Accidental Counsellor

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what to say or how to respond? Accidental Counsellor gives you practical skills to respond with confidence, set boundaries, and support safe help‑seeking, without taking on more than your role requires.

NWMPHN recognises that exposure to distress and suicide risk extends beyond clinical roles in community health settings, with non-clinical workers often acting as “accidental counsellors” without formal training. To strengthen response to distress, NWMPHN is partnering with Suicide Programs to offer non-clinical frontline workers (i.e. receptionists, admin staff, other support roles) Accidental Counsellor training. 

The Accidental Counselling Course is designed for individuals who find themselves in a position of supporting someone experiencing stress or distress, but do not have formal qualifications or experience in counselling. Whether in personal or professional settings, people often possess technical or task-oriented skills but may lack the ability to provide emotional support. This half-day workshop will equip participants with the knowledge and skills to manage difficult conversations, handle stress, and maintain boundaries while supporting others. Engaging content, including videos, audios, theories, and a 24-page workbook, will help you consolidate your learning and apply it practically.

The training builds practical, confidence‑based skills to help participants:

• listen effectively,

• respond calmly and appropriately to distress,

• recognise potential suicidal thoughts,

• maintain healthy boundaries, and;

• support safe help‑seeking without assuming a therapeutic role. 

It also places strong emphasis on self‑care and managing emotional impact, recognising the cumulative strain that distress‑related conversations can have on staff.

This training is a half-day workshop and will be delivered online. It is available to any non-clinical primary health staff in the NWMPHN region. By registering for this session, you consent to having your registration information shared with Suicide Programs. You will receive the Zoom link from Suicide Programs after registering.

Suicide Programs is a national organisation dedicated to reducing suicide and its impact through evidence based education and training. Their programs are designed to empower individuals, communities and professionals to recognise suicide risk, engage in safe and meaningful conversations, and respond effectively to people in distress. Developed and delivered by experts in suicide prevention, mental health and counselling, Suicide Programs combines the latest research with lived experience to support compassionate, practical and person centred prevention approaches.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the role and limitations of an Accidental Counsellor.
• Develop basic communication and active listening skills.
• Learn to handle difficult conversations with compassion and empathy.
• Recognise and manage common communication blockers.
• Differentiate between aggressive, passive, and assertive behaviours.
• Identify signs of deteriorating mental health and when to refer to professional support.
• Understand the importance of personal and professional boundaries.
• Formulate self-care strategies for both personal and professional well-being.