A Snapshot of the Counselling and Psychotherapy Workforce in Australia in 2020: Underutilised and Poorly Remunerated, Yet Highly Qualified and Desperately Needed

Abstract

The aim of the 2020 workforce survey was to profile professionals affiliated with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) to inform future policy and service planning. PACFA is a national peak body for Australian counsellors and psychotherapists, representing 3,500 members across all states and territories. This study builds on previous workforce studies, the first of which was conducted in 2004. An online questionnaire was circulated to PACFA members covering participants’ demographics, qualifications, employment, sources of client referrals, client groups and presentations, along with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting previous findings, participants predominantly identified as female, as coming from Australian or English backgrounds, and as being located in or around major cities. Notably, a higher proportion of counsellors and psychotherapists than psychologists and psychiatrists (who also have qualifications as counsellors or psychotherapists) were found in regional and rural Australia. The shortage of mental health services in Australia, especially in remote areas, and the desire for more working hours among over one quarter of registered practitioners, mean this workforce needs to be far better utilised to meet public demand and reduce health inequities for people in regional, rural, and remote Australia. Government recognition of registered counsellors and practitioners through Medicare’s Better Access subsidised sessions would significantly remedy the shortage of mental health services.

More Than Just Counselling: Australian Counsellor Job Advertisement Trends

“…These have primarily been counsellor profiling surveys. Data has been collected from advertising within counselling associations (Bloch-Atefi et al, 2021;Lewis, 2016;Pelling, 2005;Schofield, 2008;Schofield & Roedel, 2012) and listings of counsellors identified through business directories (Pelling et al, 2006;Pelling & Butler, 2015). These surveys covered areas such as counsellor demographics, training, experience, employment contexts and hours, annual income, professional identity and membership, professional development, preferred therapeutic modalities, clients, and issues addressed.…”

“…These surveys covered areas such as counsellor demographics, training, experience, employment contexts and hours, annual income, professional identity and membership, professional development, preferred therapeutic modalities, clients, and issues addressed. Less common was collecting data on work roles or activities, except for two studies (Bloch-Atefi et al, 2021;Schofield, 2008). Overall, there is more emphasis on describing counsellors (Lack et al, 2017) and relatively little on what they can do outside of direct counselling practice.…”

“…While previous workforce surveys have identified that most counsellors and psychotherapists work in private practice, almost half (44.6%) work for an employer, including within the social services, health, and education sectors (Bloch-Atefi et al, 2021). Training providers need to ensure that the training is not only preparing counselling students for private practice, but also for work in employed contexts.…”

“…The types of employment categories identified from these advertisements have largely been identified in previous research. These include NGOs/ community services, health, education, and private practice (Bloch-Atefi et al, 2021;Franklin et al, 1994;Pelling, 2005;Schofield, 2008;Schofield & Roedel, 2012). While most counsellors surveyed by Bloch-Atefi et al (2021) indicated they operate in private practice, counselling is becoming increasingly integrated into the domains of health and human services (Vostanis & Bell, 2020).…”

“…These include NGOs/ community services, health, education, and private practice (Bloch-Atefi et al, 2021;Franklin et al, 1994;Pelling, 2005;Schofield, 2008;Schofield & Roedel, 2012). While most counsellors surveyed by Bloch-Atefi et al (2021) indicated they operate in private practice, counselling is becoming increasingly integrated into the domains of health and human services (Vostanis & Bell, 2020). One point of difference from prior research is that this study identified advertisements from recruitment and labour hire agencies.…”