Can You Do an Online Course in Counselling in Australia?
Yes. The counselling qualification Upskilled offers is delivered entirely online, and most of the people asking this question are not really asking whether it exists. They are asking something more specific.
They are asking whether they will be made to turn up somewhere at 6pm on a Tuesday. Whether there is a placement they will have to find and fit around a full-time job. Whether an online course in counselling can genuinely teach something as face to face as counselling.
Those are fair questions, and they deserve straight answers rather than the word "flexible" five times. Here is how it actually works.
The five questions people ask before they enrol
| What people ask | The answer |
|---|---|
| Are there live classes at set times? | No. The course is self-paced and the learning materials sit in MyUpskilled, available whenever you are. There are optional interactive sessions run over Zoom by specialist trainers if you want them, and they are genuinely optional |
| Is there a work placement I have to find? | The course page does not state any external placement hours. The practical component is supervised counselling sessions inside a simulated workplace, built into the course |
| Are there exams? | No exams anywhere in this qualification. You are assessed on written work, case studies and the supervised counselling sessions |
| How long does it take? | Plan on 12 to 24 months for the Diploma. You work to a training plan set with your trainer, and motivated students finish sooner |
| Do I need a counselling background? | No. There are no formal entry requirements. An education consultant checks the course is right for you, and you complete a short language, literacy and numeracy assessment at enrolment |
The practical part, answered properly
This is the question we get asked most, usually by people who work full time and have already been caught out by a course that turned out to need 100 hours on site.
Upskilled takes a practical approach to this qualification. As part of your assessment you work as a trainee counsellor within a simulated workplace, completing supervised counselling sessions that run through a range of different counselling scenarios. The point is to put the theory into practice on real conversations rather than on a multiple choice question about active listening.
Alongside that, the course includes optional interactive learning activities led by specialist trainers. Role playing is a large part of them. You collaborate with other students, practise the hard conversations, and get feedback from someone who has had those conversations professionally.
The course page does not list any external placement hours for this qualification. If you are comparing counselling courses, check that page by page, because the requirement is not the same everywhere and it is the single biggest thing that derails a study plan.
What you actually need to study it online
Less than people expect, but the list is worth reading before you enrol rather than after.
- The ability to read and write in English and numeracy skills at about Year 12 level.
- A modern computer with high-speed internet.
- A device that can record and play back audio and video. This matters more here than in most courses, because you will be recording counselling practice.
- Basic computing skills, including making and uploading short videos.
That last point surprises people. Counselling is assessed on how you handle a conversation, so some of your evidence is you, on video, having one. It is less confronting than it sounds, and everyone else in the course is doing the same thing.
How people fit it around work
The honest answer is that nobody does 20 hours a week forever. What works is a rhythm you can hold on a bad week: a couple of weeknights and one solid block on the weekend gets most people through comfortably inside the window.
Self-paced also cuts the other way. There is no Tuesday night class to carry you along, so the training plan your trainer sets with you is what keeps the milestones visible. Students who treat it as a standing appointment finish. Students who wait for a free weekend to appear tend not to.
What the Diploma does and does not make you
Worth being blunt, because this is where a lot of misinformation sits.
The online course in counselling is the CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling, a nationally recognised qualification made up of 17 units. It gives you counselling skills and a credential that employers in community services and health recognise.
It does not make you a registered counsellor, because counselling in Australia is not a government-registered profession in the way nursing or psychology are. It is self-regulated through professional bodies, each with its own requirements. It is also not a pathway to becoming a psychologist, which requires an accredited degree and supervised registration.
If your interest is specifically mental health work rather than counselling practice, the Certificate IV in Mental Health is a shorter, more targeted option, and we have written up its entry requirements separately.
Credit for study you have already done
A lot of people arrive here part way through something. Community services or nursing qualifications, counselling units completed elsewhere, a Statement of Attainment from a short course.
Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer both apply to this qualification. With supporting evidence of prior study or relevant work experience, they can reduce your study load and your course duration. The time to raise it is before you enrol, with your education consultant, rather than after you have paid for units you did not need.
Payment plans are available, and an education consultant can give you current pricing and tell you how RPL affects the cost in your case.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really do the whole thing online?
Yes. Learning materials, assessments and the supervised counselling sessions are all delivered online. There is no campus attendance built into this qualification.
Are the simulated sessions done over Zoom?
The practical activities and the optional interactive sessions run online with specialist trainers. Your trainer will walk you through exactly how your sessions are scheduled and recorded when you start.
What happens if life gets in the way for a month?
Self-paced means the course waits for you. Talk to your trainer rather than going quiet, because they can reset the training plan around what is actually happening.
I have completed some of these units somewhere else. Do they count?
Possibly. Bring the Statement of Attainment to your education consultant before enrolling and ask for a Credit Transfer assessment. A trainer assesses the evidence and tells you where you stand.
Is counselling a good career to move into?
That depends on what you want from work, and we have covered it properly in is counselling a good career.
Where Upskilled fits in
The CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling is nationally recognised, 100% online and self-paced, with 17 units and no exams. Upskilled is a Registered Training Organisation, RTO No. 40374.
If you are weighing it against a broader community services qualification, compare it with the Diploma of Community Services, or browse the community services diploma courses together.
Career information is general and indicative. Study does not guarantee a job, a promotion or a particular salary.
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