School counseling in Australia is presently in a state of flux and adaptation. Within this period of change andadjustment, three key points are acknowledged. First, structural and organizational change is a constant in the field ofschool counseling in the Australian context. Second, despite this, the nature of the school counseling role tends toremain the same but with new areas of need added, such as self-harm and cyberbullying. Third, each state andterritory in Australia has differing role statements and training requirements for its school counselors. This paperinitially reviews the historical context of school counseling in Australia, including changes and developments inqualifications and training programs. A description of the current status of school counseling, including thedifferences among the state systems, is then provided. Issues such as work intensification, uncertainty of tenure,supervision, ethical issues, and online counseling are discussed. The scant research into the effectiveness of theprofession is outlined, followed by future recommendations.


Corresponding Author
Marilyn Campbell, School of Cultural and Professional Learning, Queensland University of Technology,
Kelvin Grove Qld 4059 Australia.
Email: ma.campbell@qut.edu.au