Counselling from a rented consulting room

Private clients who prefer in-person sessions, plus referrals from GPs, schools, community groups and employers.

A fee per session, with room rent as your main extra cost. Renting by the session keeps costs low while you build up clients, and you can add days as demand grows.

• Active listening and empathy
• Recognised counselling qualification
• Building referral relationships
• Managing a small practice

• Counselling is largely self-regulated in Australia, so check what qualifications and association membership clients, insurers and funders expect
• Medicare rebates generally do not apply to counsellors, so check private health fund and NDIS provider requirements before advertising rebates
• Read any room licence or lease carefully, including notice periods, minimum days and cancellation terms
• Check whether you need police or Working with Children Checks, especially for work with young people
• Quiet weeks can still mean fixed rent, so start with fewer days and build up
• Keep client records secure and follow privacy obligations

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $8,000, depending on room rental terms, insurance and setup. Quiet weeks can still mean fixed rent, so you might start with fewer days and build up.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how many days you rent and how many clients you see. Referrals from GPs, schools and community groups can help build numbers.

Read any room licence or lease for notice periods, minimum days and cancellation terms. Also check what qualifications and memberships are expected, whether Medicare, health fund or NDIS rebates apply, whether police or Working with Children Checks are needed, and privacy rules.