Australian Regional Health Group (ARHG) FAQs

PACFA Urges Removal of Proposed ‘Psychology Assistant’ Role from Training Reform

The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) has called on the Australian Government and the Psychology Board of Australia to remove the proposed "Psychology Assistant" role from the current redesign of psychology training pathways.

While supporting efforts to modernise psychology education, PACFA argues that introducing a new workforce role through a proposed Bachelor of Psychological Assistance degree is premature, poorly defined and risks duplicating existing mental health professions. The organisation says there is currently no evidence demonstrating demand for a Psychology Assistant workforce, while thousands of qualified counsellors and psychotherapists remain underutilised across Australia.

The proposed reform forms part of a broader review of psychology training commissioned by the Australian Government in 2024. PACFA supports the move to a streamlined five-year psychology qualification but has raised concerns about the creation of a three-year exit qualification that would establish a new Psychology Assistant role.

PACFA's submission highlights unanswered questions about the role's scope, supervision requirements, regulatory status and relationship to existing mental health professions. The federation warns that unclear boundaries could create confusion for consumers and pose risks to public safety, particularly given existing gaps in title protection across the mental health sector.

PACFA argues that government investment should focus on better utilising the existing counselling and psychotherapy workforce, which already operates under established professional standards and registration frameworks. The organisation is also advocating for statutory co-regulation of allied health professions to strengthen accountability, registration and title protection.

PACFA CEO Johanna de Wever said workforce shortages should not be addressed by creating a new and undefined profession while a qualified and available workforce remains overlooked.

The organisation is recommending that the proposed Psychology Assistant role be removed from the current reform package and, if considered in future, be subject to a separate consultation process involving counselling, psychotherapy, education and consumer stakeholders.