The Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling is Cairnmillar’s brand new, TEQSA-accredited double major undergraduate degree, which provides an immersive learning experience to get you workplace-ready faster.

The program’s curriculum focuses solely on mental health, which means you won’t need to study units that are not relevant to your future career. All units can be undertaken at the Hawthorn East campus or via the online campus.  Students can complete the course entirely at Hawthorn East, entirely online, or choose a mixture of units offered at Hawthorn East or online.

You will be eligible to work as a counsellor after the successful completion of your first three years of study and/or apply for postgraduate study in psychology, putting you on the pathway to becoming a registered psychologist.

Both counselling and psychology are evidence-informed, relational disciplines. The Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling at Cairnmillar provides a unique synthesis of the science-practitioner and reflective-practitioner models. The course develops the skills, knowledge and personal capacities required for critically reflective, ethically aware professional practice. The course takes a trauma-informed, person-centred perspective.

Students will explore counselling and psychological theories, human development across the lifespan, social psychology and foundational principles in cognition and neuroscience. Skills in assessment, intervention and treatment planning will be developed. The curriculum allows students to explore the fields of health psychology, organisational behaviour, and group facilitation skills. Students will also undertake a counselling placement in their final year, including at least 40 hours of direct experience with clients.

All teaching staff are experienced practitioners and researchers committed to advancing psychology and counselling through their work and their interaction with students.