HomeCoursesCounsellingDiploma of Financial Counselling
Diploma of Financial Counselling
You train to help people who are overwhelmed by debt, and to do it as a counsellor rather than an adviser selling a product.
- Duration: 6 months to 18 months
- Study mode: On campus
- Course code: CHC51122
Where you can study this course
- Campuses
- 2 campuses
- Duration
- 6 months to 18 months
- Study mode
- Virtual classroom off campus
- Full fee
- Not stated by provider
What students say
Many students speak well of the facilities and campus, and some rate the trainers and teaching highly, though opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching and student support, and some found the organisation and admin frustrating.
- Campuses
- 26 campuses
- Duration
- Not yet checked
- Study mode
- Not yet checked
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students rate the trainers, teaching, facilities and campus highly, though some found the organisation, admin and communication frustrating; opinions are mixed on facilities and campus.
- Visit course page → (opens in a new tab)
South Metropolitan TAFE
- Campuses
- 2 campuses
- Duration
- Not stated by provider
- Study mode
- Varies by campus
- Full fee
- Not stated by provider
What students say
Students often rate the trainers and teaching highly, though opinions are mixed on both teaching and campus facilities. Some also found student support frustrating to access.
Last reviewed 20 September 2026.
Is this course right for you?
Entry requirements
There are no entry requirements for this qualification.
- Providers can set their own conditions, such as a minimum age or a current job in the industry, and practical training may need a workplace placement. Check each provider above.
Entry recommendations
To be prepared for this course, it helps to have:
- a genuine interest in helping people with money problems
- good listening and interview skills
- an understanding of social justice and client empowerment
- patience and respect for people from diverse backgrounds
What will you learn?
The course covers the counselling relationship from first contact: how to listen, work out what someone owes and owns, and lay out their options without making the decision for them. You also learn the legal side of financial difficulty, including consumer credit, debt recovery and bankruptcy, and how to advocate with creditors and government agencies on a client's behalf. Much of it is learnt on placement in a community agency, working alongside experienced counsellors and recognising the problems that need referral to a health professional.
- Counselling interview skills
- Client rights and advocacy
- Responding to crisis situations
- Consumer credit and debt law
- Small business finances
- Working with diverse clients
Units of competency (13 core, 4 elective)
The qualification is made up of 17 units. Everyone completes the 13 core units below, and the remaining 4 are electives chosen from the list on training.gov.au, so they vary by provider. Select a unit to see what it covers.
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Career pathways
Roles this qualification is a recognised route into, and what else you need.
A recognised route into Financial Counsellor
Financial Counsellor
Financial counsellors help people in financial hardship work out exactly what they owe, negotiate with creditors and rebuild a workable budget.
Explore this career →- Weekly pay
- $1,095
- Full-time share
- 59%
- Employment size
- 1,300 workers
- Average age
- 50 years
- Average full-time hours
- 37.5 hours
- Gender share
- 74% female
- Future growth
- +8.5%
- Job market
- In shortage (regional)
The course includes 220 hours of placement in a financial counselling agency. Other finance qualifications cannot replace it. Check the provider is approved.
Where this fits
Diploma of Financial Counselling in counselling: the study that leads into it, the study that follows, and other routes at the same level.
Before
No earlier step listed.
You are looking at
Diploma of Financial Counselling
Other routes at the same level
Data from training.gov.au and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (CC BY 4.0).