Student Counsellors provide information and assistance to students, parents, and teachers about a wide range of matters such as students’ personal problems, learning difficulties and special requirements.

Skill Level

1

Alternative Titles

• School Counsellor

Unless you are exempt in very limited circumstances, you are required to have a positive Skills Assessment to apply for the visas listed above.

Skills Assessment authority for Student Counsellor is Vocational & Education Training Assessment (VETASSESS). To have a positive skills assessment, you must meet the following criteria:

• Qualification assessed at Australian Bachelor degree or higher in a highly relevant field of study AND at least one year of post-qualification highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level in the last five years
• Applicants must meet both the qualification and employment requirements to obtain a positive skills assessment
• Highly relevant major fields of study include:
  • Counselling
  • Psychotherapy
• Fields of study not considered highly relevant include:
  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry
  • Social Work
  • Mental Health Nursing
  • Special Education

Provide information on vocational, relationship, social and educational difficulties and issues, and work with people to help them to identify and define their emotional issues through therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy, interpersonal therapy and other talking therapies.

Tasks

• Working with clients on career, study and employment options by obtaining and examining information relevant to their abilities and needs
• Providing information and resources to assist clients with job-seeking skills
• Assessing client needs in relation to treatment for drug and alcohol abuse
• Conducting counselling interviews with individuals, couples and family groups
• Assisting the understanding and adjustment of attitudes, expectations and behaviour to develop more effective interpersonal and marital relationships
• Presenting alternative approaches and discussing potential for attitude and behaviour change
• Consulting with clients to develop rehabilitation plans taking account of vocational and social needs
• Contributing information, understanding and advice on the learning and behaviour of students, especially those with special needs, and assisting parents and teachers in dealing with these needs
• May work in a call centre

Skill Level

Most occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

Occupations in this Group

• 272111 Careers Counsellor
• 272112 Drug and Alcohol Counsellor
• 272113 Family and Marriage Counsellor
• 272114 Rehabilitation Counsellor
• 272115 Student Counsellor
• 272199 Counsellors nec