Thank you for applying for Provisional Membership. Your commitment to maintaining high standards of ethical and competent practice in the industry is important to PACFA.
Before completing your application for Provisional Membership, read about our eligibility criteria and compile the documents listed in the below application checklists in one single PDF or zip folder. Please also have a credit card for payment at hand to complete the application.
If applying via the Accredited Training pathway, submit the documents listed in the Accredited Training application checklist.
Please note that the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathway is currently under review and we are not taking any new applications until the review is complete. All current applications will be prioritized during this process.
PLEASE NOTE: You will be asked to log in/create an account before you are able to complete the below application form. The application automatically saves so you are able to return to it later if you need to pause. The application fee is non-refundable.
For assistance with your application please reach out to the PACFA office at [email protected] or via telephone on (03) 9486-3077.
Processing times for Clinical, Provisional, and Academic applications can take up to 6-8 weeks. Unfortunately, we cannot expedite applications.
Join the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
Be part of a
n industry
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leading national
organisation
committed to furthering the counselling and psychotherapy profession.
Broaden your network, support high standards in your industry and deepen your knowledge by joining the PACFA community. PACFA members benefit from our high-level advocacy and the opportunities we open for members’ professional recognition and employment. As a practising member you can access our competitively-priced professional indemnity and public liability insurance, peer networks, member discounts for continuing professional development and access to our jobs list/therapist directory. Membership for students of counselling or psychotherapy is free.
See the comprehensive list of member benefits.
Check whether the course you have completed is PACFA-accredited.
Applying with a qualification from overseas? Read more about the application process.
For ACA members: Find further information on which category your ACA membership translates to and how to apply.
PACFA membership categories
Clinical: PACFA’s highest level of membership, you completed your studies more than 2 years ago and have accrued a minimum of 750 hours of client contact and 75 hours of supervision since completing your studies. Apply for clinical membership.
Provisional (early career): This level is for practitioners who have finished their training within the past 2 years/have not accrued the minimum 750 hours of client contact and 75 hours of supervision to meet the standards for clinical membership. The majority of PACFA members apply at provisional level, and later upgrade to clinical membership once they have accrued the client and supervision hours for clinical registration. Apply for provisional membership.
Provisional (new graduate): Have you completed your studies within the last two years? This membership has the same benefits as our early career or provisional category, and on the Find a Therapist directory you will be visible as ‘provisional’. However, new graduates benefit from a reduced fee (25% discount in first year of membership) to support you at the beginning of your career. Apply for provisional new graduate membership.
Member association member: If you are a practising member of one of PACFA’s Member Associations, you can apply to PACFA to be listed on our register as either provisional or clinical and receive PACFA member opportunities. Apply for member association membership.
Academic: An educator in the field of counselling and/or psychotherapy, you will be contributing to the field through research and education. Apply for academic membership.
Affiliate: Are you interested in the counselling and psychotherapy field, or do you use counselling skills in a related field to support clients? Affiliate membership offers association with PACFA and access to our resources. Affiliate members may have trained in a related field, or have training outside of PACFA’s requirements, but appreciate the value in being a part of the PACFA community. Apply for affiliate membership.
Student: Student membership is free for all students completing a counselling and/or psychotherapy course. As a student member, you will receive free insurance for your placement(s), our publications, and access to discounted professional development provided by our expert community of members. Apply for student membership.
See a list of our fees.
Processing times for clinical, provisional, and academic member applications can take up to 6-8 weeks. Unfortunately, we cannot expedite applications.
Georgia Heraghty
Registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist
Provisional Psychologist
BA-PsychBHlth; GDipPsych(Adv); MCounsPsychTh;
Georgia joined the team at Bold Psychology in 2017. Georgia is a clinical registrant of PACFA (Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia) and is also registered as a provisional psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Georgia has chosen to be educated across the fields of psychology, counselling, and psychotherapy to ensure she offers a well-rounded service for mental health support. Georgia is passionate about helping children, teens and young adults in areas such as managing depression, anxiety, stress, grief, identity, bullying, and life on the Autism Spectrum. Georgia is motivated to assist both individuals and their families to reduce their stress by improving support and communication to make meaningful changes in their lives. Georgia draws upon knowledge from various evidence-based modalities of therapy, including person-centered therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy.
Georgia values a collaborative, inclusive approach to therapy, with focus on building independence and empowerment to promote meaningful and healing change. As Georgia is a Clinical Registrant of PACFA, you may access Private Health Fund rebates for sessions if you have the appropriate cover. You may also use your NDIS funds to cover counselling sessions.
Medicare Mental Health Care Plans are not currently available for use with sessions with Georgia.
Qualifications:
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Bachelor of Arts – Psychology with the degree of Bachelor of Health – Macquarie University
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Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) – Deakin University
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Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy – Australian College of Applied Psychology
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Member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
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Member of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
Eligibility for Clinical or Provisional membership
Check whether the course you have studied is on our list of accredited courses. If your course is listed, please follow the application checklist and apply now.
If the course you have studied is not accredited with PACFA, you must have studied a course that meets the following criteria:
- The course must be at an AQF Level 7 (Bachelor degree) or above;
- You must study over 2 or more years (part or full-time study is accepted);
- Within the course, there must be a minimum of 400 hours of instruction in counselling/psychotherapy specific subjects (ie. lectures, tutorials, workshops);
– of these 400 hours, 140 hours must be face-to-face and in person - Additionally, within the course there must be a placement with a minimum of 40 hours of client contact, and 10 hours of supervision attached to this client contact.
In order to register with PACFA as a Clinical member, you must have studied a course that meets the above, and meet the following criteria:
- You have graduated from your counselling and/or psychotherapy course more than 2 years ago;
- You have accrued a minimum of 750 hours of client contact since graduating; and
- You have accrued a minimum of 75 hours of supervision on these client hours.
- At least 50% of the minimum requirement for supervision must be met by individual supervision.
For both Provisional and Clinical membership, you must also hold Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance. You can purchase this at a discounted rate with your PACFA membership, or provide proof that you have your own policy or are covered by your employer.
Read our application checklist.
Join as a Clinical Member
Join as a Provisional Member
Please note that the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathway is currently under review and is on hold. All current applications will be prioritized during this process.
Eligibility for Academic membership
Eligibility for Academic membership is based on the following:
- You have relevant training, such as a degree or PhD in counselling and/or psychotherapy, or a degree in education;
- You have been employed in a teaching role with a minimum of a 0.5 workload (19 hours per week) for at least two years;
- You have made a contribution to the field through research and education, with things such as published papers and conference presentations; and
- You are insured for your teaching practise by your employer.
As Academic membership is a non-practising membership, if you see clients as a counsellor or psychotherapist, you must register as either Provisional or Clinical. Academic membership is only for those who teach or research but do not practise.
Join as an Academic Member
Eligibility for Affiliate membership
To join PACFA as an Affiliate member, you must be interested in the counselling and psychotherapy field, or use counselling skills to support clients through your work in another discipline.
Affiliate is a non-practising membership, and is not an endorsement by PACFA to practise.
Join as an Affiliate Member
Eligibility for Student membership
To join PACFA as a Student member, you must be enrolled in and currently studying a counselling and/or psychotherapy course. Once you have finished your studies, if they meet the requirements you will be able to apply for Provisional membership.
Read our student information pack.
Join as a Student Member
