10900NAT Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Christian)

The Graduate Diploma provides an environment where students will develop their professional counselling and therapy skills. aifc’s aim is to train Christian counsellors who ethically and effectively integrate their faith and practice.

The Graduate Diploma is structured to have three specific goals for students including:

Enhance knowledge and skills of those already holding counselling qualifications or develop new knowledge and skills for those with other undergraduate degrees.
Fulfill recognition and industry standards in providing Level 1 recognition with the Australian Counselling Association.
Enhance the leadership ability and scope of influence of students in the counselling profession and the broader community.

Applicants who hold an undergraduate (or higher) qualification are eligible for entry into the Graduate Diploma. Areas of focus such as foundational counselling skills, self-care, trauma informed practice, and specialty electives ensure you receive advanced counselling skills and are equipped to build and maintain a healthy vocational life.

Delivery

The Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Christian) can be completed over 12 months by studying three units per term, or 18 months by studying two units per term, or 24 months by studying one or two units per term. Each term is 8-week terms.

Our students appreciate the structure and discipline of working methodically through units with fellow students and the support of an assessor they know by name and develop relationships with. The course is not self-paced. The rhythm of known due dates and regular submission of assessment tasks promotes timely progression through to completion.

Being an online course, you can study from anywhere in the world that has a reliable high-speed internet connection. Our video conferencing, recording, communication, and learning management platforms allow you to attend training, receive support from staff, connect with other students, and complete practical assessment requirements efficiently.

Live online and interactive training sessions take place at the beginning of each unit, but there are also recordings available if you cannot attend live.

The online experience is enhanced by skills-based seminars and workshops held over two days each term. The majority of the days are held online, but two days per year are offered face-to-face in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. These are predominantly held online on a Friday and Saturday once a term and offer opportunities for further practical skills practice, exposure to additional theory, group supervision, and role play demonstrations. There are minimum attendance requirements for these seminars.

You will also be required to attend a mandatory one-day online Self-Care intensive as part of your first unit of study (NAT1090001 Manage own self-care in professional practice).

Course Units

Core Units

NAT10900001	Manage own self care in professional practice	Analyse one’s own professional wellbeing and care for self as part of an ongoing review for sustaining health and professional counselling practice. Evaluate the role socio-cultural issues and one’s past history have with regards to practitioner self-efficacy; with the view to implementing good self-care practices. Set personal goals to achieve a self-care regime.
NAT10900002	Establish and apply counselling skills	Apply specific and specialised communication skills in the client-counsellor relationship. Assess the client’s wellbeing, safety concerns and goals, and use counselling skills with a structured approach to counselling to work with clients on personal and psychological issues.
CHCPRP007	Work within a Clinical Supervision Framework	Initiate, prepare for and participate in a structured process of clinical supervision.
NAT10900004	Work with complex contemporary and ethical issues in counselling	Explore and counsel clients dealing with complex contemporary legal, social and ethical issues in integrated counselling. Consider potential dilemmas in counselling practice and how these can be adequately addressed by practitioners. Reflect on one’s values and beliefs and be encouraged to think critically and ethically.
NAT10900006	Assess and provide counselling for common mental disorders	Provide effective counselling to those who experience common mental health issues. Recognise circumstances and events that may lead to common mental health issues and provide effective therapeutic responses to these.
NAT10900003	Provide trauma informed approaches to therapy	Provide effective therapy to those who have experienced reactions to trauma. Recognise circumstances and events that may lead to trauma reactions and provide effective therapy responses to these.
NAT10900005	Apply Christian Counselling to common spiritual issues	Interpret Biblical passages and apply theological insights in counselling. Specifically, a Christian counselling approach is applied to common spiritual issues of rejection, forgiveness, identity and self-acceptance.
NAT10900007	Evaluate and apply a new theoretical approach of counselling	Application of a new theoretical approach of counselling applied to suit a client’s presentation. Identify gaps in the counselling theoretical approaches one uses in practice and then research, critique, and apply a theoretical approach that could be suitable for a client’s presentation and evaluate outcomes.

