The Australian Counselling Association Presentation Event

Starting Strong: Setting Yourself up for Success in the Counselling Profession

About this Event

ACA is Australia’s leading & largest single registration body for counsellors and psychotherapists, with nearly 14,000 members, serving a crucial role in advancing and advocating for the profession of counselling.

Agenda -

• Counselling in the community
• Opportunities for graduates of Counselling programs
• Employment trends for Registered Professionals
• Rebates and revenue streams for Professionals in private practice
• Q&A

Please note - on campus attendees are invited to refreshments from 5.30pm in the student foyer with the presentation and webinar to commence at 6pm. Professional Development certificates (1.5 hrs) will be emailed to all attendees.

PRESENTERS:

Professor Vicki Hutton joined the ACAP Melbourne campus in 2013. In 2022, Vicki was promoted to the Discipline Chair of Counselling and also is the Course Coordinator of the Graduate Diploma of Counselling.

After working in the health and community sectors as a counsellor, crisis counsellor and group facilitator, Vicki moved into teaching and research at Monash University while completing her PhD in Applied Psychology.

She has worked on research projects in the areas of mental health, quality of life, HIV and AIDS, stigma and discrimination, social cohesion, racism and cyber-racism.

Vicki remains a long-term counsellor at Southway Counselling Centre, a service established more than 20 years ago to provide affordable counselling to the community.

Jodie McKenzie is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). Jodie joined the ACA as Deputy CEO in January 2023 after an extensive executive search and was appointed as CEO in October 2023.

Jodie holds a Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Counselling) and was a Registered Member of the ACA approximately 15 years ago. During her time as a counsellor, she was a board approved counselling practitioner at a Private Hospital in Brisbane and worked in the niche area of pregnancy loss.

She also volunteered her time with multiple support foundations, facilitated monthly support groups and worked with the foundation leadership on building awareness and driving initiatives within the community and State bodies.

After the birth of her fourth child, Jodie took a pause from counselling to raise her then small children. Upon returning to the workforce in a non-counselling role, Jodie’s career fast tracked to Program/Project Management and People Leadership positions within large corporate environments. It is through these opportunities that she has gained experience in Planning, Stakeholder Engagement, Change Management, and Risk and Issues Management, that she brings to the role of CEO.

Host or Publisher ACAP Industry and Alumni