Placements

As an industry leader in mental health education, Cairnmillar offers agile and responsive industry partnerships that are mutually beneficial for our partners and our students. Organisations gain tangible benefits from hosting a placement student such as providing essential opportunities in the development of the next generation of mental health and wellbeing professionals and enhancing corporate social responsibility.

Over 500 placement partners

Over 400 individual placements each year

Helping thousands of people each year

The benefits of hosting a placement student

Hosting a placement students enables a mutually beneficial arrangement for your organisation, students and Cairnmillar. Cairnmillar are regularly first-to-market with innovative courses and evidence-based training, and our graduates are ready to assist your agency through the provision of counselling and support services, health and clinical assessments and the facilitation of psycho-educational and support groups.

Address workload issues and growing wait lists

Bring up to date skills, a fresh approach

Benefit from access to a broad range of resources

Access to PD, assessment tools & training

Enhance your organisations corporate responsibility

Be involved in, and have access to research

There's no cost to you

Services provided by Cairnmillar come at no financial cost to you, and our graduates are workplace ready. Entry into our programs is highly competitive and our graduates have already completed rigorous training. Our graduate students are:

  • Highly competent
  • Carefully screened for suitability to your agency
  • Have previous workplace experience
  • Many have additional qualifications

Supervision can be arranged

If you do not have a registered supervising psychologist or counselling supervisor on staff, Cairnmillar can provide supervision for all students undertaking placement. Cairnmillar also offer in kind supervision Board Approved Supervisor training for our partners.

About Our Placement Program

Placements are an essential component in the training of psychologists, counsellors, and psychotherapists and are designed to develop professional competencies. Placements typically involve a set period of part-time supervised practice in an organisation that supports students to master skills required to create high quality and industry ready professionals.  

Our courses at Cairnmillar offer student placements in the fields of psychology, counselling, and psychotherapy. Our psychology courses are are accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), and our counselling and psychotherapy courses are accredited by both the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).

Placement requirements vary according to the course being undertaken, however placements typically consist of the student working approximately 2-3 days per week for a period of 4-6 months where they see between 3-4 clients per day. However, this varies across courses with our internships lasting for 12 months or more.

Placement Courses

Placements are a course requirement in post-graduate psychology training and both undergraduate and postgraduate counselling and psychotherapy courses. You can find more information about each course by clicking the links below.

Counselling & Psychotherapy Psychology
Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling Master of Professional Psychology
Graduate Diploma of Counselling & Psychotherapy Master of Professional Psychology Practice
Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy Master of  Psychology (Clinical Psychology
Graduate Certificate of Counselling & Psychotherapy Doctor Psychology (Clinical Psychology)
Master of Clinical Psychology (Post-Registration)

The Placement Process

Arranging placements for students begins approximately nine months prior to the placement start date. This is to allow time for the coordination of placement students to find the best fit between the student’s background, experience, development and learning needs and the placement organisations needs. It’s important to match the needs of a placement organisation with the student’s skill set and knowledge to facilitate a successful placement experience for all parties.

The following is a general outline of the placement process that begins 6-9 months prior to the placement start date. Our placement team:

  • Assess each students' learning and development needs
  • Liaise with current and new placement partners to assess organisation needs, offerings and suitability
  • Assess the goodness of fit between the organisations and students and coordinate placement applications
  • Liaise with host organisations to coordinate partnership arrangements (e.g., MoU's), student allocations and placement start dates
  • Coordinate a placement meeting to discuss the placement arrangements and expectations of each party (partner, supervisor, student and the placement coordinator)
  • Liaise with the student, supervisors, and the placement organisation to monitors student progress 

Interested in becoming a placement partner?

Connect with us to enquire about hosting a placement student