If your aim is to become a professionally qualified counsellor, this is the programme for you. After completing this programme, you’ll be able to enter the counselling profession at a beginning practitioner level. Practical placements are an essential part of the programme and you’ll spend time working in community agencies. You’ll also be involved in your own counselling and group work each year. In your final year, you’ll be able to select a practice focus in either Mental Health and Addictions counselling, Māori-centred counselling or Family/Whānau counselling. Once you’ve graduated, you’ll be able to apply for membership of a relevant professional body such as the NZAC, Te Whāriki Tautoko, DAPAANZ or NZ Christian Counsellors Association. You’ll have developed the skills and professional attributes to enable you to work collaboratively within this increasingly complex and interdisciplinary sector.

As a graduate of this programme you’ll be eligible for provisional membership of professional associations. While registration of counsellors is currently not mandatory, the current benchmark for counselling practice is membership of an appropriate professional association with an appropriate code of ethics such as the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC), Te Whāriki Tautoko, or the New Zealand Christian Counsellors Association (NZCCA). Counsellors working in the addictions field in the health workforce require DAPAANZ registration. You'll be qualified to work in a range of social services, mental health, and other counselling related roles. You may also pathway into relevant postgraduate programmes at Wintec and/or other tertiary education providers. Postgraduate study will enable you to practice at a more advanced level specialist fields such as education, management, human resources, career development, social services and mental health.