

Impression management: While positions are criteria-based and require objective ratings to compare applicants, there are subjective elements that will influence the panel’s ratings. Applicants need to leave an impression that is positive about who they are and what they value. Arrive close to the starting time. Not too early and certainly not late. Your grooming and clothes you wear to the interview send signals about how important the interview is to you, whether you are casual or serious, and your level of professionalism.

Demonstrate your interpersonal skills and qualities in the interview itself: Another thing that makes an impression is how you interact with the panel. While they may appear scary and, sometimes, emotionally hard to read and overly serious, they are people who want to make a good decision about who they will employ. When answering, remember you are talking with people. You are interviewing for a position that relies on your ability to relate to people in a way that helps set them at ease. You are giving them a sample of how you build and maintain rapport with others by doing this with them. Interviewers will expect interviewees may demonstrate nervous behaviours and, with this nervousness, can come self-consciousness. Find ways to connect at the human level and make comments that demonstrate empathy for their role. For instance, consider saying, “I appreciate the questions you’ve asked, as I can see it’s important for you to get the right person for the position and for the clients.” Thank them after the interview for their time meeting with you and for the opportunity for the interview. As an interviewer, I’m asking myself: Would I be comfortable working with this person’s interpersonal style being demonstrated? Would I be comfortable entrusting our service’s clients to them?

Monitor your own behaviour in the interview and aim to be relaxed as possible. I (Florence) find grounding strategies helpful before an interview – deep breathing, imagery, progressive muscle relaxation and using your five senses. Aim to give sufficiently detailed answers while keeping answers appropriately concise, stay on track, and when finished, check with the panel if you have answered their question. Take a moment to answer your question. I (Florence) find it helpful to sometimes write the questions down. If you give long rambling answers, this could raise questions in the interviewer’s mind about whether this is how you normally communicate and could indicate a lack of empathy for the listeners. Likewise, too short an answer or an inability to stay focussed on answering the question they posed may raise other concerns about you.

Most counselling roles require knowledge that is deemed relevant to the role. Some knowledge will be essential, while other knowledge will be accepted to develop and extend once employed. The job description and selection criteria should indicate what knowledge may be important to prepare for. The depth of knowledge you have will be evident in your answers to the questions, particularly as they will compare what you say against their own knowledge and the answers from other interviewees. Admit if you don’t know something rather than attempting to bluff the panel. Do some research on the role that you have applied for, read what is available on the organisation’s website or ask friends / colleagues from the counselling association about the job you are applying for.

Motivation for the role: There may be a question about why you applied for the position. Many interviewers want someone who will be passionate about the position, client group, and/or organisation. Referring to the financial benefits as a major benefit of the role can send a message that this is all that is important to the applicant. Another mistake would complain about one’s previous position. I remember one interviewee who spent 5 minutes describing her burnout from her previous position and how unsupportive her previous employer was. As much as we felt for this person, we considered her an unacceptable risk, recognising we were hearing one side of a story.

While agencies can be quite toxic at times within the human services, employers are careful about the potential risk of work cover claims, of employees who may generate stress and blame within organisations, and sends a signal of the willingness of the former employee to diminish the reputation of her workplaces when dissatisfied. Compared to other applicants, the panel will want a person passionate towards the role, willing to learn and receive feedback, the organisation’s values, and objectives, and to have minimal risk and baggage with them.

Skills: Some interviews may assume your qualifications and experience means that you will have the necessary skills. Others may ask you to describe what you might do in hypothetical situations, or skills you might have used in the past. Some interviewers may ask you to demonstrate your skills in the interview itself in a simulated counselling interview. Regardless of how they assess your skills, the main thing is that they want to know if you can deliver the service they are employing you for.

If the panel asks you to demonstrate skills, consider what they may look for. Often it is simply about your ability to form a relationship with the client, particularly if they are asking for a brief five-minute simulated session. Demonstrate your counselling micro skills instead of problem-solving, ask open questions, empathise with your client, and if there’s an opportunity to summarise the session, demonstrate this in the role-play. Many counsellors can be prepared for these through their educational experience of counselling in front of their lecturers and producing counselling videos for assessment. Nonetheless, it can still trigger anxiety performing in front of a panel in a job interview context.

Practice frameworks: Some positions will not require the counselling applicant to align with a particular modality, while others may. It is not unusual for panels to ask what framework you work from and why. Citing a microskills textbook author or stating that one is Rogerian or Person Centred is common and can raise questions in the panel about whether one has gone beyond initial training in their development. Another common answer is that one uses an integrated approach. Be prepared to answer what you might integrate, otherwise it can be viewed as not following any model and flying by the seat of one’s pants. Be prepared to describe any modalities you have studied and influenced your practice and why you chose these. While the panel may not be particularly interested in the selection of models that influence you, they may be interested in whether your knowledge is basic and shallow, or alternatively, well considered. You might also ask the panel what practice frameworks the organisation prefers or adopts, and if appropriate, ask why the organisation adopts it. This will both show a willingness to engage with the organisation’s own preferred treatment framework and also enable you to consider whether this is a framework you would want to learn and practice.

This first instalment has listed eight areas to consider when planning for an interview, including topics such as impression management, motivation, skills, and practice frameworks. The next and final instalment will list another eight areas that may assist you in preparing for the counselling position interview.