Rehabilitation counsellor
Also known as
Work environment
- Usually work regular business hours
- Usually work in offices, hospitals and prisons and may travel locally
- May do emotionally demanding work
- Need to be responsible, identify and solve problems and communicate well
Salary information
Typical tasks
- Help disabled people live and work independently
- Give clients techniques and tools to succeed
- Help people recover from injury
- Develop treatment plans with clients
- Assess homes and workplaces for potential problems
- Monitor treatment progress
- Refer clients to educational and work programmes
- Discuss solutions with family members
- Maintain client records
Outlook
Rehabilitation services remain important as New Zealand responds to injury, disability, long-term health conditions and mental-health needs. There is growing focus on supporting people to take part in work, education and community life, with services aiming to be more person-centred and culturally responsive. Digital tools and remote support can improve access, while complex needs still require coordinated support across services.
What employers and industry want in graduates
- Empathy, respect and strong listening skills
- Ability to build trust and support people’s goals
- Clear communication with clients, whānau and service providers
- Cultural responsiveness and awareness of different life experiences
- Practical problem-solving and ability to coordinate support
- Professional boundaries, confidentiality and ethical judgement
AUT programmes
The above is a suggestion only and a starting point. You may need to meet other criteria or take additional steps to work in this career.
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This data is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahtu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Some of the information has been modified by AUT. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this data.