There has never been a better time for you to become a counsellor or further develop your counselling qualifications. The need for counsellors in Australia has never been greater. As a counsellor with a tertiary qualification, you’ll be doing what you love and have the security of knowing there are many opportunities for work and self employment.

 

We’ve helped people from all sorts of backgrounds become counsellors. Our tertiary students come from a variety of backgrounds.  Some are seeking to acquire counselling skills as an adjunct to their core profession, such as teachers, nurses, ministers of religion, corrective services officers and administrators. Some are seeking a fresh start in a rewarding profession.  While others already have a vocational counselling qualification and are looking to supplement this with a tertiary qualification.

 

As a counsellor with a Bachelor of Counselling, there are many opportunities for you as an employee or in private practice. You can make a real difference in areas such as grief and loss; relationships; abuse; youth and adolescents; family; stress; trauma recovery; addictions; mental health and many more. Our Bachelor of Counselling can be studied either full or part time, allowing you to progress at a speed that suits you; either moderately according to your lifestyle commitments, or faster if you wish to gain your tertiary qualification more rapidly.

 

Our courses are completed externally by working through your course material at home. This is particularly useful if you have other obligations in your life that occupy your time.

 

Irrespective of your reasons to contact us, it’s your natural desire and ability to help others that we seek to evolve and formalise through our tertiary education. AIPC’s Bachelor of Counselling provides a flexible and affordable alternative to traditional tertiary education offered by Universities.

 

So, no matter where you live or how busy you are, we make it possible for you to achieve your tertiary counselling qualification.

The Institute’s Bachelor of Counselling is the perfect qualification to acquire tertiary counselling studies.

 

The Bachelor of Counselling is a careful blend of theory and practical application. Theory is learnt through user-friendly learning materials that have been carefully designed to make your studies as accessible and conducive to learning as possible.

 

The course and its subjects are structured to progressively develop your knowledge and skills from foundational, theoretical concepts through to more complex concepts and advanced skills and applications. 

 

First year subjects focus on building a strong foundational knowledge and skill base including an overview of the counselling industry, the role of the counselling professional, philosophical tenets, counselling micro skills and counselling perspectives. You are encouraged to adopt an integrative approach to practice and develop your own counselling framework and helping philosophy.

 

Second Year subjects focus on broader, contextual issues such as culture, social issues and theoretical frameworks that impact the client, the counsellor and the helping relationship.  Ethical and legal issues are examined as they relate to the counselling relationship, and you start exploring the concept of your ‘self’ and reflective practice.

 

The Third Year integrates specialist knowledge and skill with focused application in areas such as Grief Counselling, Group Work, Domestic Violence, Abuse, Working With Children, and Mental Health Issues. You will consolidate and extend your emerging practice framework and demonstrate a high degree of self-awareness and professional reflection skills.

 

On completion, you will have the capacity to apply counselling theory and skills in an intentional and mindful manner.  You will have the ability to evaluate and apply a variety of counselling models according to the needs of your client. You will also have the ability to analyse counselling issues with consideration to broader social and cultural perspectives and will be equipped to make a natural transition into the role of Counsellor.

Course Structure – Full Time Workload

The Bachelor of Counselling is a careful blend of theory and practical application. Theory is learnt through user-friendly learning materials that have been carefully designed to make your studies as accessible and conducive to learning as possible.

 

 The course and its subjects are structured to progressively develop your knowledge and skills from foundational, theoretical concepts through to more complex concepts and advanced skills and applications. 

 

First year subjects focus on building a strong foundational knowledge and skill base including an overview of the counselling industry, the role of the counselling professional, philosophical tenets, counselling micro skills and counselling perspectives. You are encouraged to adopt an integrative approach to practice and develop your own counselling framework and helping philosophy.

 

Second Year subjects focus on broader, contextual issues such as culture, social issues and theoretical frameworks that impact the client, the counsellor and the helping relationship.  Ethical and legal issues are examined as they relate to the counselling relationship, and you start exploring the concept of your ‘self’ and reflective practice.

 

The Third Year integrates specialist knowledge and skill with focused application in areas such as Grief Counselling, Group Work, Domestic Violence, Abuse, Working With Children, and Mental Health Issues. You will consolidate and extend your emerging practice framework and demonstrate a high degree of self-awareness and professional reflection skills.

 

 On completion, you will have the capacity to apply counselling theory and skills in an intentional and mindful manner. You will have the ability to evaluate and apply a variety of Counselling models according to the needs of your client. You will also have the ability to analyse Counselling issues with consideration to broader social and cultural perspectives and will be equipped to make a natural transition into the role of Counsellor.

