Ahead of the changes coming into effect on 1 December this year, the APS answers some of its members' most common questions.
On 1 December 2025, the new professional competencies for psychologists will come into effect, marking the first major revision of these standards in over a decade.
These updated competencies articulate the essential knowledge, skills and professional behaviours expected of all registered psychologists in Australia, ensuring that psychologists are equipped to deliver safe, high-quality, contemporary psychological services across diverse settings.
The changes address areas such as client safety, cultural responsiveness, ethical decision-making and evidence-based practice, reflecting the evolving landscape of mental health care and community needs.
Ahpra states that these new standards are in recognition of the fact that the existing professional competencies for psychologists had not been updated since 2010, and that they will help psychologists to "effectively deliver services in our current context and into the future".
Dr Zena Burgess, CEO of the Australian Psychological Society, emphasised the importance of ensuring the profession keeps pace with the needs of Australians.
“By investing in and updating these core competencies, we not only protect the public but also empower psychologists to deliver services that meet modern challenges," says Dr Burgess.
"Evolving professional standards are crucial to building a more resilient mental health workforce for the future.”
As the implementation date for the new guidelines approaches, the APS has compiled and addressed the most frequently asked questions from members to help ensure they feel prepared, informed and confident when the changes take effect.
Sign up for our webinar series to understand the revised Code of conduct and PsyBA competencies: Introduction to the new PsyBA Code of conduct and Professional competencies for psychologists series
1. What are the core changes in the competencies?
The new competencies are designed to provide clear, contemporary and detailed expectations of safe and effective practice.
The updates include a greater focus on client safety, cultural safety, health equity, trauma-informed care, reflexivity, digital competence and explicit standards for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and diverse groups.
Further resources:
2. What do I need to know about competencies if I’m already registered?
All registered psychologists must meet the new professional competencies from 1 December 2025. These competencies aim to guide future practice rather than restrict current activities.
Psychologists are encouraged to self-assess their knowledge and skills against the new standards using the self-assessment templates provided by Ahpra (see bottom of the first table), and undertake any relevant continuing professional development to address gaps in competence relevant to your work role. There are no compulsory extra actions unless gaps are identified.
There is no anticipated restriction on the type of work psychologists can do, but it is critical to ensure that current practice aligns with contemporary competency expectations.
Further resources:
3. What do I need to know about competencies if I’m supervising a 5+1 intern?
Supervisors of 5+1 interns will need to be familiar with the revised competencies, and the 5+1 Internship Guidelines are currently being updated to reflect these changes.
The final version of the guidelines is expected by September, for implementation in December.
Supervisors should ensure that from 1 December 2025, all intern documentation, supervision plans and assessments align with the new competencies.
Staying up to date with the latest guidelines will be essential for preparing both supervisors and interns for compliant completion of the program.
4. What happens with the NPE?
The National Psychology Exam (NPE) curriculum and candidate manual have been updated to match the new competencies, taking effect from 1 December 2025. This ensures that the pathway to general registration is directly aligned to the updated competency model.
Those sitting the NPE from that date must prepare according to the revised curriculum and familiarity with the new professional competencies is expected for exam success. The first exam to incorporate the new competencies will be in February 2026.
5. What does the new Competency 3 mean for my practice? What is reflexive practice?
Competency 3 emphasises professional reflexivity, deliberate practice and self-care.
Reflexivity is an examination of the self; questioning and acknowledging our own attitudes, experiences, ways of thinking values and motivation, prejudices and actions, to inform how we understand our impact on and interactions with others.
Reflexivity involves pursuing self-awareness of our personal limitations, deficits, biases and how these might intentionally or unintentionally affect others and our practice.
Self-care is important for safe and effective psychological practice. Ahpra outlines that self-care for psychologists:
- Enables a sustainable work-life balance
- Mitigates the work stressors for psychologists (e.g. vicarious traumatisation, burnout)
- Helps manage practitioner health and mental health issues (e.g. addictions, health impairment)
- Ensures best practice when working with clients
- Avoids situations that could result in impaired judgement, interfere with the ability to benefit and not harm clients, or lead to sub-par practice or professional misconduct.
Essentially, the goal is to ensure client safety and practitioner wellbeing, supporting sustainable and ethical practice.
“Competency isn’t just about technical skill," says Dr Burgess. "It’s also about the discipline of self-reflection. Psychologists must continually examine how their own values and experiences shape their work.
