Counsellor Mobility and Statutory
Regulation of Counseling
in Canada
Canadian Counselling and
Psychotherapy Association
Annual Conference
May 24-27, 2012
Calgary, Alberta
CO-CHAIRS
Dr. Blythe Shepard
Dr. Glenn Sheppard
PANELISTS
Barbara MacCallum
John Driscoll/Marian McDonald
Serge Hall
Lorna Martin
Duncan Shields
NOVA SCOTIA
 Bill 201 - An Act Respecting the Practice of Counselling
Therapists (2008) (title protection)
 Act Proclamation, October, 2011
 Professional Title: Counselling Therapists
 Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists
 Nova Scotia Association of Counselling Therapists (first
affiliate of CCPA)
 Licensing Requirements: Masters Degree and 2000
hours of supervised clinical practice
ONTARIO
 Ontario Coalition of Mental Health Professionals (13
associations represented)
 Bill 171 Psychotherapy and Registered Mental Health
Therapists Act, 2007, Schedule Q of the Regulated Health
Professionals Act (RHPA)
 Professional Titles:
- Psychotherapists (title protection & controlled Act)
- Registered Mental Health Therapists (title protection)
 Transitional Council of the College of Psychotherapists and
Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario
NEW BRUNSWICK
 New Brunswick Federation (3 provincial
associations) (AFCONB, NBACT and NBPCA)
 Draft legislation for statutory regulation of
Counselling Therapists now
ready…optimistically in final stage of success
 Licensing Requirement: Masters Degree
QUEBEC
 Statutory regulation of counsellors for 40+ years
• Title Protection Regulation 1969; Amendments 1973, 2004
• Practice Protection Regulation 2009
• Psychotherapy Act 2012: Expected enforcement June 2012
 Professional Titles:
• Conseiller/ conseillère d’orientation (c.o.)
• Conseiller/conseillère d’orientation professionnelle (c.o.p.)
• Orienteur
• Orienteur professionnel
• Guidance counsellor (g.c.)
• Vocational guidance counsellor (v.c.g.)
• Psychotherapist / Psychothérapeute
QUEBEC (cont’d.)
Regulatory Ordres
There are seven regulatory ordres in Quebec that relate to the
practice of counselling and psychotherapy:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec
Ordre des psychoéducateurs et psychoéducatrices du Québec
Ordre des travailleurs sociaux et des théraeutes conjugaux et
familiaux du Québec
Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec
Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec
Ordre des psychologues du Québec
Collège des médecin du Québec
QUEBEC
(cont’d.)
Protected activities: psychotherapy
(permit required – administered through
the Ordre des Psychologues)
Minimum Educational Entry Requirement:
Master’s Degree
(Act has Grandparenting provision)
QUEBEC AND ONTARIO
 Psychotherapy Acts in Quebec and Ontario permit
members of the following professions to obtain a
license to practice psychotherapy:
• Psychologists
• Nurses
• Occupational Therapists
• Physicians
 Psychoeducators and Career/Guidance Counsellors
in Quebec
 Registered Mental Health Therapist in Ontario
(unclear from Act)
DEFINITIONS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY IN
QUEBEC AND ONTARIO ACTS
QUEBEC
“Psychotherapy is a psychological treatment for a mental
disorder, behavioural disturbances or any other problem
causing psychological suffering or distress.”
“The purpose of psychotherapy is to elicit in the client,
significant changes in his cognitive, emotional, behavioural
functioning, his interpersonal system, his personality, and
his state of health. This is a process reaching beyond help in
confronting common problems, counselling or support
relations.”
DEFINITIONS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY IN
QUEBEC AND ONTARIO ACTS
ONTARIO
“Under the new Act, the scope of practice of
psychotherapy is the assessment and treatment of
cognitive, emotional or behavioural disturbances
by psychotherapeutic means, delivered through a
therapeutic based primarily on verbal or nonverbal communication.”
A CONTROLLED ACT
(Ontario Act)
“The new Act also authorizes members of the College to
perform a new controlled act (an activity that when
performed by an unqualified practitioner may put the public
at substantial risk and are therefore “controlled” for use by
legislation) of treatment by means of psychotherapy
technique delivered through a therapeutic relationship, an
individual’s serious disorder of thought, cognition, mood,
emotional regulation, perception or memory that may
seriously impair the individual’s judgement, insight,
behaviour, communication or social functioning.”
