Student Membership

Student Membership is open to all students who are currently enrolled in a Counselling or Psychotherapy training program.

PACFA offers free membership to students of counselling and psychotherapy.

Read our student pack for more information on membership benefits and insurance for your placement(s).

As part of your student membership, you will receive complimentary membership to the College of Counselling.


Please note that you do not have to be studying on a PACFA accredited program to be eligible for student membership:

  • Student Members of PACFA are not practising professionally as counsellors or psychotherapists and only see clients in the context of their training program.
  • Student Members of PACFA can only apply for higher levels of PACFA membership where their training meets the PACFA Professional Training Standards.

Membership Benefits

The benefits of Student Membership are:

  • Students receive FREE insurance cover under PACFA’s Master Policy for any client work undertaken within their training programs.
  • Member prices of professional development
  • Access to PACFA’s expertise in professional practice and ethics
  • Opportunities to network with professionals from the counselling and psychotherapy profession
  • Being part of the leading professional association for counselling and psychotherapy in Australia

Download our Student Membership Brochure

Student Membership Brochure
Student Membership Brochure

Apply Now

PLEASE NOTE: You will be asked to log in/create an account before you are able to complete the below application form. The application automatically saves so you are able to return to it later if you need to pause.

Explore the 'Applying for Registration' PACFA Community

Student members are automatically part of the 'Applying for Registration' community, offering tailored discussions, registration resources, a question board, and exclusive announcements.

Getting started with PACFA Communities

  1. Visit PACFA Community and click “Sign In” at the top right.
  2. Log in with your pre-existing PACFA member portal username and password.
  3. Agree to the Terms and Conditions to be well-informed about our community guidelines.
  4. Hit “Explore” to discover your communities.
  5. Dive into “Applying for Registration” to start your journey.

Once you graduate, if your course meets our Training Standards, you will be eligible for full membership as a Certified Practising (new graduate) member. Being a student member does not automatically guarantee full PACFA membership upon graduation.

Certified Practising (New Graduate) members receive a 25% discount on their first annual membership fee, gaining access to PACFA-exclusive partnerships and the ability to create a profile on our ‘Find a Therapist’ search so that clients can find you easily.

Application Form