The Diploma of Professional Counselling is an Industry Recognised Qualification, Allowing You to Practice as a Qualified Counsellor.

The nationally recognised Diploma of Professional Counselling is recognised by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), Australia's largest Member Association for Counsellors.

As part of its charter, ACA recognises courses that meet its training standards. These standards cover a broad range of areas, encompassing 11 core educational competencies, as well as ensuring AIPC as a training body maintains an exceptionally high professional standard.

When you graduate, you are automatically eligible to become a Qualified Member of the Australian Counselling Association. You will be able to get professional indemnity insurance (preferred rates), and your qualification and Membership will be accepted and regarded in the industry.

And while you're studying with the Institute...

Simply put, AIPC sets the benchmark in education support. Even if you decide to study entirely at home or online, you'll never be alone in your studies. We have specialised in external education for over 19 years and have the most highly qualified, professional support team in the industry. Help is only ever a phone call or email away. Our enormous pool of educational resources means you have access to:

• An Education team of over 65 degree qualified counselling professionals, all with extensive industry experience and teaching and assessing qualifications.

• You'll have access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to the online Knowledge Base that contains over 4,000 specific questions and answers relating to your course.

• You'll have unlimited FREE access 9am to 5pm (EST) to the 1300 Study Assistance Line where you can discuss any study questions you may have with qualified team members.

• You'll have unlimited email support. Send a question any time and have your enquiry replied to within 12 hours.

• And you'll have the support of your local Student Support Centre who will link you into a local student support network (if you wish to stay in touch with other students); help you prepare for your practical assessments; co-ordinate your In-Class or tutorial activities; and set you up in a number of volunteer opportunities if you wish to practice your skills in the field. 

You have been counselling a client in relation to her recent separation and divorce. The client and her husband are currently pursuing custody of their two small children through the courts. Your client is living with her children in their family home, whilst her ex-husband is staying with family friends. The house is going on the market in a few weeks and your client is packing up the family belongings.

In the process of packing, your client has stumbled across some pornographic magazines, left behind by her ex-husband. She is stunned to find a number of magazines containing explicit child pornography and mentions this to you in the course of a session. In addition, your client explains that her ex-husband is currently living with a family that has an 8-year-old daughter.

You have suggested that the client talk with her solicitor about this issue. The solicitor has recommended that she should wait and present the issue when the custody case is heard in court, as it will increase her chances of gaining full custody of the children.

Your client is still uncertain of the action she should take in this situation and has appealed to you for some advice. What would you advise your client to do in this dilemma? What would be your ethical obligation?

(6 people commented on this dilemma - click here to read their comments)

Opportunity for Workshop Presenters/Speakers

Do you deliver PD workshops for mental health professionals?

Counselling Academy (www.counsellingacademy.com.au) is offering a fantastic opportunity for counsellors and other mental health professionals who currently deliver live seminars and workshops in Australia and overseas.

The Institute has a list of recommended textbooks and DVDs which can add great value to your learning journey - and the good news is that you can purchase them very easily. The AIPC bookstore will give YOU:

• Discounted prices.
• Easy ordering method.
• Quality guarantee!

This fortnight's feature is...

Name: Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods, 8th edition

Author: Nichols, Schwartz

AIPC Code: NICHOLS

ISBN: 978-020-554-3205

AIPC Price: $106.15

Real-life case material and a comprehensive look at all major schools and developments in family therapy make this the text of choice for family therapy courses across the country.

Tired Of Expensive Hotel Bookings, Inconvenient Flight Schedules, Traffic Jams, Bad Conference Seats And Waiting Months For Events You Want To Attend?

Access Premium Quality Professional Development Online. There's No Simpler, More Cost Effective Way To Attain Your Mandatory PD And Learn New Skills.

All Counselling Academy courses and video workshops can be conveniently accessed online 24/7 - wherever you are! Imagine not having to worry about expensive, time consuming live PD events... well, that's already a reality.

With Counselling Academy, all you need is a computer with internet connection. You have the flexibility you want to fit your professional development around your life - and not the other way around. That means more time with your family, clients and friends when they need you.

Professionally Developed Programs

We understand the necessity to deliver high quality training as well as providing a practical platform to access it. That's why we employ a team of professionals (mostly with Masters and/or PhD qualifications) to develop courses non-stop.

For this reason, numerous Associations around Australia recognise Counselling Academy training for PD Points, including Australian Psychological Society (video workshops) and Australian Counselling Association.

Unlimited Access to PD

Counselling Academy's Unlimited Access memberships give you access to over 50 courses; over 560 hours of quality training; as well as access to all newly developed courses.

What do you normally pay for a professional development workshop? $150? $350? With CA's Unlimited Access Account you have access to over 50 training programs for under $1 a day!