"Building this reflexive capacity is an act of professional self-care. It protects both the client and the practitioner."
Further resources:
6. What does the new competency 7 mean for my practice?
Competency 7 now requires psychologists to demonstrate a health equity and human rights approach when working with people from diverse groups.
Rather than simply being “aware of” cultural differences, psychologists are now expected to actively work towards applying principles of fairness, inclusion and justice in every stage of practice.
The definition of diversity has also been updated, moving from a narrow set of categories to at least 17 distinct dimensions. These now include groups such as migrants, refugees, people with disabilities, and those who are neurodiverse – acknowledging the complex and intersectional ways in which identity shapes psychological health.
Importantly, the list is not exhaustive, emphasising that psychologists must remain alert and responsive to the unique needs of individuals whose experiences may not fit neatly into prescribed categories.
Under this competency, psychologists are expected to practice:
- Inclusive practice: Work without discrimination, showing respect and sensitivity to all forms of diversity, with awareness of intersectionality across age, culture, gender, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic background, geography, spirituality and more.
- Historical awareness: Understand how psychological theories and practices have historically impacted diverse groups and know when and how to refer to specialist supports.
- Cultural identity and context: Recognise how cultural identity, values, beliefs and lived experiences, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, migrants and refugees, shape psychological wellbeing and behaviour.
- Self-awareness: Reflect on how one’s own values, cultural identity, positionality and experiences influence practice, and commit to ongoing cultural responsiveness.
- Learning from clients: Value and integrate insights from clients’ lived experiences into practice.
- Adaptability: Modify psychological practice to meet the needs of people from diverse backgrounds and social identities, effectively engaging with clients, families, carers and others.
- Trauma-aware and culturally informed care: Apply these principles consistently across practice settings.
- Collaboration: Work effectively with other professionals and service providers who support socially and culturally diverse groups.
- Disability and neurodiversity: Apply strengths-based, trauma-informed approaches; adapt practice for people with developmental disability; and make reasonable adjustments, including use of augmentative and alternative communication.
"This change signals that competence is not just about cultural awareness, but about cultural responsiveness and accountability," says Dr Burgess.
"Psychologists will need to show how their work actively contributes to equity in health outcomes, rather than assuming that treating everyone the same equates to fairness."
Further resources:
7. What does the new competency 8 mean for my practice?
Competency 8 is focused on health equity and human rights when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, families and communities.
Psychologists must ensure their care is culturally safe, trauma-aware and involves ongoing self-education regarding the historical, social and cultural context affecting First Nations Australians.
Psychologists are expected to collaborate, respect self-determination and actively contribute to positive health outcomes in Indigenous communities.
According to Ahpra's fact sheet, this competency requires:
- Contextual awareness: Understanding the historical, political, social and cultural context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, including the enduring impacts of colonisation and racism.
- Cultural responsiveness: Recognising the diversity of Nations, language groups, clans and intersecting identities, and tailoring care accordingly.
- Safe and trauma-informed practice: Consistently applying principles of cultural safety, trauma-aware care and culturally informed practice.
- Reflective learning: Actively learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and knowledges, and reflecting on how these insights shape practice.
- Self-determination: Respecting and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led decision-making, and working in genuine partnership to achieve health outcomes within an Aboriginal Health frame of reference.
- Collaboration: Consulting appropriately with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, families, communities and organisations to ensure services are responsive, respectful and effective.
“Culturally safe care with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is not optional – it's central to ethical practice," says Dr Burgess. "Psychologists must understand the ongoing impacts of colonisation and racism, but more importantly, they need to listen, reflect and work in partnership with Aboriginal communities.
"Embedding cultural safety and self-determination into our daily practice is how we move from awareness to genuine equity.”
Further resources:
8. What are the changes related to digital competence?
Digital competence is not a separate competency but now features much more explicitly across the updated standards (especially competencies 2, 4, 5, and 6).
Psychologists must use digital tools lawfully, ethically and professionally for communication, intervention, record-keeping, research, and service delivery, and keep up to date with advances such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is essential to safe and contemporary psychological practice.
Further resources:
“These new competencies are more than regulatory updates," says Dr Burgess. "They are a blueprint for the future of psychology in Australia. By embracing equity, cultural safety and reflective practice, psychologists not only meet the standards of registration but also strengthen the trust, relevance and impact of our profession in the communities we serve.”
Got another question that's not been answered here? APS members can get in touch with the Professional Advisory Service with any further questions.