Diploma of Counselling & Communication Skills

What is a Diploma of Counselling and Communication Skills?

The Diploma of Counselling and Communication Skills builds a foundation of key counselling and communication skills. On completion, you’ll have the opportunity to build a career in the industry or take your credits into the Bachelor of Counselling.

This course offers the knowledge and skills needed for a career in the community sector. You’ll develop an understanding of human behaviour at different stages, behavioural problems and strategies for positive behaviour management, and the impact of society and culture. Learn how to critically review a range of theories in counselling and relate them to issues in practice, take an ethical approach to counselling and develop skills to assess, manage and refer clients accordingly.

More

Learning outcomes

Explore an array of theoretical perspectives on counselling and discover the drivers for human behaviour.
Learn how to evaluate different situations to determine your best approach.
Study the core principles of case management.
Understand common mental health conditions, behaviours and thought patterns.

Download course guide Start online application

Study mode

Online

Campus locations

Online

Student

Domestic

Course duration

1 year full time, part time options available

Start date

16 Feb 2026

01 Jun 2026

14 Sep 2026

View all key dates

Fee & scholarships

Learn more

This course is provided by Torrens University Australia, ABN 99 154 937 005, TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12209 (Australian University) and delivered by Think: Colleges Pty Ltd through a third-party agreement.

Draw from 60+ years of experience

Our heritage with Southern School of Natural Therapies ensures you’re learning from over 60 years of specialised experience.

Success Coaches

Your Success Coach team is available to assist you throughout your first year, building your soft skills and developing your talents, preparing you for your academic journey.

Continue your education

Use your diploma as a pathway into the second year of a bachelor’s degree.

Career opportunities

The Diploma of Counselling and Communication skills will prepare you with the skills to enter a successful career in corporate health or aged care, or to further your study in health at bachelor’s level.

Potential career paths

Community Worker
Average salary: $61,808 - $93,914
Welfare Worker
Average salary: $71,542 - $95,974

Learn more about careers in Health

Subjects and units

This course comprises 8 core subjects, each subject requiring 10 hours of study per week; three hours facilitated and seven self-directed. Assessments may include activity-based assignments or online quizzes. There are no formal exams.

Requirements

These eight core subjects must be completed.

HWEL2006T Social and Emotional Wellbeing

In this subject, you will explore the principles of social, emotional, and psychological health and how they relate to health behaviours. You will examine how health psychology contributes to the promotion of wellbeing through mindfulness, positive behavioural change, and resilience. You will examine how these health psychology principles contribute to enhancing overall health and wellbeing. You will also analyse various methods for assessing social, emotional, and psychological wellbeing in various population groups. Additionally, you will explore and apply key health psychology models to understand and influence health behaviors, both for yourself and others. Moreover, you will evaluate the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions on emotions, health, and overall wellbeing.
HSC101T Professional Communication and Collaboration

Professional Communication and Collaboration will introduce you to the skills required by health professionals to enable effective interactions within a wide variety of inter-personal and inter-professional workplace settings. You will work on developing practical skills to assist in the building, maintenance, and endings of professional relationships with clients, other professionals, and members of the community across multi-modal communication settings. You will be introduced to frameworks promoting change, compliance, self-efficacy, goal-setting and collaboration. This subject will also cover those foundational counselling skills that are applicable to a wide variety of health professions, such as core counselling behaviours, listening skills, and communication micro-skills. Sessions facilitate your understanding of the importance of ethical communication, diversity and inclusion considerations, professional expectations and the development of professional behaviours including self-reflection and self-care. Agile and adaptable communication skills to support working with clients and with other professionals collaboratively and inclusively, allowing for conflict resolution and appropriate endings of relationships.
HCCSD101T Case Management and Understanding Community Services

You will be introduced to the community services sector in Australia and the practice and skills required for case management and program development in community services. It includes an overview of the theory and practice of program planning, development and evaluation that address the diverse and varied needs of clients. You will be introduced to appropriate professional standards in case management and learn to develop a case management plan that helps you advocate for and empower clients within an ethical framework. You will have the opportunity to apply theory to practice in a community services setting.
HCCSD102T Person Centred Practice

In this subject, you will be introduced to the key tenets of person-centred practice beginning with a philosophical understanding of what it means to be a person including values, knowing self, and flourishing as a human, as well as Carl Rogers’ core conditions. You will have the opportunity to develop the underpinning skills necessary for professional practice including communicating clearly and engaging authentically while being empathetically present. In addition, we will explore and discover the principles of person-centred practice including the skills it takes to be a good communicator and core conditions required of the
HWEL2002T Understanding Health

