10 reasons to choose Deakin's Master of Counselling

Choosing where to study counselling is a big decision. It shapes not only what you know, but the kind of practitioner you become.

If you’re looking for a qualification that builds strong professional identity, real clinical confidence and skills grounded in the realities of counselling practice in Australia today, Deakin’s Master of Counselling offers a distinct advantage.

Here are 10 reasons to choose Deakin.

When you study Deakin’s Master of Counselling, your degree is accredited by both the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).

This dual accreditation gives you a clear and credible pathway into professional counselling practice. You can feel confident that what you’re learning aligns with national standards and current professional expectations.

Demand for counsellors continues to grow, especially in areas that require depth, specialist knowledge and strong ethical foundations.

Your training focuses on the kinds of client experiences and challenges you're most likely to encounter in contemporary Australian practice, including:

• family violence
• relationships
• trauma
• sex and sexuality
• grief and loss.

You won't just study theory – you'll graduate prepared for the complexity of real client work.

Deakin’s Master of Counselling is the only counselling course in Victoria where you graduate with a Specialist Family Violence Practitioner qualification.

Family violence underpins many presenting concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma responses, relationship difficulties, parenting stress, substance use and workplace challenges.

By developing specialist capability in this area, you’ll be equipped to recognise risk, respond ethically and provide safe, informed support across diverse client contexts.

Deakin’s Master of Counselling is the only counselling program in Australia to offer specialist teaching and training in sex and sexuality.

Sexuality intersects with identity, relationships, trauma, mental health, culture, intimacy, shame and wellbeing. When you graduate with confidence in this area, you position yourself as a contemporary, inclusive and capable practitioner.

Your learning is grounded in cultural humility, ethical practice and respect for diversity.

You’ll be supported to reflect on your own values, assumptions and biases, while building the skills needed to work effectively with people across different backgrounds, identities and lived experiences.

Placements are one of the most important – and sometimes most stressful – parts of counsellor training. At Deakin, you’re actively supported throughout the process.

You'll benefit from:

• strong national connections with a wide range of placement hosts
  
• access to placement opportunities exclusive to Deakin
  
• dedicated support to help you secure a suitable placement
  
• in-house clinical supervision from highly experienced, accredited counsellors.
  

You'll be supported, challenged and guided as you develop professional competence.

Your course is led by practising counsellors who bring strong clinical leadership and real-world experience into every subject.

Throughout your studies, you’ll intentionally shape your professional identity and gain clarity about how you work and who you are as a practitioner.

All counselling teaching staff and clinical supervisors maintain active professional practice and registration.

You’ll gain hands-on experience, applying evidence-based frameworks while learning to navigate the nuance, complexity and humanity of real client work. 

When you choose Deakin, you study at a university ranked #1 in Victoria for student satisfaction, graduate outcomes, course satisfaction and student support in the latest Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) and related surveys.

You’ll be part of a high-performing academic environment with a strong culture of support and professionally focused learning.

Recent research found that only around 15% of accredited counselling programs in Australia have a staffing profile where senior experienced counsellors comprise the majority of the teaching team.^* Deakin is proud to fit in that category.

This is a major point of difference. It means you are learning from a team rich in senior clinical expertise, professional wisdom and contemporary practice experience. At Deakin, you are trained by counsellors who hold the highest levels of professional practice and industry membership, helping you develop stronger clinical confidence, sharper skills and a clearer professional identity as a counsellor.