ACA & PACFA Collaborate For Medicare

HypnosisAustralia, November 2007

By Dr Tracie O'Keefe DCH, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist & Counsellor
Editorial Director of HypnosisAustralia Online.

The Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) have issued a joint statement announcing that they have come together to work on getting Medicare rebates for the clients of their registrants. After much battling and rivalry between the two organisations over the past few years it seems that the ailing fate of non-government-registered therapists has finally forced them to kiss and make up. The complaints from the industry that they have not been working together and statements from government that they will only deal with one united industry body may also have had something to do with it too. Both organisations are representing a number of hypnotherapists.

This, if it works could signal greater unity within the non-psychiatric or psychology-based psychotherapy, counselling and hypnotherapy industries. While PACFA publishes its standards of entry and practice on its website the ACA does not, which still leaves the public wondering what they might be getting for their money. There is certainly a need for much greater reality testing within these two organisations which together will now represent over 6000 therapists, around 3000 each.

There is no doubt, however, that neither organisation is getting to grips with the GST situation that devastates the incomes of non-government-registered psychotherapists, hynotherapists and counsellors. Non-registered therapists are reputed to be taking very little money, averaging around $50,000 per annum full time and part time much less. If one deducts the expenses from that it is not enough to buy a house, run a car or raise children. Those therapists whose businesses take $80,000 pa or more find themselves paying 10% of every dollar they take in GST tax. After deductions the expenses of premises, insurance, supervision, advertising, continual professional development, etc, they can end up earning far below the national average wage, and considering, after years of training, whether they should be doing something else for a living.

It seems certain that neither organisation is going to give up their sovereignty anytime soon, so perhaps while both organisations are practising conflict resolution, they might like to throw the GST issue squarely into the arena. Maybe it does take 6000 therapists to make a difference and after all, what do therapists pay their dues to these organisations for?

©HypnosisAustralia, November 2007