13 September 2023
PACFA is encouraging members to nominate a PACFA member they know who has made a considerable contribution to the organisation, and to the profession as a whole, for an honorary PACFA Life Membership, by 22 September for consideration at the next Board and Council meetings.
Life Membership is an honorary membership category for PACFA members who have been with PACFA in good standing for over 15 years, and who have been nominated successfully by a PACFA member for their considerable contribution to PACFA, and more widely the psychotherapy and counselling profession.
Life members are practising members of PACFA; they abide by the PACFA Code of Ethics and meet the annual renewal requirements. Life members are listed on the PACFA register until which time they no longer practice.
Life membership provides free membership until retiring from practice. If a life member retires from practice, they may maintain their life membership in a non-practising category to remain affiliated and connected to PACFA, but will no longer be a practising registrant.
Life members have:
• demonstrated achievement
• made a contribution over and above what might be reasonably expected
• made an outstanding voluntary contribution to the community.
How do I nominate someone for PACFA Life Membership?
We welcome you to submit nominations by 22 September for consideration and approval at the next Board and Council meetings.
Any PACFA member, with the exception of the affiliate and student members, can nominate a PACFA member for life membership. The nomination may come from an individual or a group.
All nominations are confidential. The person being nominated should not be advised of their nomination or approached for information at any stage. Once a nomination is made, the PACFA office determines if the nominee meets the 15 years of good standing membership to PACFA. Then the PACFA CEO researches nominations and contacts referees.
If recommended by the CEO, nominations are then put to the PACFA Council, which decides whether the nomination is recommended for appointment. If approved by the Council, the newly-appointed Life Member will have their membership free from the forthcoming membership renewal, and their appointment will be announced via the PACFA eNews.
Nomination Format
If you wish to nominate someone for PACFA life membership, please include the following in either a Word or PDF document, and email this to [email protected] for consideration:
- The contact details of the person you are nominating (if known)
- A short case of why/who you are nominating, including:
- Examples of how they have demonstrated outstanding qualities
- What they have done to make things better for others
- The role(s) or area(s) in which they have excelled
- The period of time, or dates of volunteer service to PACFA committees, leadership groups, branches etc
- Evidence of other awards or recognition received by the nominee
- Contributions to developing the evidence base for counselling/psychotherapy - such as journal articles, research etc
- Up to three referees (including contact details)
PACFA currently has eight Life Members, all of whom have made significant contributions to PACFA and the counselling and/or psychotherapy field. Recent recipients of the PACFA Life Membership include former PACFA President Dr Di Stow, for her advocacy, dedication to defending the principles of the profession, and her exemplary leadership, and Emeritus Professor Judy Atkinson, for her outstanding service to the psychotherapy profession through her work as an Educator and practitioner in the field of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Practices.