How do I become a school counsellor?
School counsellors are qualified teachers with additional psychology training. If you are interested in a career at the School Counselling Service but do not have teaching qualifications, please see the school psychologist career pathway page.
The infographic below explains the school counsellor career pathway – view/download the infographic as a PDF (132 KB). Read on for more information about these pathways and related scholarships and programs.
To be eligible for employment as a school counsellor, you will need to successfully meet the department’s requirements for permanent approval to teach in NSW. For information about how to apply, see approval to teach webpage.
In addition to teaching qualifications, school counsellors also need to be eligible to apply for general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia. This includes the completion of an accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degree in psychology, which is equivalent to at least 5 years of study. The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) provides a list of all accredited psychology programs on their website. Tertiary education providers of psychology degrees can provide advice regarding eligibility and pre-requisites for accredited psychology courses.
There are two pathways that lead to general registration as a psychologist:
The School Counsellor in Training Program is available for qualified teachers applying for the 4th year and/or 5th year of psychology study. This includes a scholarship, guaranteed psychology placement and employment in the School Counselling Service.
Enrolment in any accredited 5th year of postgraduate psychology study (e.g., Master of Professional Psychology) leads to provisional registration as a psychologist.
After the completion of the 5th year of psychology study, teachers (with permanent approval to teach) are eligible to be employed as a school counsellor as part of their 5+1 internship year. The school counsellor role meets the requirements of the internship, and the School Counselling Service can provide supervision for school counsellors undertaking this pathway.
The successful completion of the 5+1 internship program and passing the National Psychology Exam can lead to general registration as a psychologist. For more information about provisional/general registration, the 5+1 internship program and the National Psychology Exam, see the Psychology Board of Australia website.
Employment opportunities for school counsellors include the KickStart internship program and school-based positions advertised on the I work for NSW website.
The second pathway to general registration as a psychologist in Australia is to complete an accredited 2 years (minimum) of postgraduate study in an area of practice endorsement (e.g., Master of Clinical Psychology, Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology). Provisional psychologists undertaking this pathway are not eligible for employment until they have completed all the requirements of their academic degree that will lead to general registration.
For this pathway, once general registration has been obtained, teachers (with permanent approval to teach) are eligible to be employed as a school counsellor. Employment opportunities include school-based positions advertised on I work for NSW.
Teachers with general registration as a psychologist
Teachers (with permanent approval to teach) that hold general registration as a psychologist, including those with an area of practice endorsement (e.g., Clinical, Educational and Developmental, and others) can apply for school counsellor positions advertised on I work for NSW.
Placement and registrar program support for current School Counselling Service staff pursuing an area of practice endorsement in Clinical or Educational and Developmental psychology may be available. Current school counselling staff can find further information through the department’s internal School Counselling Service Hub.
Video: From teacher to school counsellor
Justin Whyte, School Counsellor
I feel very fortunate to be working in schools as a school counsellor, but with a teaching background.
Pina Fanggidae, Principal, Strathfield North Public School
Our school counsellor Justin is very much a ‘hands on’ school counsellor. He’s always in classrooms.
The advantages of Justin being a school teacher before and having that expertise and knowledge is he knows how the classroom operates, he knows the curriculum, he understands how students’ learning progresses through stages, and he knows what interventions will work in terms or marrying the learning and the academic with the social-emotional behaviour and other challenges that students might have.
Justin Whyte
I came to school counselling through a teaching pathway. So, I was a primary teacher for about ten years, just over ten years. I’d always had an interested in the welfare, wellbeing side of teaching, and I really enjoyed watching and supporting the emotional growth of children in my class.
Pina Fanggidae
Justin works really closely with our students, our staff and our parents. It’s benefitting the learning needs and behaviour needs, and the different needs of our students.
Justin Whyte
The role of a school counsellor is very varied. There’s lots of different things we do as part of this role. Assessment and counselling are our two main areas, assessment and intervention I should say really, but our intervention can be supporting our teachers and parents and families, and whole school initiatives as well.
Early intervention and prevention is really key in addressing the mental health of our population.
Pina Fanggidae
When I first started two years ago, Justin and I had a conversation together where we set the scene that this would be a partnership. So, he does really feel part of our school and our communities. Not an add-on, he’s not an extra service that we go looking for. He’s a member of our staff.
Justin Whyte
School counsellors are definitely part of many teams within a school and I think that’s one of the things I love most about this role is the ability to work with people. Often principals and deputy principals ask us for support and guidance in managing very difficult situations.
We don’t always solve everyone’s problems straightaway, we don’t have a magic wand, but when we can see people growing and learning through our in put it’s fantastic and it keeps you coming to work every day.
I’ve been asked a few times would I go back to teaching. And I don’t know if I would now. I’ve been in the school counselling role for a while and I really enjoy the variety that comes with it, and how the role is really valued by a lot of the executive and teachers and families.
I still hugely respect all the teachers I have worked with and continue to work with, but I think I’ve made the right choice with the role I’m in now.
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