HomeCoursesCounsellingDiploma of Counselling
Diploma of Counselling
This diploma prepares you to work as a counsellor in an agency or community organisation, supporting clients through personal and psychological difficulties.
- Duration: 6 months to 1 year
- Study mode: Online and on campus
- Course code: CHC51015
Where you can study this course
- Campuses
- 6 campuses
- Duration
- 6 months to 1 year
- Study mode
- Varies by campus
- Full fee
- Not stated by provider
What students say
Many students speak well of the facilities and campus, and some rate the trainers and teaching highly, though opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching and student support, and some found the organisation and admin frustrating.
- Visit course page → (opens in a new tab)
TAFE Queensland
- Campuses
- 3 campuses
- Duration
- Not stated by provider
- Study mode
- Varies by campus
- Full fee
- $13,315
What students say
Many students rate the facilities and campus highly. Some found course content and organisation and admin frustrating, while opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching.
- Campuses
- 26 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students rate the trainers, teaching, facilities and campus highly, though some found the organisation, admin and communication frustrating; opinions are mixed on facilities and campus.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Open Colleges
- Campuses
- Not yet checked
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
kirana colleges
- Campuses
- Kirana Colleges
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Most students rate the trainers and teaching highly, and many value the student support, though some found the organisation and admin frustrating. A number also mention communication problems, and opinions are mixed on student support.
- Visit provider website → (opens in a new tab)
Evolve College Pty Ltd
- Campuses
- 17 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Most students rate the trainers and the teaching highly, while many value the career outcomes and some praise the student support.
- Campuses
- Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Inc.
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
- Visit course page → (opens in a new tab)
North Metropolitan TAFE
- Campuses
- 2 campuses
- Duration
- Not stated by provider
- Study mode
- On campus
- Full fee
- Not stated by provider
What students say
Opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching, with some students finding the organisation and admin frustrating and a number unhappy with the course content.
Last reviewed 20 September 2026.
Is this course right for you?
Entry requirements
N/A
- Providers can set their own conditions, such as a minimum age or a current job in the industry, and practical training may need a workplace placement. Check each provider above.
Entry recommendations
To be prepared for this course, it helps to have:
- an interest in listening to people and understanding their concerns
- a calm, patient approach to people in distress
- good communication skills, including clear speaking and careful listening
- a willingness to reflect on your own practice and keep learning
What will you learn?
You learn how to build a counselling relationship, run sessions using established therapies, and respond when a client is in crisis. The study covers interviewing and micro-counselling skills, personality and development theories, case management, and the legal and ethical side of the work, including cultural safety with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. Graduates usually start in defined, supported roles inside established services rather than in independent practice.
- Counselling interview skills
- Building client relationships
- Responding to crisis
- Selecting counselling therapies
- Case management
- Legal and ethical practice
Units of competency (13 core, 4 elective)
The qualification is made up of 17 units. Everyone completes the 13 core units below, and the remaining 4 are electives chosen from the list on training.gov.au, so they vary by provider. Select a unit to see what it covers.
Loading the details for CHCCCS019…
Loading the details for CHCCCS019…
Career pathways
Roles this qualification is a recognised route into, and what else you need.
A recognised route into Counsellor
Counsellor
Counsellors talk with people through emotional, behavioural or relationship difficulties and help them find their own way of coping and moving forward.
Explore this career →- Weekly pay
- $2,154
- Full-time share
- 49%
- Employment size
- 40,100 workers
- Average age
- 44 years
- Average full-time hours
- 41 hours
- Gender share
- 79% female
- Future growth
- +23.4%
- Job market
- Not in shortage
Defined, supported counselling roles in established agencies; the source does not establish independent practice. Check employer and professional association requirements.
Where this fits
Diploma of Counselling in counselling: the study that leads into it, the study that follows, and other routes at the same level.
Before
No earlier step listed.
You are looking at
Diploma of Counselling
Other routes at the same level
Data from training.gov.au and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (CC BY 4.0).