Work With Us
Rough Patch has an open recruitment policy and we welcome Expressions of Interest year-round.
However, we receive a high volume of applications each week, and are currently at capacity for new counsellors. Our next intake is expected to begin in late August for an onboarding date of 1 October 2026.
We endeavour to respond as quickly as possible but if you submit your Expression of Interest after March 2026, you can expect a wait time of up to 10 weeks for our reply.
Vital step before you apply: Click to 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
- Website profile: visibility to 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 strongly 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 Information Video. 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.
