Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Foundations of Practice)

Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of specialised theories and models fundamental to fields associated with counselling.
2. Demonstrate advanced interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills that are appropriate from a decolonising perspective when communicating with culturally diverse audiences, including clients and professionals, utilising person-first language.
3. Demonstrate critical reasoning, judgement, and problem-solving in the exploration of a range of professional, legal, and ethical practice issues.
4. Consolidate theory and practice within an integrative framework to effectively provide client-centred, trauma-informed counselling within diverse contexts and client groups, including Indigenous Australians.

Enhance your career and gain foundational skills in counselling with UniSQ’s Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Foundations of Practice). You’ll learn to consolidate theory and practice within an integrative framework to effectively provide client-centred, trauma-informed counselling within diverse contexts and client groups, including Indigenous Australians. The skills you will gain from your counselling studies will be transferable between nursing, psychology, teaching, welfare, human services or allied health practices. There is a four-day mandatory residential school for each of the four Foundations of Practice courses, where you'll get hands-on practice at UniSQ Ipswich and learn from staff and other students.

Recommended study pattern

Year 1

COU5101 Counselling Skills and Applications

COU6103 Presenting Issues and Mental Health

COU5104 Counselling Frameworks

COU6102 Professional Counselling Practice, Identity and Ethics

Award requirements

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $13,320

The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

As Australia’s #1 university for graduate starting salary (Good Universities Guide, 2022), University of Southern Queensland is the right place to make real progress. Regardless of your education history, your age or your aspirations, at UniSQ you’ll be inspired by quality learning experiences matched with top resources and research. Having delivered distance and online learning for over 40+ years, UniSQ supports you to learn at your own pace—exactly how it suits you.

Learn more about USQ.

Explore USQ courses.

QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

24

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

25

All students are required to satisfy the applicable English language requirements. For entry to the Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Foundations of Practice) program, applicants are required to meet the Category 3 English Language Proficiency requirements.

Residential School requirements to complete practical components of some courses.