Journal article
The History and Focus of Counselling Research in Australia: Review and Future Directions
International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, Vol.48(3), pp.1-12
2026
Abstract
This article provides a critical examination of the history and trajectory of counselling and psychotherapy research, with a specific focus on the Australian context. We situate the recent history of Australian research, which lags behind international benchmarks, within the global evolution of the discipline. This evolution is characterised by a progression from foundational case studies to sophisticated methodologies, with a contemporary focus on therapeutic change mechanisms over simple treatment efficacy. To further contextualise the Australian situation, a comparative analysis is conducted with Canada, representing a mature professional landscape, and Singapore and South Africa, which represent nations with rapidly developing fields. This review of their historical developments, thematic foci, and methodological trends reveals both shared challenges and unique national trajectories. The analysis reveals that in Australia, the imperative for professionalisation since the late 1990s has historically overshadowed the cultivation of a robust research culture. However, a pivotal development is the recent commitment by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care to mandate research literacy as a core competency within forthcoming national standards, signalling an emergent recognition of research's centrality to the profession. Addressing the historical deficit in formal research training pathways, this article aims to inform the effective operationalisation of this new competency by Australian higher education providers. Finally, we propose a forward-looking agenda for counselling research in Australia. Key recommendations include establishing clearer academic pathways, integrating neuroscience and technology, advancing personalised therapeutic models, enhancing research literacy across the profession, and expanding the use of qualitative and mixed-methods designs.
Details
- Title
- The History and Focus of Counselling Research in Australia: Review and Future Directions
- Authors
- Katrina Andrews (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine CoastEbi Cocodia (Author) - Southern Cross University
- Publication details
- International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, Vol.48(3), pp.1-12
- Publisher
- Springer New York LLC
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10447-026-09651-5
- ISSN
- 1573-3246
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Data Availability
- No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.
- Organisation Unit
- Cancer Research Cluster; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991234602402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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