This subject provides students an introduction to the diversity of health theories and initiatives to improve health outcomes.  Students will engage with key concepts including human right to health, social determinants of health, equality, equity and vulnerability.  An introduction to Australia's health system and intersectoral action will also be provided.
HCCSD104T Lifespan Development

This subject introduces you to the field of developmental psychology. It examines the key life stages of prenatal development, birth, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, mid-life, ageing, and death, considering their social and cultural contexts. You will be introduced to theories of human development; topics include theories of attachment, cognitive and social development; challenges in development; and the role of families and communities in supporting healthy development. You will be required to reflect on your own life stage development.
HCCSD105T Theories of Counselling

In this subject, you are introduced to the core skills required for counselling. The subject provides you with theoretical and practical learning opportunities to develop their counselling skills in an interactive and supportive learning environment with feedback from others. You will start developing your counselling skills as we explore the interrelationships between counselling theories, modalities, and related macro and micro skills.
HCCSD103T Mental Health

This subject will introduce you to the basics of mental health including definitions of mental health disorders, mental health theories, and risk factors. It will allow you to reflect on the challenges to mental wellbeing for the individual and the community. The subject also introduces you to methods of assessment, treatment and care of people with mental ill-health. You will also become familiar with assessment tools such as the biopsychosocial model, the DSM-5-TR and the ICD-11 as well as contemporary approaches to mental health service delivery in Australia.

Entry details

Fees

Check the domestic course fee schedule for the cost of your course.

FEE-HELP

Eligible Australian students may choose to defer some, or all, of their tuition fees through FEE-HELP, a loan scheme repaid through the tax system based on income.

Learn more about fees and FEE-HELP

Scholarships

If you are truly passionate about health, we want to hear from you. We have a variety of health scholarships on offer to assist you in becoming a key part of the health industry:

Admission criteria

Before you begin your application to study as a domestic student, check that you meet the requirements listed below.

Year 12 (Australian secondary school certificate) or equivalent

OR

Successful completion of a Vocational qualification (AQF Level 4), or above

OR

Successful completion of at least 0.5 EFTSL at AQF level 5, 0.25 EFTSL at AQF level 6 or above, or equivalent.

View full course admission information

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a course?

Domestic students
Check the entry requirements for the course you’re interested in and submit an online application.

How to apply

If you have any difficulty, please contact a Future Student Advisor, who can talk you through the process.

International students

You can apply to Think Education through one of our Education Agents. Our agents are located throughout the world and will make sure the enrolment process runs smoothly. You can also apply online.

View the full list of Education Agents

For anything else, please contact our International recruitment team at study@torrens.edu.au.
What are the payment options? What are FEE-HELP and VET Student Loan (VSL)? Am I eligible?
Payment options available include:

Upfront payment via Flywire, credit card, BPAY or overseas bank account transfer.

You can also apply for a payment plan if you are a domestic student.

Financial assistance

If you’re a domestic student and looking to study our Bachelor of Health Science (Clinical Myotherapy), you may be eligible for FEE-HELP.

If you’re a domestic student and looking to study our, Diploma of Nursing you may be eligible for VET Student Loan.

Your eligibility for FEE-HELP and VET Student Loan depends on criteria such as your citizenship status, and whether you’re looking to study a undergraduate, postgraduate of vocational education program.

Check your eligibility on the Australian Government’s Study Assist website.

View tuition fees

What do part-time and full-time study entail?

A standard full-time study load is made up of three subjects (approximately 30 hours a week). Part-time study is made up of two subjects (approximately 20 hours per week).
What are Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Credit Transfer (CT)? How do I apply?

Recognition of Prior Learning is an assessment process that recognises experience, previous study and qualifications, and other forms of informal and non-formal learning, to determine if you meet course requirements.

If you have relevant qualifications or experience, eligible for credit towards your course and a reduction in tuition costs.

Please speak to one of our Future Student Advisor to advise them on the experience or previous study you have.

View Course Credits

Diploma of Counselling and Communication Skills
(Partnership with Torrens University Australia and Think Education)

What is a Diploma of Counselling and Communication Skills?

Learning outcomes

Career opportunities

Potential career paths

Subjects and units

Requirements

Entry details

Fees

FEE-HELP

Scholarships

Admission criteria

Frequently asked questions

Want to find out more?

Study

Students

Employability

Think Education

Study

Students

Employability

Think Education

Diploma of Counselling and Communication Skills(Partnership with Torrens University Australia and Think Education)

What is a Diploma of Counselling and Communication Skills?

Learning outcomes

Career opportunities

Potential career paths

Subjects and units

Requirements

Entry details

Fees

FEE-HELP

Scholarships

Admission criteria

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Frequently asked questions

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Diploma of Counselling and Communication Skills
(Partnership with Torrens University Australia and Think Education)