 

Year 1
Semester 1	Semester 2
CO101 - Introduction to Counselling	CO105 - Developmental Psychology
CO102 - Academic Writing and Presentation Skills	CO106 - Counselling and Diversity
CO103 - Theoretical Foundations of Counselling	CO107 - Counselling Therapies I
CO104 - Micro Counselling Skills	CO108 - Social frameworks
Year 2
Semester 1	Semester 2
CO201 - The Counselling Process	CO205 - Relationship Counselling
CO202 - Reflective Counselling Practice	CO206 - Theories of Family Counselling
CO203 - Counselling Therapies II	CO207 - Counselling Practicum I
CO204 - Ethics, Law & Counselling
Year 3
Semester 1	Semester 2
CO301 - Research Methods	CO305 - Group Work
CO302 - Grief Counselling	CO306 - Counselling and Mental Health
CO303 - Working with Children and Adolescents	CO307 - Counselling Practicum II
CO304 - Domestic Violence and Abuse Issues

The Institute sets the benchmark for service and support in external counselling studies in Australia. We are the only counselling educator in Australia to offer a complete external study support system, developed over many years of research and continuous feedback from students.

 

External doesn’t mean distant 

 

Whilst we specialise in external education, support is always close at hand through phone call or email. No matter where you live, our dedicated academic and administrative staff are keen to assist you with your needs.

 

Toll Free Study Assistance with Masters qualified Lecturers

 

You have unlimited access to the Institute’s Toll Free 1300 Study Assistance Line. Their focus is to assist you with academic support throughout the semester. This includes providing teaching and guidance on specific concepts if you feel you need further explanation, clarifying questions on assignment topics, and personal coaching on assignment writing.

 

You are also able to email your Lecturer at any time with your study query and will receive a response within one working day. 

 

Practical Experience

 

The Bachelor of Counselling is structured to ensure you graduate with a high level of practical skill so you can apply your counselling knowledge with confidence. Some subjects of the course require attendance at compulsory Residential Schools covering a range of topics including Micro Counselling Skills, Counselling Therapies, The Counselling Process, Reflective Practice, Relationship Counselling, Family Counselling, Grief Counselling, Domestic Violence and Abuse, Working with Children and Adolescents, and Group Work.

 

The Residential Schools are scheduled at the end of each semester and conducted from our academic rooms in Brisbane, Australia.  Residential Schools are a great opportunity to get together with fellow students and participate in casework sessions under the guidance of your Lecturer. To help facilitate your learning, our Residential Schools use case scenarios relating to everyday, contemporary issues and provide a wonderful supportive forum for group discussion, interaction and reflection.

 

If studying full time, you complete between 5 and 10 days at a Residential School at the end of each semester.  Not all subjects include a Residential School component.  If you are studying part time, you only need to attend the days of the Residential School allocated to the specific subject. 

 

The following table shows how much time is allocated for the Residential School for relevant subjects:

 

Subjects		Residential School
Year 1, Semester 1
CO101	Introduction to counselling	2.5 days
CO102	Academic writing and presentation skills	2.5 days
CO104	Micro counselling skills	5 days
Year 1, Semester 2
CO107	Counselling therapies I	5 days
Year 2, Semester 1
CO201	The counselling process	2.5 days
CO202	Reflective counselling practice	2.5 days
CO203	Counselling therapies II	5 days
Year 2, Semester 2
CO205	Relationship counselling	2.5 days
CO206	Theories of family counselling	2.5 days
Year 3, Semester 1
CO302	Grief counselling	2.5 days
CO303	Working with children and adolescents	2.5 days
CO304	Domestic violence and abuse issues	5 days
Year 3, Semester 2
CO305	Group work	5 days

*	The cost of attending and participating in the Residential School is included in the fee for the subject.  Costs of travel to and from the Residential School, accommodation and other ancilliary costs are borne by the student.

 

Residential Schools are a great opportunity to get together with fellow students and participate in casework sessions under the guidance of your Lecturer. To help facilitate your learning, our Residential Schools use case scenarios relating to everyday, contemporary issues and provide a wonderful, supportive forum for group discussion, interaction and reflection.

 

Work Placements

 

The Bachelor of Counselling includes two counselling practicum subjects where you undertake clinical practice in a work setting.  Work placements are essential in assisting the transition from application in a simulated setting to real practice.

 

Each Practicum involves the completion of 14 hours work each week for 12 weeks along with 24 hours to attend individual counselling supervision with the workplace supervisor and group supervision by teleconference with the Lecturer. 

 

The Institute has a network of community organisations and counselling practices to approach to set up the placement for you.  The Institute facilitates initial contact between you and the placement organisation, and follows up with you and the workplace supervisor regularly during the placement. 

 

Teleclasses

 

Some subjects within the Bachelor of Counselling include progressive participation in Teleclasses.  Teleclasses provide an interactive and stimulating teaching environment based on discussion of concepts and ideas to encourage the transition from teaching to practice.  Teleclasses are scheduled during early evenings and are facilitated by the Lecturer.

 

Institute Web Site

 

The Institute website contains an Online Resource Centre where you can access many study support and e-learning functions. You can:

• Contact your Lecturer for study assistance;
• Log onto the Institute’s Online Library to search and borrow from the Library Catalogue and access the Proquest Psychology Journals site.
• Download details of Residential Schools and Teleclasses.

Unique Resources to expand your learning

 

The Institute has developed a range of unique resources to help you expand your knowledge and practical skills throughout your studies.

 

As a student you receive a complimentary subscription to The Professional Counsellor magazine. The Professional Counsellor is an industry publication full of practical case studies and counselling scenarios to hone your skills and broaden your knowledge.

 

Capitalising on the accessibility of the internet, the Institute has developed two websites to complement your studies. The Institute’s Articles site at www.aipc.net.au/articles is an online facility where you can browse numerous articles on a variety of counselling topics. And Counselling Connection, the Institute’s official blog at www.counsellingconnection.com, assists you with accessing the latest information about counselling and what’s happening in the industry.

Considering everything you’ve read about the Institute, our support systems and personnel, you may find it difficult to understand how our courses are also the most competitively priced courses available.

 

It seems ironic, but so many people enquiring about our programs ask,“How can you offer all this and be the most competitively priced course of its kind?”

 

Equivalent Bachelor courses at a university or other private providers cost between $36,000 and $43,000 (see comparative table below). But, you don’t have to pay these exorbitant amounts for an equally high quality tertiary qualification in counselling.

 

You can do your Bachelor of Counselling with the Institute and save a massive $11,000+ on the cost of doing a similar course at university.

• You’ll gain a Counselling-specific tertiary qualification for at least 20% less.
• You’ll have more personal support from our large team of professional Lecturers and academic staff.
  
• And you’ll have greater flexibility to fit your studies around your life commitments.

Comparative Fees with Other Providers
University/Provider	Course	Full Fee
AIPC	Bachelor of Counselling	$31,900
Southern Cross University	Bachelor of Social Science (Counselling)	$45,000
Australian College of Applied Psychology	Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Counselling)	$39,000
Edith Cowan University	Bachelor of Social Science (Counselling)	$44,520
Sunshine Coast University	Bachelor of Social Science (Counselling)	$42,960

**Please note all pricing was current at time of development of the site.  Comparison is made between tuition fees for full fee paying students.

 

Let us explain why….

 

Have you ever been to a University campus? Beautiful aren’t they. All the magnificent buildings spanning across acres of gardens. There are cafeterias, gyms, games rooms and sporting fields.

 

Yes, they’re beautiful, but they cost a FORTUNE to run.  And this contributes to how much their courses cost.  When you study at a university your course fees are contributing to the cost of running that beautiful campus.  And that’s one of the reasons why a university qualification costs up to 50% more as the same qualification through the Institute.  It has nothing whatsoever to do with quality of education.

 

If you want to gain the same qualification, but don’t want the massive surcharge that comes with studying at university, you have an alternative.

 

Take a quick look at some advantages to learning with the Institute:

• You just pay for your education! We don’t have massive campus’ to maintain; hence your investment is significantly less, saving you thousands.
• Because we focus solely on counselling, we have more qualified counselling lecturers than any other provider of counselling courses in Australia.  Now that’s a resource of knowledge and experience.  Is there any wonder we’re the leading provider of counsellor training in the country.
• Institute higher education staff are required to be as highly qualified and experienced as university staff.

YOU CAN SEE, if you want comparably high standard education; with more flexibility and personal support; yet don’t want to pay a massive financial surcharge for campuses… then learning with the Institute is your only logical choice.

Download Course Prospectus

 

 

Click on the buton below to download our full course prospectus here. The prospectus is stored in PDF format and will require Adobe Acrobat or other compatible viewer. If you do not have a compatible viewer, please click here to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

 

You can apply for entry to the Bachelor of Counselling course if you have achieved one of the following:

• A nationally recognised Diploma from any field of study; or
• Completed Year 12 or Higher School Certificate with at least a Sound Achievement in English; or
• Completed a year-long tertiary studies preparation program (eg Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation); or
• Completed at least 12 months of tertiary studies with a University or non-university Higher Education Provider with a GPA of at least 4.0; or
• Achieved an overall score of at least 158, or a verbal subscore of at least 156, in the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT).

With your application, you will need to include a short Essay describing why you would like to study counselling and your goals once you have completed the course, along with a letter from a Referee supporting your application for entry.

 

After receipt of your application and if your application meets the minimum educational requirements to gain entry to the course, you will be invited to participate in an Entry Interview which will help us to learn more about you and assist with determining if you are ready to commence tertiary counselling studies.

 

After the Entry Interview is conducted, your application is assessed on the information you have provided with your application and the responses from your Entry Interview.

 

The Institute only accepts two intakes of students in March and July each year into the Bachelor of Counselling.  You are able to send in your application for entry up until the date shown on the Application Form.  All applications are assessed on a first in, first served basis and student numbers are limited so that we can maintain a low lecture:student ratio.  So it is in your best interests to send in your application as soon as you have made your decision to apply for entry into the Bachelor of Counselling.