You can study the CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling with TrainSmart Australia online across Australia, or face-to-face in Perth with a Jobs and Skills WA subsidy when places are available. This course has no work placement to arrange: practical counselling skills are developed through simulated counselling sessions with trained actors, assessed by your trainer.
This guide explains your options for studying counselling in Perth, including online study and Jobs and Skills WA subsidised face-to-face study, how practical skills are built, and what to look for in a counselling course.
Can you study counselling in Perth? The short answer
Yes. TrainSmart Australia’s CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling is available online across Australia, or face-to-face in Perth with a Jobs and Skills WA subsidy when places are available. Subsidised study involves mandatory face-to-face and virtual classes, and eligibility rules apply.
Counselling course options in Perth at a glance
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Online | Study from anywhere in WA or Australia, around 15 to 20 hours a week, with trainer support | People who need flexibility around work, family or location |
| Face-to-face in Perth with a Jobs and Skills WA subsidy | Mandatory face-to-face classes at the Perth CBD campus (Level 9, 251 Adelaide Terrace) plus mandatory remote or virtual classes, for eligible WA students when places are available | Eligible WA residents who prefer in-person classes and are looking for subsidised fees |
| Practical skills (all options) | Simulated counselling sessions with trained actors over Zoom, assessed by your trainer; no placement host needed | Everyone, including people who cannot fit a placement around other commitments |
What is the CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling?
The CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling is a nationally recognised qualification for people who want to start a career in counselling or move into the mental health and community services sector.
At TrainSmart Australia, the course has 17 units and takes 12 months, studying around 15 to 20 hours a week. Units cover a structured approach to counselling, advanced communication skills, supporting clients through their concerns, selecting and using different counselling therapies, helping clients clarify goals and make decisions, theories of personality and human development, and working with people with mental health issues and co-existing needs.
What will you learn in the counselling course?
The Diploma of Counselling combines counselling theories with practical counselling skills. Across the course you will learn to:
- Manage the counselling process: use a structured approach to establish the counselling relationship, understand the client’s needs and work through their concerns
- Build counselling skills: use advanced communication and interviewing skills, including listening, questioning and reflecting
- Apply counselling theories: research theories of personality and human development, and apply behaviourism and social learning theory to support behaviour change
- Use counselling therapies: select and use different counselling therapies to meet each client’s needs
- Support decision-making: help clients clarify goals, explore options and plan a course of action
- Respond to complex needs: work with people with mental health issues, support people in crisis and promote trauma-informed care
- Practise ethically: work within legal and ethical frameworks, promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety, and reflect on your own practice through ongoing professional development.
Common roles for the qualification as counsellor are in community and youth services, family support worker, case worker, intake and assessment officer, and support roles in mental health and alcohol and other drugs services.
Diploma, degree or short course: which counselling courses are available?
Counselling courses in Australia sit at different levels of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF):
- Short courses and skill sets introduce basic counselling skills but do not lead to a full qualification.
- The CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling is a vocational qualification focused on practical counselling skills for entry-level counselling and support roles. It typically takes 12 months with TrainSmart Australia.
- A Bachelor of Counselling is a university degree, usually three years full time, with deeper theory and supervised practice.
- A Master of Counselling is a postgraduate qualification, often for people who already hold a degree in another field.
Many people start with a diploma to build practical skills and enter the sector, then decide whether to continue to higher education later. The right level depends on your goals, your current qualifications and how quickly you want to start working.
Online or face-to-face in Perth: which suits you?
Both options lead to the same nationally recognised qualification. The right choice depends on how you like to learn and what else is happening in your life.
Studying counselling online
If you want to study counselling online, you can complete the whole Diploma of Counselling from home. Online study suits people who work, have family responsibilities, or live outside the Perth metro area. You can fit study around your week and still get trainer support. The main challenge is staying motivated without a fixed timetable, so it helps to set regular study times.
Studying counselling face-to-face in Perth with Jobs and Skills WA
The Diploma of Counselling is one of the courses TrainSmart Australia offers under Jobs and Skills WA. Under this program, students are required to attend mandatory face-to-face classes and mandatory remote or virtual classes. Face-to-face classes are held at TrainSmart Australia’s Perth CBD campus, Level 9, 251 Adelaide Terrace. This option suits eligible students who learn best in a classroom and want a clear routine. Eligibility rules apply, and subsidised places are limited, so they are available only when places are open.
Jobs and Skills WA is the way the WA State Government prioritises its investment in training, focusing on courses that equip people for jobs that are or will be in high demand. Speak with a TrainSmart Australia career adviser to check your eligibility and current availability.
What are the entry requirements for the Diploma of Counselling?
The national qualification itself has no entry requirements: training.gov.au lists none for CHC51015. Training providers can set their own suitability checks, so requirements differ between providers.
To enrol with TrainSmart Australia, you need to show you are academically suited to the course in one of these ways. These are TrainSmart Australia’s own checks, not national requirements:
- a copy of an Australian Year 12 certificate (senior secondary certificate of education)
- a copy of a Certificate IV qualification or higher from the Australian Qualifications Framework that can be verified
- completing the Core Skills Profile for Adults online assessment at or above Exit Level 3 in reading, numeracy and digital literacy.
