In recent times, I’ve felt deeply disheartened, frustrated, and saddened by the tone and content of many social media discussions surrounding PACFA and ACA — Australia’s two leading professional associations for counsellors.
What concerns me most is not healthy debate, nor robust advocacy for professional standards, but the divisive language being used by some members of our community. Too often, posts pit PACFA against ACA, suggesting one association is somehow better, more ethical, or more legitimate than the other. This framing is unhelpful, unnecessary, and potentially damaging to our shared mission.
At a time when mental health challenges are at an all-time high in Australia, with demand for quality counselling services growing rapidly, we should be united in our commitment to serving the community — not divided by professional allegiances. Both PACFA and ACA exist to support and represent counsellors. Both organisations are working hard to establish ethical frameworks, strengthen professional standards, and advocate for the recognition of counselling as a distinct, credible, and valuable profession in the broader health landscape.
There is no question that our profession is still on a journey toward broader public recognition and stronger integration within Australia’s health system. We face external challenges around funding, regulation, and public understanding of what counsellors offer — challenges that should bring us together, not pull us apart.
Collectively, there are more than 40,000 practising counsellors across Australia. The vast majority of us share the same values: a desire to act ethically, to maintain professional standards, to continue our education and development, and most importantly, to help Australians facing emotional and psychological distress.
When we use language that pits one association against the other, we feed into unnecessary division. When we imply that membership with one association somehow makes a counsellor more ethical or more competent than membership with another, we undermine the integrity of the profession as a whole.
Let’s be clear: professionalism is not defined by the badge on our certificate, but by the way we practise — our ethics, our commitment to ongoing learning, our supervision, our respect for clients, and our dedication to reflective practice.
We need to stop wasting energy on divisive narratives. Instead, we should focus that energy on what really matters:
How can we improve community understanding of what counsellors do? How can we demonstrate the value of counselling as a vital part of Australia’s mental health response? How can we ensure all counsellors — regardless of association membership — are supported to practise ethically, safely, and effectively? How can we work collectively to advocate for fair funding, recognition, and access for those who need our services?
It’s time for leadership — not just from PACFA and ACA, but from all of us as individual professionals.
So here’s my call to action:
🔹 Let’s respect the different pathways and philosophies that PACFA and ACA offer while recognising that we are united by a common purpose.
🔹 Let’s challenge divisive narratives when we see them and promote respectful dialogue instead.
🔹 Let’s focus on collaboration, shared learning, and mutual support.
🔹 Most importantly, let’s keep our focus firmly where it belongs — on the people and communities who come to us for support during their hardest times.
Together, we can build a strong, respected, and unified profession that rises above internal politics and demonstrates to the public, policymakers, and the broader health sector that counsellors are an essential part of the solution to Australia’s mental health crisis.
It’s time to stop comparing, criticising, and dividing — and instead lead with integrity, humility, and compassion.
Because in the end, it’s not about PACFA vs ACA.
It’s about how we, as a profession, show up for Australia.
The Veteran Counsellor Blog 