PACFA Training Standards

Introduction
The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) represents a unique venture in the history of psychotherapy and counselling in Australia. For the first time, representatives of the major public and private providers have pooled the richness of their resources to present to the consumer a Federation with clear standards and protective ethical integrity.

This venture has required enormous good will and cooperation between diverse schools of thought. Traditional practice has tended towards protection of one's own approach, towards elitism, towards myopic preoccupation with the presumed superiority of a particular school of thought.

While the experience of unprecedented collaboration has been a hallmark of this venture, an equally important focus has been to respect and encourage the diversity of psychotherapy and counselling associations. Students undertake psychotherapy and counselling training in various settings (e.g. universities, private providers), within various course structures (Psychotherapy, Counselling, Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing etc.), and for a variety of personal reasons. This document encourages maximum flexibility for the different schools of thought to pursue these standards in unique and different ways, and in no way wishes to reduce different traditions to a lowest common denominator. Some already existing associations have entrance requirements and standards of training and supervision in excess of this document. Encouragement is given to these and many other associations to maintain maximum autonomy in developing further their professional expertise while at the same time being part of this Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation.

The standards set out in the Training Standards apply primarily to associations that wish to become members of PACFA. Such associations need to ensure that their full clinical members meet the standards set out in the Training Standards.

Training Standards Document January 2007
These standards will come into effect as of the 1st of January 2007.

Training Standards Document January 2009
These standards will come into effect as of the 1st of January 2009.

It is recommended that as of January 2009 the training pathways for Register and Training Standards be brought into alignment. This will mean there will be two training pathways used for both the register and the Training Standards. These two pathways will be called “Undergraduate Equivalent” and “Postgraduate Equivalent”. The Undergraduate Equivalent Pathway will consist of 350 hours of training and 50 hours of supervision over three years while the Postgraduate equivalent will consist of 200 hours of training and 50 hours of supervision over two years, but will assume an undergraduate degree or equivalent.

The additional post training supervision and clinical practice of 750 hours direct client work with 75 hours post-training supervision over at least two years currently required by the Register will remain the same.