Counsellor vs Psychologist vs Social Worker: Which Mental Health Career Suits You?

In Australia, the three main mental health career pathways are counsellor, psychologist, and social worker. A counsellor can typically qualify in 12 to 18 months through the CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling (AU$4,500 to $7,000), registers with the ACA, and earns AU$78,000 to $105,000. A clinical psychologist requires six or more years of study (AU$30,000 to $60,000+), must register with AHPRA, and starts to earn approx AU$100,000 to $115,000+. A social worker completes a four-year Bachelor of Social Work (AU$25,000 to $45,000), registers with the AASW, and earns AU$80,000 to $100,000. Counselling offers the fastest, most affordable, and most flexible entry into mental health work, with projected workforce growth of 15 per cent by 2028. All three pathways are needed, and starting with a counselling diploma does not close any doors to further study or specialisation; in fact, it could help open them to related higher education.

Key Takeaways

1. Counselling is the fastest entry point. You can qualify as a counsellor in 12 to 18 months with a Diploma, compared to four years for social work and six or more years for psychology.
2. All three careers lead to meaningful mental health work, but they differ in scope: counsellors typically focus on therapeutic support, psychologists on diagnosis and assessment, and social workers are typically on systemic advocacy and case management.
3. Counsellor demand in Australia is growing at 15 percent to 2028, with approximately 3,500 new roles projected. Almost half of all Australians will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime, and the need for accessible, qualified counsellors has never been higher.
4. You can switch or upuskill later. A CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling could articulate into a bachelor degree or graduate diploma with credit, and many counsellors go on to pursue postgraduate qualifications over time without losing momentum in their career.
5. Counselling offers one of the highest lifestyle flexibility of the three pathways, with strong options for private practice, telehealth, part-time work, and EAP panel work that psychology and social work roles do not typically provide at entry level.

If you want to build a career helping people with their mental health and wellbeing, Australia offers three main professional pathways: counsellor, psychologist, and social worker. All three involve working directly with people. All three address mental health, emotional challenges, and life transitions. And all three are in demand.

But they are not the same profession. They differ in what you study, how long you study, what you are qualified to do, where you work, and how much you earn. Choosing the wrong pathway, or choosing one without understanding the alternatives, can cost you years and tens of thousands of dollars.

This guide compares all three careers side by side, so you can make a clear, informed choice based on your goals, your life circumstances, and how you actually want to spend your working days.

The Quick Comparison

Counsellor

What they do: Counsellors help individuals, couples, and families work through emotional, relational, and psychological challenges using talk-based therapies. They focus on areas such as anxiety, depression, grief, stress, life transitions, relationship breakdown, and addiction. Counsellors work with clients to develop coping strategies, build self-awareness, and create positive change.

What they do not do: Counsellors do not diagnose mental health disorders, prescribe medication, or conduct formal psychological assessments. Their scope of practice typically centres on therapeutic support and skill-building rather than clinical diagnosis.

Minimum qualification: CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling (12 to 18 months). A Bachelor or Master of Counselling is also available for those seeking advanced roles.

Registration: Voluntary membership with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA). The title “counsellor” is not a protected title in Australia, meaning anyone can technically call themselves a counsellor, but professional registration is the standard that employers and clients look for.

Typical salary: AU$78,000 to AU$105,000 per year, depending on experience, specialisation, and setting. Private practice counsellors may earn more depending on caseload and session fees.

Psychologist

What they do: Psychologists typically study human behaviour and mental processes. Registered psychologists assess, diagnose, and treat mental health disorders using evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other clinical frameworks. They may also conduct psychometric testing, forensic assessments, and neuropsychological evaluations.

What they do not do: Psychologists in Australia cannot prescribe medication (this is the domain of psychiatrists, who are medical doctors). However, their scope of practice is broader than counsellors, particularly in diagnosis and formal assessment.

Minimum qualification: A minimum of six years of study, comprising a four-year accredited psychology degree (three years plus an honours year), followed by a two-year supervised practice pathway (such as a Master of Professional Psychology or a registrar program). Clinical psychologists require additional postgraduate training beyond general registration.

Registration: Mandatory registration with the Psychology Board of Australia through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). The title “psychologist” is a protected title, meaning it is illegal to use it without AHPRA registration.

Typical salary: AU$100,000 to AU$115,000 per year for general psychologists. Clinical psychologists and those in senior roles can earn AU$120,000 or more. Private practice psychologists may earn significantly higher depending on caseload.

Social Worker

What they do: Social workers support individuals, families, and communities to address social disadvantage, inequality, and systemic barriers. They typically work across child protection, family violence, housing and homelessness, disability, aged care, mental health, and community development. Social workers often act as advocates, case managers, and systemic change agents.

What they do not do: Social workers are not primarily therapists (though some practise clinical social work with additional training). Their focus is broader than individual therapy, as they address the social, economic, and structural factors that affect a person’s wellbeing, not just the psychological ones.

Minimum qualification: A four-year Bachelor of Social Work accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). A two-year Master of Social Work (qualifying) is also available for career changers who hold a prior undergraduate degree.

Registration: Membership with the AASW is voluntary but widely expected by employers, particularly in government roles. The title “social worker” is not protected in all states, but AASW membership is the professional benchmark.

Typical salary: AU$80,000 to AU$100,000 per year. Senior social workers in government or hospital settings may earn AU$110,000 or more.

Detailed Comparison Table

Why Counselling Stands Out Among the Three

All three professions are valuable, and Australia needs each one. But if you are reading this as someone weighing up your options, especially as a career changer, a parent returning to the workforce, or someone who simply wants to start helping people without spending half a decade in university, counselling deserves a closer look. Here is why.

The Demand Is Real and Growing

Australia is facing a sustained shortage of accessible mental health professionals. Almost half of all Australians will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime, yet wait times for psychologists in many parts of the country stretch to months. The Australian Counselling Association’s workforce now includes approximately 34,600 professionals, and Jobs and Skills Australia projects growth of around 15 percent between 2023 and 2028, equating to thousands of new roles.

This is not abstract data. It means that when you qualify as a counsellor, the community genuinely needs you. Schools need you. Community organisations need you. EAP providers need you. Regional and rural towns, where psychologist shortages are most acute, need you urgently.

Psychologists are also in demand, but the six-year training pipeline means new graduates enter the workforce slowly. Social work roles are growing too, but are concentrated in government and institutional settings with less flexibility. Counselling typically fills a critical gap: it produces qualified, registered practitioners more quickly and places them in settings where demand is highest, including private practice, telehealth, community services, schools, and workplaces.

The Impact You Can Make

Counselling sits at the frontline of mental health support. You are often the first professional a person reaches out to when they are struggling. Not because their GP referred them through a formal pathway. Not because a court mandated it. But because they chose to seek help and to trust a counsellor.

That is a powerful position to be in.

Consider the breadth of impact a single counsellor can have. In one week, you might support a teenager navigating school-based anxiety, help a couple rebuild trust after a betrayal, walk alongside a man processing grief for the first time in his life, and provide crisis support to an employee dealing with workplace bullying. Each of those interactions has a ripple effect. The teenager performs better at school and strengthens their family relationships. The couple models healthier communication for their children. The grieving man reconnects with his social network instead of withdrawing. The employee stays in work and avoids a mental health crisis that could have led to a compensation claim, a hospital admission, or worse.

Psychologists make a similar therapeutic impact, but within a narrower clinical scope and with a much longer training investment before they can begin. Social workers create systemic change that benefits entire communities, but often through coordination and policy rather than direct, one-on-one therapeutic relationships. Counselling offers the most immediate, personal, and relational form of impact, and you can start delivering it within 12 to 18 months of beginning your training.

The Accessibility Is Unmatched

This is the practical advantage that changes the equation for most people considering a mental health career.

To become a psychologist, you need six or more years of full-time study, tens of thousands of dollars in tuition, an honours year with competitive entry, and a postgraduate placement that is increasingly difficult to secure. The pathway is rigorous and rewarding, but it is not accessible to someone who needs to keep working, raising a family, or managing a mortgage while they study.

To become a social worker, you need a four-year Bachelor degree or a two-year qualifying Master (if you already hold an undergraduate degree). This is more accessible than psychology, but still represents a significant time and financial commitment.

To become a counsellor, you need 12 to 18 months and between AU$1,500 and AU$8,000 for the Diploma. You can study entirely online, at your own pace, while continuing to work in your current role. There are no prerequisite degrees, no competitive entry hurdles, and no campus attendance requirements.

