I’m very proud to say that I’m now an ACA Registered Counsellor.
This was exactly why I took on the last year of study.
Before that I did all sorts of training that was interesting and useful. I did a deep dive into transpersonal psychology, learnt Sandplay Therapy and Voice Dialogue, and eventually found my way into coaching. I trained as a Life Coach and more recently a Health and Wellness Coach. I saw quite a lot of clients, but never enough to leave the full-time IT career that actually paid the bills.
I kept running into the same barriers. I wasn’t a Registered Counsellor. I couldn’t work with NDIS clients. I couldn’t apply for employed counselling or psychotherapy roles. I couldn’t offer health fund rebates.
That’s why, a year ago, I enrolled in the Graduate Diploma of Counselling at Torrens University, with the intention of continuing on to the Masters. I completed that Graduate Diploma a few weeks ago.
Then, to become an ACA Registered Counsellor I needed my Official Transcript, Letter of Completion and a police check. All of that arrived much faster than I expected. Within two weeks of my final results being released, I had everything I needed so now I’m beyond proud to be a Registered Counsellor. A year ago I was standing in the Torrens library collecting textbooks and wondering whether I could still be a university student after so many years away from formal study.
What’s changed since I became registered? Nothing overnight.
A new university term has already started. I’m studying one subject towards my Masters so it’s a little less intense than when I was studying fulltime. I’ve increased my part-time technology work now that I have a little more capacity and, to be honest, I need the income. I’m charging clients for counselling sessions and gradually becoming more comfortable valuing my work professionally.
What has changed is my sense of professional identity.
For years I described myself as a health coach who also did therapeutic work. That doesn’t fit anymore. The conversations I most looked forward to were never about goals or accountability. They were about emotions, relationships, trauma, meaning, and the connection between the body and mind. Registration has helped me acknowledge that more fully.
I've even found myself revisiting my business identity. For many years my business was called Inner Gold Health Coaching. I love the idea that we all have gold inside of us, even with (or because of) emotional pain. Counselling isn't about fixing people. It's about helping them reconnect with parts of themselves that may have been buried, forgotten, or overlooked. And it’s such a privilege to see them reclaim their gold.
Now, when people ask what I do, it feels good to say I'm a Registered Counsellor and psychotherapist. If I wanted to be more specific, I'd say I'm a somatic psychotherapist.
So, what’s next?
I’m building a private practice. I’m not sure yet what the business name is even though I’ve given it way too much thought already. For now, I’ll use my name for my website and keep my existing sole trader ABN.
There is a lot of good support available for new graduates that I'm very grateful for. I’ve been accepted onto the government’s Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) program. It provides business mentoring, training, and financial support for people establishing a business.
I’m exploring ACA's Graduate Connect mentoring program and the many resources that are now available to me as a Registered Counsellor.
I’ve graduated but it feels more like a beginning than an end.
Alison Whitwood is an ACA Registered Counsellor, somatic psychotherapist and wellness coach based in Sydney. Learn more at alisonwhitwood.com.au.