Contact
Address: 290 Park Street, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Phone: (03) 9486 3077
Email: info@pacfa.org.au
Website: https://www.pacfa.org.au/
About
The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) is a national peak body for counsellors and psychotherapists in Australia.
PACFA’s mission is to advance the health and well-being of diverse Australia communities by developing the practice of psychotherapy and counselling and through the capacity and success of our members. PACFA supports its individual and organisational members through advocacy on behalf of the psychotherapy and counselling profession to communities, government, private health funds and other key stakeholders
PACFA’s advocacy aims include:
- Increased recognition of counsellors and psychotherapists as skilled members of the mental health workforce by governments, private health funds and other key stakeholders
- Improving the mental health and wellbeing of diverse groups in Australian communities through better access to counsellors and psychotherapists
- Support for and development of the counselling and psychotherapy workforce
- Strengthening the capacity of PACFA as a peak body for the counselling and psychotherapy profession
- Development of the evidence-base relating to effectiveness of counselling and psychotherapy
PACFA’s role as a national peak is the effective regulation of the counselling and psychotherapy profession to ensure the quality and safety of the services delivered by our members. PACFA have a range of industry-based regulatory mechanisms in place to support self-regulation of the profession including:
- Standards for counselling and psychotherapy training
- National Register of suitably qualified counsellors and psychotherapists
- Annual supervision and professional development requirements
- Insurance requirements
- Code of Ethics and other standards for professional practice
- Complaints handling process
In addition to having robust processes for self-regulation, counsellors and psychotherapists are also subject to a limited form of co-regulation that applies to all self-regulating health professions through the National Code of Conduct for Health Care Workers.