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Counsellors are not AHPRA-registered, which surprises people who assume the rules are the same as for psychologists. They are not the same, but they are not absent either.
Here is the checklist, including the two places counselling websites go wrong that psychology websites do not.
Counselling sessions generally do not attract Medicare rebates the way psychologist sessions can. A good counselling website says this plainly and early, and then makes the affirmative case (often shorter waits and lower session costs than the rebated alternative).
Burying it creates awkward first-session conversations; owning it builds exactly the trust the site exists to create.
No AHPRA does not mean no rules. PACFA and ACA codes of ethics govern advertising conduct for their members, and many counsellors reasonably choose to avoid client testimonials entirely, both for code reasons and because counselling clients have particular confidentiality expectations. When in doubt, check your professional body's code.
Trust is built the same way as for psychologists: clarity, warmth, accuracy. We build counselling sites within these constraints as standard: The Heart of Healing case study.
Grief, life transitions, relationships, burnout.
"Somatic therapy" needs one sentence explaining what happens in the room.
Your PACFA or ACA level. Because counselling is unregulated territory, displaying real credentials matters MORE here, not less.
With the rebate reality covered above, early and honestly.
Describe the process, then make booking work in as few clicks as possible.
A counselling website's colours, pace and language ARE the first session preview. This is where template sites fail counsellors worst.
The registered-practitioner version of this checklist is here: what should a psychologist's website include.
We design for both, within the right rules for each: websites for allied health.
Counsellors are not AHPRA-registered professions. PACFA and ACA codes still govern their members' advertising conduct, so check your body's code.
Many choose not to, for ethics-code and confidentiality reasons. Build trust through clarity about your approach, credentials and fees instead.
Generally not in the way psychologist sessions can attract rebates. Say so plainly on the site, alongside the genuine advantages: often shorter waits and lower session costs.
Twenty minutes, straight answers, no obligation to proceed.
No pressure, no perfect brief needed.
Book a free 20-minute chat/ Written by Manon Vernay, founder of Creative Baguette · her story
