Counsellor CPD in Australia

Counsellors are required to undergo Continuing Professional Development throughout their careers to develop the personal and professional qualities required in the exercise of their profession. The following article informs a brief overview of the CPD requirements for Counsellors in Australia 2021.

All practising Counsellors are required to complete 40 points of CPD annually to meet the requirements of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia. The CPD cycle runs annually from the 1st July-30th June. Counsellors must complete 20 hours of CPD manually. There are two categories from which the annual 20 hours of CPD activities must be completed.

Category A: A minimum of 15 hours must be completed in category A. All 20 hours can be completed from Category A if desired. This includes person-to-person activities and/or online facilitated courses, such as workshops, seminars, conferences and online facilitated learning.

Category B: This category is optional, and a maximum of 5 hours can be completed from activities within category B. This includes non-facilitated learning groups, reading from journals and books, supervision above the annual renewal requirement, peer learning groups and presentations, teaching and publications.

Additional Considerations

Mental Health Practitioners must complete the 20 hours (a minimum of 15 hours from Category A) but are encouraged to complete 5 hours of CPD relating specifically to mental health practice.

Accredited Supervisors must complete the 20 hours of CPD with a minimum of 15 from Category A, and it is recommended to include 5 hours relating specifically to supervision practice.

The following article has been referred to the latest guidelines provided by Australian Institute of Applied Mindfulness in September 2021 and is subject to change. To view the original article, click on the link below:

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