As an Unlimited user you can:

• Subscribe to as many courses as you want, with just one click.
• Access exclusive video workshops.
• Fast-track your professional development.
• Easily meet your professional OPD requirements.
• Save $$$ with our monthly or annual payment options.
• Manage all your OPD training needs from a single location.

To find out more and register, visit www.counsellingacademy.com.au/courses and follow the prompt registration instructions.

URL: www.counsellingacademy.com.au

Staff Profile - Anda Davies

Position: Associate Lecturer

Location: Head Office

Anda Davies began working at the Institute in 1999 as an Assessor for the Diploma of Professional Counselling.

Throughout her 10 years, she has worked in a variety of areas from project development to education support. In 2008, the Institute introduced a Bachelor of Counselling to its extensive list of education programs and Anda has now moved into the role of Associate Lecturer.

Anda has been involved in the counselling profession for nearly twenty years with special interests in the areas of homelessness and social justice. She holds a Bachelor of Social Science, Diploma of Professional Counselling and a Master of Arts. Sometime in the future she would like to explore the possibility of completing a PhD!

Follow us on Twitter and get the latest and greatest in counselling news. To follow, visit https://twitter.com/counsellingnews and click "Follow".

Featured Tweets

1. Child Protection and Intervention. The relationship between a support worker and the client is the cornerstone... https://bit.ly/275TEt.

2. RT @SocialPsych: Web Study: Sympathy, Responsibility and Legal Intervention: https://tinyurl.com/ydpwnly.

3. Personality Need Type Profile. This exercise explores further the type of person you are and your personality needs: https://bit.ly/MRXAY.

4. Blog Update: Questioning - Questions during the counselling session can help to open up new areas for discussion... https://ow.ly/15ZRad.

5. "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." ~ Herm Albright

6. Therapeutic boundaries - why do we need them? https://bit.ly/kUKEh.  

7. What it means to be a Counsellor... https://bit.ly/1z9zbW.

Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/counsellingnews

Tweet Count: 312

Follower Count: 1326

"People love others not for who they are but for how they make them feel."

Many students of the Diploma of Professional Counselling attend seminars to complete the practical requirements of their course. Seminars provide an ideal opportunity to network with other students and liaise with qualified counselling professionals in conjunction with completing compulsory coursework.

Below are some of the seminars available in 2009. To register for a seminar, please contact your Student Support Centre.

BRISBANE

Communication Skills I - 05/12/09

Communication Skills II - 14/11/09

Counselling Therapies I - 21 & 22/11/09

Counselling Therapies II - 12 & 13/12/09

Counselling Applications - 28/11/09

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Communication Skills II - 14/11/09

Counselling Therapies II - 21 & 22/11/09

Case Management - 05 & 06/12/09

Counselling Applications - 07/11/09

TASMANIA

Communication Skills I - 15/11/09

Communication Skills II - 06/12/09

Counselling Therapies I - 12 & 13/12/09

Case Management - 21 & 22/11/09

Counselling Applications - 29/11/09

SYDNEY

Communication Skills I - 23/11, 10/12

Communication Skills II - 24/11, 11/12

The Counselling Process - 14/11, 05/12

Counselling Therapies II - 16 & 17/11

Case Management - 26 & 27/11

Counselling Applications - 12/12

MELBOURNE

Communication Skills II - 22/11

The Counselling Process - 04/12

Counselling Therapies I - 07 & 08/11

Counselling Therapies II - 19 & 20/11

Case Management - 29 & 30/11

Counselling Applications - 03/12

ADELAIDE

Communication Skills I - 05/12/09

Communication Skills II - 06/12/09

The Counselling Process - 28/11/09

Counselling Therapies I - 07 & 08/11/09

Counselling Therapies II - 21 & 22/11/09

Counselling Applications - 29/11/09

PERTH

Communication Skills I - 07/11/09

Communication Skills II - 08/11/09

The Counselling Process - 05/12/09

Counselling Applications - 28/11/09

SUNSHINE COAST

The Counselling Process - 28/11/09

Case Management - 14 & 15/11/09

Counselling Applications - 12/12/09

GOLD COAST

Communication Skills I - 21/11/09

Counselling Therapies II - 28 & 29/11/09

*Advertising of the dates above does not guarantee availability of places in the seminar. Please check availability with the respective Student Support Centre.

AIPC - Counselling Courses

Diploma of Professional Counselling

Bachelor of Counselling

Vocational Graduate Qualifications

AICS - Community Services Courses

Certificate III in Community Services Work

Certificate III in Home and Community Care

Certificate IV in Community Services Work

Diploma of Community Services Management

Diploma of Community Welfare Work

Diploma of Community Services (Case Management)

Diploma of Community Services (Financial Counselling)

Certificate III in Children's Services

Certificate IV in Children's Services (Outside School Hours Care)

Diploma of Children's Services (Outside School Hours Care)

Diploma of Children's Services (Early Childhood Education and Care)

Certificate III in Aged Care

Certificate IV in Aged Care