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Family and Relationship Counsellor resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what family and relationship counsellors actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most family and relationship counsellors should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
I am a family and relationship counsellor with a client-centred approach, supporting individuals, couples and families through conflict, separation and parenting stress. I hold a Bachelor degree in counselling and am a member of PACFA. I bring strong casework skills, experience with Halaxy and Penelope, and a commitment to safe, ethical practice.
Key skills
- Counselling and support work
- Casework and client support
- Community engagement
- Halaxy
- Penelope
- Cliniko
- Microsoft Teams
- Empathy and interpersonal care
- Written communication
- Problem solving
- Attention to detail
Experience: example bullet points
- Managed a caseload of 30 clients, conducting weekly individual and couples counselling sessions.
- Facilitated joint family sessions for 15 families, helping 12 develop shared parenting agreements.
- Maintained confidential case notes in Halaxy and Penelope, ensuring compliance with privacy legislation and professional standards.
- Referred clients to external services such as housing, mental health and legal support, improving continuity of care.
- Co-facilitated a parenting support group for 20 participants, with consistent attendance across the eight-week program.
- Assessed risk and safety concerns in family violence cases, following mandatory reporting procedures and safety planning.
Education
Bachelor degree in counselling, social work or psychology, with many counsellors also completing postgraduate study in counselling or family therapy.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- PACFA
- ACA
- AASW
- Working with Children Check
- National Police Check
- Medicare
- Mental Health Care Plan
- Family Violence
- Trauma-informed
- Client-centred
- Case notes
- Halaxy
- Penelope
- Cliniko
- Mandatory reporting
- Family dispute resolution
- Relationships Australia
- Australian Counselling Association
- Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.