Nine To Noon One in five counsellors eye exit or scale-back
Mar 10, 2026
Huhana Penne, president of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors and workforce advocate, discusses a survey showing many counsellors plan to retire or scale back. She outlines causes like burnout, rising case complexity and funding strains. Conversation covers pay disparities, costly self-regulation, and pushes for sustainable NGO funding to keep community counselling accessible.
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One In Five Counsellors Plan To Leave Soon
- One in five counsellors plan to retire, scale back, or leave within two years, signalling workforce vulnerability.
- NZAC surveyed ~1,000 of its ~3,500 members and found 21% considering reduced practice or exit, a worrying indicator for service capacity.
Burnout And Complexity Driving Reduced Hours
- Burnout and increasing case complexity are major drivers pushing counsellors toward reduced hours or exit.
- Many counsellors juggle part-time jobs plus private practice to remain financially viable amid high costs and complex work.
Spare Capacity Exists But Funded Access Is Limited
- There is spare private-practice capacity but limited funded pathways prevent community access to counselling.
- Nearly half of respondents said they could take more clients, yet cost and narrow eligibility for funded services block community access.