TrainSmart Australia is unable to enrol international students in this course at this time. A career adviser can talk you through the entry requirements and your study options.
Does the Diploma of Counselling include a placement?
No. The Diploma of Counselling with TrainSmart Australia does not require a work placement. Instead, practical skills are developed through simulated counselling sessions with trained actors over Zoom, assessed by your trainer.
Simulated sessions give you a safe way to practise core skills, such as building rapport, active listening, asking open questions and using counselling techniques, with realistic scenarios and feedback. Because you do not need to find a placement host, you can complete the course entirely online.
This applies to this course. Placement requirements vary between providers and qualifications. For example, PACFA’s general track for registration expects a course with a placement of at least 40 client contact hours and 10 hours of supervision, so check this if you plan to seek registration later.
Many students also choose to build experience alongside their studies, for example through volunteer roles with community organisations, which often provide their own training. This is optional and separate from the course.
What do counsellors do?
Jobs and Skills Australia describes counsellors (general) as providing counselling services to individuals, families and groups to help them overcome difficulties and improve their overall quality of life through a range of therapeutic interventions. Tasks include:
- providing individual and group counselling sessions to address emotional and psychological challenges
- assessing clients’ counselling needs, including risk assessments and screening
- helping clients understand and adjust attitudes, expectations and behaviours
- making referrals to health professionals or community resources.
Specialisations include bereavement or grief counselling, child or youth counselling, gambling counselling, sexual assault counselling and trauma or crisis counselling. Jobs and Skills Australia lists Health Care and Social Assistance as the main employing industry.
Where do counsellors work in Perth and WA?
A counselling career can take many directions. Counsellors and counselling-trained workers in Perth and across WA work in community health and mental health services, youth services, family and relationship counselling services, alcohol and other drugs services, schools, employee assistance programs, not-for-profit organisations and private practice. Requirements vary by employer, and private practice is a separate step, covered in the next section.
Is counselling regulated in Australia?
Counselling is a self-regulated profession in Australia. Counsellors are not registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), and Jobs and Skills Australia lists no licensing or registration requirements for counsellors (general). Many counsellors choose to join a professional association such as the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), Australian Community Counselling Association (ACCA), or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).
Getting a job, joining an association and working in private practice are three different things:
- Getting a job: each employer sets its own requirements, which may include a qualification, experience or association membership.
- Joining an association: membership levels, criteria and scope of practice vary. ACA’s registration levels depend on the qualification and on whether the course is ACA-accredited. PACFA’s registration is for graduates of PACFA-accredited courses or of courses at bachelor level or above that meet its minimum requirements. Check the association’s current criteria and accredited course list if membership matters to you.
- Private practice: training.gov.au describes this qualification as preparing counsellors for defined, supported roles in established agencies rather than independent practice. Before working privately, check the supervision, insurance and experience you would need.
In October 2025, the Australian Government released National Standards for Counsellors and Psychotherapists, which set out expectations in six key areas: education and training, professional practice, ethics, competency, diversity and inclusion, and quality assurance. Membership requirements differ between associations, so check directly with the body you are interested in.
How do you choose a counselling course in Perth?
When comparing counselling courses in Perth, check:
- The qualification: is it the nationally recognised CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling, delivered by a registered training organisation (RTO)?
- Delivery mode: does online study, or face-to-face Jobs and Skills WA study, fit your schedule and eligibility?
- Practical skills: how will you practise counselling skills, and how are they assessed?
- Support: what trainer and student support is available?
- Fees and payment options: what will it cost, and are payment plans available?
- Career goals: does the course match the roles you are aiming for?
For a broader view of the career, read our guide on how to become a counsellor in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
Where are face-to-face counselling classes held in Perth?
For eligible Jobs and Skills WA students, face-to-face classes are held at TrainSmart Australia’s Perth CBD campus, Level 9, 251 Adelaide Terrace, when places are available. A few units will be delivered through mandatory remote virtual classes.
Can I study the Diploma of Counselling online from Perth?
Yes. You can study the CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling online from anywhere in Perth, regional WA or across Australia, with trainer support throughout the course.
Do I need to find a counselling placement?
Not for this course. With TrainSmart Australia’s Diploma of Counselling, practical skills are developed through simulated counselling sessions with trained actors over Zoom, assessed by your trainer, so you do not need to find a placement host. Other providers and qualifications may require a placement.
Can I get subsidised fees for counselling in WA?
Eligible Perth and WA students may be able to access Jobs and Skills WA subsidised fees for the Diploma of Counselling when places are available. Subsidised study includes mandatory face-to-face and virtual classes. Check the Jobs and Skills WA page or speak with a career adviser.
How long does the Diploma of Counselling take?
Twelve months, studying around 15 to 20 hours a week.
Considering a career in counselling?
Counselling is a rewarding way to help people through difficult times. If you are in Perth and ready to start, explore the CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling with TrainSmart Australia, or speak with a career adviser about online study and Jobs and Skills WA subsidised options. For fees and payment options, see how much a Diploma of Counselling costs.
TrainSmart Australia is the trading name of SMR Learning Services Pty Ltd (RTO 51771). This article is general information. Course details and subsidy availability can change, so check the course page or speak with a career adviser before enrolling.
