Guidance Counsellor

What does a guidance counsellor do?

A Guidance Counsellor provides valuable support and assistance to school students of all ages. They work closely with students who may be struggling with their mental health, experiencing bullying, encountering issues at home, or facing learning challenges. As a Guidance Counsellor, your role would involve helping students navigate and overcome these issues, equipping them with strategies and a clear way forward. This may include helping students to establish career goals, developing plans to achieve academic success, or referring students to other health professionals such as Psychologists for further support. In this role, you will often work alongside Teachers, admin staff and parents to provide support for the student. Typically, you would be based at a school and deliver counselling services one-on-one or in small groups. 

A Guidance Counsellor can also be known as a Guidance Officer, Educational Counsellor, or Student Counsellor.

Is a career as a guidance counsellor right for me?

The work of a Guidance Counsellor suits someone who is caring and empathic. Other skills and attributes beneficial for this role include:

• an eagerness to help others 
• strong communication skills 
• good listening abilities 
• a highly organised nature
• an interest in analysis and problem-solving 
• a high ethical standard.

How to become a guidance counsellor

Every journey to study is individual and there are several paths to reaching your career goals. At UniSQ, we offer the following degrees in the area of counselling in education: