Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Bridging Course)

The Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Bridging Course) is ideal for those wanting to explore counselling as a new career or vocation direction, with completion of the course providing time to determine if their interest in counselling merits further study. Students will develop a clear appreciation of the rewards and challenges associated with a career as a professional counsellor, acquiring core counselling skills, an understanding of counselling ethics and an appreciation for how relational dynamics function in personal and professional settings. The course may also be of interest to those in helping related professions whose occupations include an incidental counselling component (e.g. education, ministry, nursing, occupational therapy, pastoral work, policing, paramedics etc), providing an opportunity for them to improve or extend their current relational skill set by learning how to counsel and support others more effectively. The course is also helpful for those without prior undergraduate studies who are interested in counselling and would like to determine if they can manage post-graduate level studies. Students may also use the Graduate Certificate to proceed into the Graduate Diploma of Counselling andor the Master of Counselling. Units completed in the Graduate Certificate in Counselling comprise 50 percent of the Graduate Diploma of Counselling and 25 percent of the Master of Counselling.

Applicants with higher education Applicants may be admitted to the Graduate Certificate in Counselling if they have previously successfully completed a relevant: Bachelor degree or Bachelor honours degree ‘Relevant’ means a degree that includes subjects such as psychology, social work and education where you studied human motivation and behaviour. ‘Non-relevant’ means degrees that are science based (not including psychology), where you have not studied human motivation and behaviour. Applicants with non-relevant degrees will be considered on the basis of their work and life experience.