Analogy: If the three pathways were routes to the same mountain summit, psychology would be the technical climbing route that requires years of training and specialised gear. Social work is the established hiking trail, well-marked and reliable, but long. Counselling is the direct access road, paved and open to anyone willing to do the work, and once you reach the base, every other trail on the mountain is still available to you.

And that last point is essential. The Diploma does not close doors. It opens the first one. You can articulate into a Bachelor degree with credit for prior learning. You can pursue a Graduate Diploma or a Master of Counselling for specialisation. You can even use it as a stepping stone into psychology if that becomes your goal later. But you start helping people now, not in six years.

Which Career Suits You Best?

There is no objectively “best” career among these three. The right choice depends on your interests, strengths, and life circumstances.

Counselling may be the best fit if you:

• Are drawn to one-on-one or small-group therapeutic work
• Want to start working in the mental health field quickly (12 to 18 months with a Diploma)
• Value flexibility, including the option for private practice, telehealth, and part-time work
• Want a career change without committing to four to six years of university study
• Are interested in areas like relationship counselling, grief, stress, addiction, or general wellbeing
• Have strong empathy, communication, and listening skills that you want to formalise

Psychology may be the best fit if you:

• Are interested in the science of human behaviour and mental processes
• Want to conduct formal psychological assessments and diagnose mental health disorders
• Are prepared to invest six or more years in study and supervised training
• Are comfortable with academic research, report writing, and clinical frameworks
• Want access to the highest clinical earning potential in private practice (over time)

Social work may be the best fit if you:

• Are passionate about social justice, equity, and addressing systemic disadvantage
• Want to work across a wide range of settings, from child protection to hospital wards to policy development
• Are comfortable with advocacy, case management, and systems navigation (not primarily therapy)
• Want to work in government or large organisations where structured career progression is available
• Are prepared for emotionally demanding work that often involves complex, multi-agency coordination

Can You Switch Between These Career Options?

Yes, and many people do. The pathways are more connected than they appear.

A counsellor with a Diploma could later pursue higher education to access higher-level roles. Some counsellors also pursue a Graduate Diploma of Relationship Counselling as a pathway into psychology registration, though this requires additional years of study and supervised practice.

A psychology graduate who finds that formal assessment work does not suit them can complete a counselling qualification and focus on therapeutic practice instead.

A social worker who wants to move into clinical therapy can undertake additional training in clinical social work or counselling to expand their scope.

The important thing is to start with the pathway that matches your current circumstances and goals, knowing that you can always expand, specialise, or pivot later.

The Bottom Line

All three professions, counsellor, psychologist, and social worker, contribute to mental health and wellbeing in Australia. They address different aspects of the same challenge, and the community needs all three.

If you want to enter the mental health field in the shortest time, with the lowest cost, and with the most flexibility in how and where you work, counselling through the Diploma pathway is the most accessible entry point. It does not limit your options. It opens the first door, and every other door remains available to you down the road.

For many people, counselling is not just the easiest path into mental health work. It is the most meaningful one, because it puts you in a room with another human being, building trust and creating change, faster than any other professional pathway in Australia.

To explore whether counselling is the right fit for your goals and life stage, speak with a course advisor at IAP on 1300 915 497.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a counsellor the same as a psychologist?
No. Counsellors focus on therapeutic support and skill-building through talk-based therapies. Psychologists are trained to assess, diagnose, and treat mental health disorders. In Australia, “psychologist” is a protected title requiring AHPRA registration, while “counsellor” is not protected but is professionally regulated through ACA and PACFA membership.

Can a counsellor diagnose depression or anxiety?
A counsellor cannot provide a formal clinical diagnosis. However, counsellors are trained to recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions and to refer clients to a psychologist or GP for formal assessment when appropriate

Do I need a degree to become a counsellor in Australia?
No. The CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling is the minimum qualification accepted for ACA membership and is typically sufficient for many counselling roles in community services, private practice, and EAP settings.

Which career pays the most?
Psychologists generally earn the highest average salary (AU$100K to $115K+), but this reflects six or more years of study and training. Counsellors in established private practice can also achieve strong earnings, particularly with specialisation.

If you want to learn how you could become a counsellor, click here or call 1300 915 497.