Home Counsellor Resume template
Counsellor resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what counsellors actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most counsellors should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Accredited counsellor with experience delivering evidence-based therapeutic support to individuals, couples and families across community health and clinical settings. Skilled in conducting assessments, building treatment plans and maintaining rigorous case documentation while working within professional and ethical frameworks. Comfortable coordinating with allied health professionals to deliver consistent, wraparound client care.
Key skills
- Individual and family counselling
- Therapeutic assessment and treatment planning
- Pastoral care and wellbeing support
- Case note and clinical documentation
- Regulatory and ethical compliance (PACFA/CCAA)
- Client management software (Casenotes, Psychology Tools)
- Psychometric and assessment tools
- Video conferencing platforms for telehealth
- Stakeholder liaison with allied health services
- Active listening and rapport building
Experience: example bullet points
- Conducted initial assessments with new clients to identify needs, risk factors and appropriate therapeutic pathways
- Delivered one-on-one and family counselling sessions using established frameworks such as CBT and person-centred therapy, supporting clients through sustained behaviour change
- Developed and reviewed individualised treatment plans across multi-session client journeys, adjusting interventions based on documented progress
- Maintained detailed, confidential clinical notes in line with professional body standards and privacy legislation
- Liaised with GPs, psychologists and community agencies to coordinate wraparound support for clients with complex needs
- Participated in regular clinical supervision to review case load and maintain best-practice standards
Education
Typical pathway is a Bachelor degree in Counselling, Psychology or a related discipline, often followed by postgraduate study, with accreditation through PACFA or CCAA required for most practising roles.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- PACFA registration
- CCAA accreditation
- clinical supervision
- case notes
- treatment plan
- risk assessment
- telehealth counselling
- psychometric assessment
- confidentiality and privacy compliance
- allied health referral
- community health centre
- person-centred therapy
- CBT
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.