What is the RMIT Counselling Service Vocational Placement Program?
The RMIT Counselling Service Vocational Placement Program is for provisionally registered Psychology Masters students and Masters of Social Work students. We offer high quality training experiences for postgraduate students seeking placement. We offer approximately 7-9 intern psychologist or intern social work places each year.
RMIT Counselling and Psychological Services seeks to provide a comprehensive placement experience for provisionally registered Psychology Masters and Master of Social Work Students who need to complete a supervised vocational placement to fulfil postgraduate academic course requirements.
If you are a Psychology Masters or Doctoral candidate studying relevant counselling, clinical or educational psychology courses or a Master of Social Work Student, you can apply to do a vocational placement with us (scroll down for application details).).
About our placements
Intern counsellors are based at one of RMIT’s metropolitan campuses – City (3-5 intern counsellors), Brunswick (1 intern counsellor), and Bundoora (2 intern counsellors).
Vocational placements either run for 10 months, from February to November or 5 months (February to June and July to November). Applicants who can commit to two semesters (10 months) are preferred where possible. One semester vocational placements will correspond with semester times (Feb-June and July-November).
What to expect
RMIT offers a stimulating, nurturing and professionally challenging vocational placement experience for our intern counsellors. Supervisors are an experienced team of counselling and clinical psychologists and social workers. Intern counsellors are an important part of our team.
Clients who attend RMIT Counselling and Psychological Services have a wide range of issues. Many are from different cultures and issues include adjustment and transition difficulties. There are a large number of clinical disorders (DSM diagnosable), and family, social and relationship issues. There is a very high clinical component regarding presenting issues related to mental health. Provisionally registered psychologists and Masters of Social Work students with some previous experience are most suited to this vocational placement.
Training experiences include:
- Offering short-term individual therapy
- Providing group training and interventions
- Involvement in projects and counselling service initiatives
- Having individual and group supervision
- Working with psychologists in various orientations to counselling and psychology.
Intern counsellors are expected to attend placement for two days a week at RMIT Counselling and Psychological Services on site. It may be possible to add a third day by negotiation with the RMIT placement supervisor if more client contact is required.
Intern counsellors are also required to attend the monthly supervision/professional development group that occurs on Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 9.30am to 12pm at our Brunswick campus or online.
Client contact
RMIT Counselling and Psychological Services endeavour to provide an appropriate level of client hours to allow intern counsellors to achieve course requirements. We manage the workload so that intern counsellors also have adequate time for case notes, follow-up and research during the working day.
At the beginning of vocational placement, intern counsellors observe counselling sessions with clients before offering appointments of their own to begin counselling work. Intern counsellors begin seeing their own clients in the second week of placement and will progress to see up to four clients per day.
Experienced psychologists and social workers provide comprehensive supervision and support in the service and intern counsellors have a weekly one-hour supervision meeting with their or primary or secondary supervisor.
Additionally, intern counsellors also meet monthly for a two and half hour group supervision session run by a rotating member of our supervision team. This provides valuable peer support, networking and information-sharing opportunities.
Intern counsellors have access to their supervisor, secondary supervisor (or another RMIT senior counsellor) outside the formal supervision hour for consultations regarding clients, as required.
Orientation and training days
All intern counsellors must attend orientation and training days. For interns attending placement in semester 1 2027, the orientation dates are February 8 and 9 2027 from 9.30am-4.30pm. Interns attending second semester placements have an orientation on July 7 and 8. This provides an introduction to RMIT Counselling and Psychological Services and the Students Group area of RMIT.
In addition to individual client contact, intern counsellors are encouraged to take part in other training activities such as assisting running webinars or other therapeutic groups.
Eligibility
To apply for vocational placement at RMIT Counselling and Psychological Services, applicants must:
- Be currently enrolled in a postgraduate psychology or social work training program
- Have a current Working with Children Check
- Have had at least one clinical or counselling vocational placement and/or equivalent clinical or counselling work experience
- Not be a currently enrolled student or current employee of RMIT University.
How to apply
The closing date for 2027 applications is October 2nd 2026.
To apply, please complete the online form and email your cover letter and CV, with referees to counselling@rmit.edu.au.
The application and selection process follows formal procedures like those required when applying for a professional position in a large organisation.
Interviews
If you are short-listed for an intern position, you will be asked to attend a 30-minute interview. Interviews will occur in October where possible or early November. The interview involves questions and a 10-minute role play. If you are selected for interview, you will be notified by 16th October 2026. Interviews are conducted via video (Microsoft Teams).
Contact us
For further information, contact the Vocational Placement Coordinator, Laura Mulherin via email laura.mulherin@rmit.edu.au.
If you are a Vocational Placement Coordinator from a Masters or Doctoral program, we are happy to meet with you to discuss our program in more detail and to answer any questions you may have. Please reach out to laura.mulherin@rmit.edu.au.
