When does my membership expire?
The PACFA membership year is the same as the financial year, so every PACFA membership expires on 30 June. Your PACFA membership expires on 30 June 2024.
If you complete your PACFA renewal after 31 July 2024, you will incur a late fee of $60.
If you do not renew by the 30 September 2024, your membership will expire and you will no longer be eligible for renewal. You will need to reapply to join PACFA.
What happens if I can't meet the renewal requirements?
If you faced challenges during the 2023/2024 membership year, please review our Hardship Policy.
If you were not practising for all or part of the 2023/2024 membership year, you may be eligible for retroactive leave. You can apply using the Leave of Absence Form.
If you were practising for the whole membership year and did not complete the minimum CPD and supervision hours, unfortunately you are not eligible to renew your membership and your membership will be cancelled*. If you wish to rejoin PACFA, you will need to reapply as a new member.
*Please note: All private health funds, EAPs and injured worker authorities require counselling providers to be a current member of a professional association and to hold professional insurances.
What happens if I don't renew by the 30 September 2024?
If you don't renew your membership by 30 September 2024, your PACFA membership will automatically be cancelled and you will no longer be eligible for renewal.
You will need to reapply to join PACFA. To renew your PACFA membership, visit: pacfa.org.au/renewnow
I'm not currently practising but I would like to keep my PACFA membership.
If you are not practising or need to stop work for personal reasons, you can apply to go on leave for a period of up to two years. You can apply using the Leave of Absence Form.
I am currently on approved Leave of Absence with PACFA, do I need to renew?
If you are on an approved Leave of Absence, you do not need to renew, and you do not need to complete the annual CPD and supervision renewal requirements for the period you are on leave.
However, if your membership was active for some of the membership year before you went on leave and you have not completed the required CPD and supervision hours for the period your membership was active, you will need to complete those CPD and supervision hours when you return.
I am eligible to upgrade my membership. Should I upgrade my membership before I renew?
No. You must renew your membership before you apply for an upgrade.
In fact, it is better to upgrade after renewals because renewals are a peak period at PACFA, and you will risk your upgrade application being significantly delayed. Additionally, there is no membership fee difference between Certified Practising (previously Provisional) and Clinical membership fees, so there is no benefit to upgrading prior to your renewal.
We recommend waiting until August to submit an upgrade application to ensure timely processing.
I prefer not to be part of the College of Counselling. Can I choose the College of Psychotherapy as my complimentary College?
PACFA’s decision to join Allied Health Professions Australia recognises counselling skills and expertise as the foundation for PACFA’s registration. Following this, the College of Counselling was made a foundational College for all members, as other colleges required the completion of additional training. This means that all PACFA registrants can be identified as either ‘Certified Practising’ or ‘Registered Clinical Counsellors.’ Other certifications such as ‘Registered Clinical Psychotherapist’ are obtained in addition to this registration. Membership in the College of Counselling is offered free of charge for all registrants. Membership in additional advanced training colleges is $150 annually.