
The Australian Counselling Association (ACA) is a National progressive professional peak association of counsellors and psychotherapists with over 3000 individual members.
Current Member Associations (MA) are: Federation of Victorian Counsellors Inc, Federation of Psychotherapists & Counsellors of Queensland Inc, Professional Counsellors Association of Western Australia Inc and Clinical Counsellors Association Inc. ACA has membership to equivalent bodies in Britain, New Zealand & Hong Kong. Affiliated Member Associations of ACA include, Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists and Professional Clinical Hypnotherapists of Australia.
The ACA is primarily concerned with national registration, industry standards, creating employment for counsellors, Medicare & health fund rebates and formal recognition of counselling as an Allied Health profession. ACA is an independent association that offers member services and benefits second to none. ACA is the "voice of counsellors".
IMPORTANT NOTE: ACA spends an enormous amount of effort lobbying government and industry with the aim of getting rebates for Counsellors. This effort was recently rewarded with ACA achieving rebates for its Members with one of the country’s largest private health insurers. These rebates are only available to ACA Members. Hence, it is critical that persons wishing to work as a Counsellor, and access rebates and funding through government and industry, complete an ACA Accredited Course. As ACA has recently updated its training standards, please check whether the course you intend to study is ACA Accredited using the Course Finder in the right hand column of the website.
Philip Armstrong, CEO
Thank you for your interest in joining the association, the following explains the mission and criteria of the association. Please do not hesitate to phone us if there are any points that need clarifying or do not fully explain to your satisfaction what is required.
The Australian Counselling Association (ACA) fulfils a critical role within the counselling industry - as will your involvement in the Association. The primary aims and functions of the Australian Counselling Association are: -
OR,
AND,
Student Membership is for persons undertaking an ACA Accredited Course of study at a minimum Diploma level. Student Members should not practice counselling except under the auspice of an ACA Accredited Course of training.
Download Membership Application
Associate members are members who have an interest in counselling, however do not practice therapy. Any non practicing individual may apply for this category.
Download Membership Application
The Australian Counselling Association (ACA) has been representing counsellors since 1998. Since then it has grown into the largest independent professional body of counsellors in Australia. The need for such a professional body is reflected in our growth. In less than seven years ACA has attracted over 3,000 registered members. ACA although one of the youngest professional bodies for counsellors has achieved more in its ten years than any other previously established body of counsellors. These achievements are further outlined in our information and application booklet. Membership is not restricted to only Australian based counsellors.
The Code of Conduct is intended to provide standards of professional conduct that can be applied by the ACA and by other bodies that choose to adopt them in Australia. Depending upon the circumstances compliance or non-compliance with the Code of Conduct may be admissible in some legal proceedings.
The common aims and objectives of ACA are as follows: