How to Become a Counsellor in NZ: Make a Difference in Mental Health

If you are a good listener, love to help others and have an interest in psychology, then perhaps you should consider pursuing a career in counselling.

Counselling is one of the most personally rewarding careers imaginable. But you may not know exactly what the day-to-day life of a counsellor is like. If you’re looking at providing this invaluable service, read on to find out what this job is really about and information on becoming a counsellor in Aotearoa New Zealand and pursuing this meaningful career.

Counsellors assist people in investigating their feelings and emotions, solving problems and helping people make life changes.

In a counselling session, a client talks about the difficulties they’re having in their life and helps them explore those difficulties. They help them identify the thoughts and feelings they’re experiencing. They’ll also help them realise the strengths, challenges, and opportunities they have in overcoming those difficulties.

As a counsellor, you do not give advice. Instead, you help your clients make their own decisions and create pathways to positive changes in their lives.

In this industry, you listen attentively to your clients, giving them your time, understanding and respect.

“It was only later that I realised counselling is about compassionately and curiously lending your mind to someone for 50 minutes, and seeing what comes of that.”

“Like the rest of us, counsellors come from all walks of life, all backgrounds, all life-experience. We’re all different, which is really important for ensuring anyone can find a counsellor they feel comfortable with and that understands their experiences.”

A counsellor and a psychotherapist both have similar jobs. They listen to clients and help them understand themselves and their problems better.

Generally, though, counselling tends to last for a shorter time, for a specific number of sessions — as agreed upon at the start of the counselling relationship. In some situations, a counsellor and a client may only have one session together. Counselling also tends to have specific goals related to the exact challenges facing a client.

Psychotherapy aims to look more extensively at a client’s entire psychological history. They may explore unconscious beliefs, the family of origin, and long-standing attitudes. Psychotherapy has more amorphous goals around encouraging general self-reflection and exploration. As such, it tends to take place over a longer time.

A counselling role could include the following tasks and related skills:

“It’s a balance of holding in mind a lot of theory that you’ve learnt, and then letting it all go so you can really hear and appreciate what the person in front of you is telling you.”

“The other thing is being open to people’s emotions and getting comfortable with deep emotion.”

Counselling is technically an unregulated profession in New Zealand. This means there are no entry requirements to the profession. You do not need to hold any qualifications or registrations to work as a counsellor or start your own counselling practice.

Consumers, however, are rightfully wary of counsellors who have no relevant counselling credentials. Most organisations will also want to employ counsellors with relevant qualifications. At a minimum, they will require a Diploma of Counselling or a Bachelor’s Degree in Counselling.

There are also other responsibilities and requirements if you plan on being a counsellor in a specific field, for instance:

If you want to get a taste of what a career in counselling might involve, you can enrol in a short course. A counselling short course will help you understand the requirements and skills needed to become a counsellor and get some hands-on work experience in counselling.

There are many study options available, each of which will take a different amount of time. Short courses in counselling can take as little as a few months of part-time study.

There are also more formal counselling programmes. A Diploma can take up to 12 months of full-time study (or part-time equivalent). A Bachelor-level qualification such as a Bachelor of Counselling will typically take three years of full-time study (or part-time equivalent).

If you have an existing degree, you can also get a postgraduate diploma of counselling, or study towards a master’s degree such as the Master of Counselling. Most courses will have a practicum component, offering valuable work experience.

You are not required to be registered with an organisation to work in professional counselling in New Zealand.

However, some employers will also require you to be a member of a professional body, such as the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) or New Zealand Christian Counsellors Association (NZCCA).

At a minimum, to have eligibility to be registered with NZAC, you’ll need to hold a Bachelor’s Degree. You may also need to undertake professional development courses as part of your professional practice.

Counsellors with up to five years’ experience can expect a salary of $51K-$72K per year.

As you gain seniority, experience, and responsibilities, the salary can rise to $72K-$113K per year.

Source: careers.govt.nz

Counselling qualifications can lead to a variety of career paths. Once you’ve finished your studies, you could work as a:

“I’ve had some really incredible sessions with couples, and I’ve had equally as moving sessions with individuals.”

A career in counselling can provide you with the opportunity to help others who need emotional support to find a solution to their problems. Counselling roles are gratifying and meaningful as you come to know and work with different people, helping them change their lives for the better.