ACA OPD Courses for Relationship & Couples Counsellors
Australian counsellors working with couples, relationships and families need professional development that is directly relevant to their clinical practice.
At Relate Professional Education, we provide specialised training designed for counsellors who want to strengthen their skills in relationship counselling, couples therapy, communication, conflict resolution, attachment-informed practice and contemporary relationship work.
Many of our programs are approved for Australian Counselling Association (ACA) Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) points, allowing practitioners to meet professional development requirements while building practical skills they can immediately apply with clients.
Professional Development for Relationship Counsellors
Relationship counselling requires a unique set of clinical skills.
Counsellors working with couples are often navigating:
- high-conflict relationships
- communication breakdowns
- betrayal and affair recovery
- separation and reconciliation
- attachment injuries
- intimacy and connection concerns
- parenting and family relationship challenges
Effective professional development should help practitioners respond confidently to these complex presentations while strengthening both clinical capability and professional confidence.
At Relate, our professional education programs are developed specifically for counsellors, therapists and helping professionals working in relationship-focused practice.
ACA OPD and Relationship Counselling Training
The Australian Counselling Association requires practising members to undertake ongoing professional development throughout their membership year.
Relationship and couples counselling training can form an important part of a counsellor's professional development plan, helping practitioners expand their knowledge, strengthen clinical skills and maintain contemporary practice standards.
For the most current OPD requirements and point allocations, counsellors should refer directly to the ACA.
Why Specialised Relationship Counselling Training Matters
Many professional development programs focus on broad counselling topics.
While these programs can be valuable, relationship counsellors often benefit most from training that directly reflects the work they do every day.
Specialised relationship counselling professional development can support practitioners to:
- deepen their understanding of relationship dynamics
- strengthen couples counselling interventions
- improve work with high-conflict couples
- develop attachment-informed approaches
- respond effectively to separation and reconciliation issues
- increase confidence when working with complex relationship presentations
Our programs are designed with these practical outcomes in mind.
Areas of Professional Development
Relate Professional Education provides training across a range of relationship-focused practice areas, including:
Couples Counselling
Develop practical approaches for supporting couples experiencing conflict, disconnection and relationship distress.
Relationship Dynamics
Explore the patterns, behaviours and interpersonal processes that influence relationship functioning.
Communication & Conflict Resolution
Build skills for helping couples improve communication and navigate conflict more effectively.
Attachment-Informed Practice
Understand how attachment patterns influence relationships and therapeutic interventions.
Relationship Education
Support individuals and couples through evidence-based relationship education and psychoeducation approaches.
Professional Development in Relationship Counselling with Steven Dromgool
Most counsellors are trained to work with individuals.
Couples therapy is fundamentally different.
When working with an individual, a therapist is managing a single therapeutic relationship. In couples therapy, practitioners are simultaneously managing three relationships: the relationship with Partner A, the relationship with Partner B, and the therapeutic relationship with the couple as a system.
This creates a level of complexity that many counsellors discover only after they begin working with couples.
At Relate, we believe relationship counselling requires specialised training beyond traditional individual therapy models. Our professional education programs are designed to help counsellors develop a clear framework for understanding relationship dynamics and confidently applying practical interventions in the therapy room.
Our approach integrates insights from leading relationship therapy models including Gottman Method, Imago Relationship Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT). Rather than teaching multiple competing frameworks, we focus on helping practitioners develop an integrated approach that can be applied immediately in practice.
We also recognise that knowledge alone is not enough.
Many counsellors understand relationship concepts intellectually but experience uncertainty when introducing new interventions with real couples. For this reason, Relate places a strong emphasis on supervised skills development and group-based practice. Through guided application, case discussion and supported practice opportunities, participants build confidence while developing the practical skills needed to work effectively with couples and relationship issues.
Our goal is not simply to provide information. It is to help counsellors integrate relationship counselling skills into their existing practice with greater confidence, competence and clinical effectiveness.
Explore Current Professional Education Programs
Whether you are seeking ACA OPD opportunities or looking to deepen your expertise in relationship counselling, our Professional Education Hub provides access to current training opportunities, course information and enrolment details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Relate courses suitable for ACA members?
Many of our professional education programs are designed to support counsellors seeking relevant ongoing professional development. Individual course information includes details regarding eligibility and approvals where applicable.
Do I need to specialise in couples counselling to attend?
No. Many programs are suitable for counsellors, therapists and helping professionals who wish to strengthen their understanding of relationships and relational practice.
Where can I find current course information?
All current programs, dates and enrolment information are available through the Presence Oriented Relationship Therapy (PORT) Home Page.
How can I check ACA OPD requirements?
ACA requirements may change over time. Practitioners should refer to the ACA directly for the most current information regarding OPD requirements and point allocations.
About Steven Dromgool
Steven Dromgool, MCouns, MNZAC,is the founder and Clinical Director of Relate, New Zealand’s largest specialist relationship counselling and therapy service. He has worked with couples for over 2 decades specialising in working with couples, individuals and families struggling with issues ranging from sexual abuse and offending, affairs and betrayal, communication, new relationship preparation, navigating relationships with Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety and depression. Steven is committed to ongoing professional development and training over the past decades has trained to advanced levels in over 5 of the top approaches to couples therapy, contributed to the development of another approach and led the Relate team in the development of Presence Oriented Relationship Therapy which has been taught around New Zealand and internationally in locations as diverse as Alaska, Qatar, Hungary and Greece.