Electives

CHCGRP005	Plan and provide group counselling	Plan for group counselling, develop a therapeutic alliance for change with the group, manage the group process and evaluate the outcomes of group counselling sessions. This unit goes beyond psycho-educational group work.
NAT10900010	Provide therapy for clients with behavioural addictions	Provide effective therapy for clients with addictive behaviours. Assess the nature and extent of various common addictions and provide effective therapy in response.
CHCFCS004	Provide Grief and Loss Counselling	Explore the meaning and effect of grief and loss issues and work with individuals and families experiencing grief and loss.
NAT10900016	Evaluate and apply common counselling approaches integrating psychology and spirituality	Explore and apply common approaches to integrated psychology and spirituality. This includes psychodynamic psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, experiential psychotherapy and the use of psychopharmacological medication.
NAT10900011	Identify and develop counselling business opportunities	Develop a business plan and implement a marketing strategy to win new business in the counselling industry
NAT10900008	Conduct family counselling	Conduct family counselling from a systemic perspective. Engage with family members to identify and explore areas of problematic functioning and apply Christian counselling interventions to assist the family to remediate patterns of interaction.
CHCDFV006	Counsel clients affected by domestic and family violence	Use counselling and facilitation skills to explore client issues and identify possible options by providing a safe and supportive environment. Encourage clients to be actively involved in seeking their own solutions
NAT10900015	Provide counselling to clients with mental health and alcohol and other drug issues	Provide effective services to clients with mental health and alcohol and other drug issues. Understand the complexity of comorbidity conditions, assess these and provide appropriate services within a holistic treatment approach

(NB Not all electives are offered in every quarter)

Entry Criteria

Be of a mature age (over 18 years) with appropriate employment or life experiences. Applicants who hold an undergraduate (or higher) qualification are eligible for entry into the Graduate Diploma. Applicants would have either existing experience within the people-helping profession and are looking to develop professionally or who hold an interest and wish to develop professional skills in a new area. A VET Student Loan may be accessed by eligible students for any unit in their 10900NAT Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Christian).

Seminar Locations

The 10900NAT Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Christian) is delivered online with Seminar Days at the following locations:

NSW

Stanmore House
53 Harrow Road
Stanmore NSW 2048

VIC

One Church
184 Surrey Rd,
Blackburn VIC 3130

QLD

Springlife
178 Springwood Road
Springwood QLD 4127

WA

Perth Bible College
1 College Court
Karrinyup WA 6018

2024 Course Fees

The Quarter 4, 2024 course fees for the 10900NAT Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Christian) are $14,400.00. Click here to see a detailed breakdown of unit costs and availability of VET Student Loan funding

Enrol Now

Contact Us

Monday to Friday 9am-5pm

(02) 6242 5111

1300 721 397 (Toll free)

info@aifc.com.au

About this course

Ready to take the next step in your counselling journey?

Our Graduate Diploma of Counselling is designed to help you gain skills counselling, while providing a unique opportunity to develop personally, spiritually, and professionally. Whether you’re aiming to become a professional counsellor, serve in a pastoral role, or enhance your existing career, this course equips you to support others in their healing, relationships and growth, integrating both faith and practice.

Upon completing the Graduate Diploma of Counselling, you will have:

Integrated your faith and therapeutic practice within a Biblically informed Christian worldview.
Practised core counselling skills and applied therapeutic knowledge with real clients.
Met industry standards and become eligible for Level 1 membership with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and Graduate Member Level with Christian Counselling Association of Australia (CCAA)
Qualified for advanced standing on entry to the Master of Counselling with our partner, ACOM.

Graduates of the Graduate Diploma receive 50 per cent credit towards the Master of Counselling, creating a 2-year full-time pathway to one of the most comprehensive and cost-effective Master of Counselling programs in the industry.

This program offers a solid foundation in core counselling skills, trauma-informed practice, and ethical Christian counselling, while electives allow you to specialise and deepen your knowledge.

Why choose this course?

Core units focus on essential counselling skills, trauma-informed practice, self-care, and ethical counselling from a Christian perspective.
Learn in a collaborative environment with classmates who are covering the same material, gaining insights together.
Regular feedback from trainers ensures you make consistent progress and continue improving your counselling skills.
Develop effective time management skills with a structured course that includes set deadlines.

With our focus on Christian counselling and a learning experience that supports your academic, spiritual, and personal growth, you’ll be better equipped to support those around you in a variety of settings, including professional counselling roles and pastoral care.

Eligible students can access Vet Student Loans (VSL) to help fund this course. Learn more about VSL eligibility here .