Work With Us
Rough Patch has an open recruitment policy and we welcome Expressions of Interest year-round.
We recently received over 100 applications and are currently processing and onboarding these counsellors. Our next intake is likely to begin in February 2026.
If you submit your Expression of Interest after 18 November 2025, please expect a response time of up to 10 weeks.
Vital step before you apply: Watch the Information Video and read the Counsellor Information Pack.
Why Rough Patch?
Rough Patch Affordable Counselling is a non-profit social enterprise making quality mental healthcare affordable and accessible. We offer reduced-fee counselling on a sliding scale to people who couldn’t otherwise afford it – and we’re equally invested in supporting counsellors in private practice.
We’ve built something rare: a warm, collegial community where therapists don’t have to choose between independence and isolation.
What You’ll Gain
- Autonomy with support – set your own hours and run your own practice
- Community that holds you – access peer support, clinical supervision, and a network that genuinely gets it
- Clinical growth – learn from colleagues across diverse specialties through case consultations, training, and peer exchange
- Client referrals – receive enquiries from people seeking reduced-fee counselling
No more solo practice burnout. Just collaboration, learning, and shared purpose.
Who We’re Looking For
We welcome applications from registered counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers and psychologists who:
- Hold a Bachelor or postgraduate degree in counselling, psychology, or social work
- Hold professional registration (PACFA, ACA, AASW, AHPRA, or equivalent)
- Are passionate about accessible, affordable counselling and agree to work within our sliding-scale structure
- Work from a trauma-literate, anti-oppressive, and liberatory framework consistent with our mission and values
- Value collaboration and community, and actively participate in our Community of Practice
- Can commit to 12 months minimum
We actively encourage applications from: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people • People of Colour and culturally diverse people • People with disabilities • People with diverse bodies • LGBTQIA+ people • Gender-expansive people • Neurodivergent people
How to Apply
Step 1: Essential Reading and Viewing
Read the Counsellor Info Pack and watch the Info Session recording. This ensures you have the full picture before investing time in an application.
Step 2: Complete the Expression of Interest
We don’t use traditional resumes and cover letters. Instead, our Expression of Interest gives us a detailed sense of your training, experience, approach, and alignment with our mission.
Heads up: it’s lengthy. We recommend drafting your answers in a separate document first, then copy/pasting into the web form so you don’t lose anything.
Step 3: Submit & Sit Tight
We review applications as quickly as we can, but there’s often a wait. Recruitment is resource-intensive for grassroots organisations like ours, and we receive very high volumes of EOIs, especially during recruitment drives.
That’s why Step 1 matters. The more you know beforehand, the more we can use our interview to get to know you, hear about your work, and decide if we’re a good fit for each other.
Need support completing the application? Contact us here.
