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A biracial couple sitting on a couch and having a serious conversation while a couples counsellor takes notes

Couples Counselling Course: A contemporary and client-focused approach

Transform your work with couples and gain comprehensive knowledge and skills with our contemporary, client-focused course.

Our 12-week course is designed for counsellors who are new to working with couples, and students and practitioners in related fields who want to enhance their couples counselling skills.

It offers an immersive journey into contemporary couples counselling theories and approaches, with an emphasis on how this knowledge can enhance your counselling skills and deepen your relationships with clients.

 

What sets our course apart?

  • Research & evidence-based
  • Client-focused content
  • Relevant to contemporary Australia
  • Convenient, online delivery
  • Practice-based seminars & workshops
  • A hybrid delivery of interactive modules & self-paced learning
  • Informed by more than 75 years of counselling service delivery
Dates/times

15 August to 21 November 2025.

Pricing
$3,500 (see 'Fees' for more information)
Location
Delivered online. All session times are in Victorian local time.
Express your interest
Download our 2025 course flyer pdf, 441KB

Content and topics

  • Established couples counselling theories and approaches in use in Australia today
  • Extensive research and expert commentary on why particular approaches work well
  • Ways to enhance your therapeutic skills and apply new theories and competencies to your practice
  • Strategies to support reflective practice
  • Common challenges that couples face, such as infidelity, communication difficulties, life transitions, conflicting use of social media, avoidance patterns, family violence and trauma
  • Ethical decision-making
  • How to support couples who are experiencing complex challenges
  • How couples’ emotional and sexual connection can be affected by identity including cultural diversity, gender, religion, health, disability and/or neurodiversity
  • The role and impact of single session consultations when working with couples
  • How to apply assessment processes and develop working formulations which consider couples’ unique narratives, backgrounds and presenting dynamics

Learn more

You can find detailed information on our course below, or sign up now for a ‘Learn more’ webinar. You’ll join our experienced facilitators for a free, 45-minute session where we’ll share information about the course, answer any questions you have and help you to make a decision about whether our Couples Counselling Course is the right course for you.
Accredited training
Online Only
One-hour webinar on 22 April 2025

Learn More: Couples Counselling Course - A Contemporary and Client Focused Approach

Join our experienced course facilitators for a free webinar, designed to help you to make a decision about applying.

Read more

More information

12 weeks involving 7-8 hours a week of study. This includes weekly 2-hour online seminars and independent study time.

On course completion, you’ll have the knowledge, skills and confidence to work effectively with couples, and help them to overcome obstacles and build stronger, healthier relationships.

This course offers a unique blend of online, interactive sessions, self-paced learning and practical workshops, ensuring a dynamic and flexible educational experience that caters to different learning styles and schedules.

 

Interactive, self-paced online modules

Through our learning management system, online modules provide access to evidence-based readings on each topic. Students are expected to complete weekly online modules prior to weekly seminars.

Independent study

Each week of the course builds on knowledge and skills practiced in the previous week. Proactive and self-directed study is required to ensure students keep up with study requirements and can progress through the course.

 

Assessments

Weekly knowledge checks built into the self-paced modules will reinforce learnings to validate key understandings and foundational knowledge as you progress through the course.
Two written essays involving audio visual and case study components form part of the overall course requirements.

Live, interactive seminars

Seminars will include weekly group discussions with peers and expert instructors on each of the self-paced module topics. You’ll also apply weekly learnings through role plays, case studies, group discussions, and recording yourself using audio visual materials so that you can reflect back on your progress.

 

Practice workshop

Commitment: 2 full days
When: To be advised

Held as a one-off online workshop midway through the course, expert clinical educators will guide you to work with your peers and apply your skills in a range of interactive role plays.

To apply, you must:

  • have appropriate tertiary qualifications in social services or a related field
  • have a minimum of one year’s face-to-face experience providing counselling
  • attend an interview.

You will be notified of the outcome of your application within 2 weeks of your interview.

After completing the course, you have the option to apply for one or both of the following programs:

  • a Clinical Internship Program (100 hours) that is fully supported and coordinated by Relationships Australia Victoria
  • a Clinical Supervision Program.

$3,500

Instalment options are available.

A $1,500 deposit is required to secure enrolment.

Get started

If you're ready to take the next step in your career, express your interest via the form below, or contact us for more information:

Express your interest

form section
We want to make sure that we’re using your correct pronouns. Please let us know how you would like to be referred to. (Pronouns are words that we use to refer to people when we’re not using their name. Examples include she, he, they, xe, and ze. Some people don’t use pronouns at all, preferring to be referred to by name.)
We are committed to promoting and ensuring culturally safe access to our services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. If you’d like to share information about your cultural identity with us, please choose an option from the list below.
Enter more information about how you describe your cultural origin.
Please enter your preferred contact number without spaces.
Which state or territory are you located in?
Enter details of your qualifications relevant to the entry requirements of the course.

Are you currently counselling couples?

form section

Additional details

Enter details of how you found out about Relationships Australia Victoria.
Please upload your resume here, specifying any previous training you have completed and the details of previous experience in counselling (years of experience in each position held/or number of hours face-to-face clinical experience).
form section

Personal information collected by Relationships Australia Victoria is treated as confidential and is protected by the Privacy Act 1988. All personal information that is collected is stored securely and made safe from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, modification or disclosure. More information is available at www.rav.org.au/privacy. Please tick the box to confirm that you understand and give permission. *

Once your application is processed, we will contact you for an interview for acceptance into the course.

Please note: Once you click ‘Submit’, your enquiry may take 5-10 seconds to process before taking you to a confirmation screen. Please do not click ‘Submit’ again, or refresh your page, as this can interrupt the form submission.