BRITISH COLUMBIA
 The Task Group for Counsellor Regulation (established
1995, 7 associations represented)
• The American Association of Pastoral Counsellors (BC
Chapter)
• The BC Art Therapy Association
• The BC Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
• The BC Association of Clinical Counsellors
• The Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and
Education (BC Chapter)
• The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy
Association (BC Chapter)
• The Music Therapy Association of BC
BRITISH COLUMBIA
 National Entry-to-Practice Competency Profile for
Counselling Therapists
 Professional Title: Counselling Therapists
 The Task Group for Counsellor Regulation met on
March 2nd, 2012 and confirmed that the financial
dimensions, the policies, the governance model,
and the core procedures (including a complete
competency profile) are all in place for a statutory
college under the Health Professions Act in BC
AGREEMENT ON INTERNAL TRADE (AIT)
CHAPTER 7 (LABOUR MOBILITY
 To eliminate/reduce obstacles to labour mobility in
Canada
 To enable any worker certified/licenced/registered
for an occupation (profession or trade) in one
province or territory to be accepted for
certified/licensed/registered for that occupation by
any other province or territory to which they might
move
NEW AIT REQUIREMENTS
 P/Ts agree to certify workers already certified by other P/Ts without
additional material training, experience, examinations or assessment
requirements
 P/Ts may impose certain requirements, as a condition of certification,
and, in specific circumstances, may refuse to certify or impose
certification restrictions/ limitations/conditions
 Maintenance of additional material requirements is permissible but
must:
• be clearly justified as necessary to achieve a legitimate objective,
such as public safety or consumer protection
• be approved by the government maintaining them and posted to the
public CIT website
 Greater emphasis on the adoption of common interprovincial/territorial
standards, where possible and practical
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW OCCUPATIONAL
STANDARDS AND CHANGES TO
EXISTING STANDARDS
If occupational standards do not exist in the territories
of any of the Parties in respect of an occupation and a
Party considers it necessary to establish occupational
standards for that occupation, the Parties agree that
the process of development of new occupational
standards should occur in a manner that will facilitate
future reconciliation and avoid the creation of new
barriers to mobility. A Party intending to develop new
standards shall notify the other Parties of its intent and
afford them an opportunity to participate in the
development of those standards.
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW OCCUPATIONAL
STANDARDS AND CHANGES TO EXISTING
STANDARDS (cont’d.)
If a Party considers it necessary to make changes to
existing standards in respect of an occupation, the
Parties agree that the process for making such changes
should occur in a manner that will foster reconciliation
and avoid the creation of new barriers to mobility. A
Party intending to make such changes shall notify the
other Parties and afford them an opportunity to
participate in the modification of those standards. (AIT,
pp. 102-103).
OVERVIEW OF SYMPOSIA
2006-2011
SYMPOSIA
 2006: Symposium on the Statutory
Regulation of Counselling, Vancouver, B.C.
Sponsored by British Columbia Association
of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) and the
Canadian Counselling Association
 2008: National Symposium on Interprovincial Mobility within the Counselling
Profession, Ottawa
SYMPOSIA (cont’d.)
 2009: National Symposium on Interprovincial/Territorial Mobility within
the Counselling Profession, Ottawa.
Both sponsored by the Canadian
Counselling Association with funding
from the Human Resources Skills
Development Canada (HRSDC)
SYMPOSIUM 2011
Sharing Research & Development of Generic
Support Materials
Purpose
 Share and confirm findings of survey of members of the
profession re: titles, definition, and generic scope of practice.
 Provide core set of materials that increase mobility of labour
across Canada by simplifying and streamlining the regulatory
process.
 Consult re: national framework for code of ethics/standards
of practice.
2011 SURVEY RESULTS
WHY DO A SURVEY?
 To determine levels of agreement in Canada for a definition of
counselling and psychotherapy, and a scope of practice statement for
counselling and psychotherapy practitioners and organizations.
 To determine equivalencies between provincial and territorial scopes
and definitions to national definitions.
 When this equivalency is achieved, labour mobility is enhanced.
 Validating equivalent definitions and scopes results in
acknowledgement of a single profession.
 Core of the survey: “Do these statements describe you and your
organization?”
WHAT WAS PRESENTED?
DEFINITION OF COUNSELLING
Counselling is a relational process based upon the
ethical use of specific professional competencies to
facilitate human change. Counselling addresses
wellness, relationships, personal growth, career
development, mental health, and psychological illness
or distress. The counselling process is characterized by
the application of recognized cognitive, affective,
expressive, somatic, spiritual, developmental,
behavioural, learning, and systemic principles
WHAT WAS PRESENTED?
(cont’d.)
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
The counselling profession:
•
is attentive to and responds to diversity and inclusiveness;
•
works in the best interest of individuals, couples, families,
groups organizations, communities, and the public-at-large;
•
works in the domains of cognition, emotion, expression,
somatics, human development, behaviour, learning, and
interactive systems;
WHAT WAS PRESENTED?
(cont’d.)
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
The counselling profession:
•
promotes mental health by developing and enhancing:
 personal, relational, sexual, career, and spiritual growth
and well-being,
 personal awareness and resources,
 decision-making and problem-solving;
• remediates or provides treatment for disorders in cognitive,
behavioural, interpersonal, and emotional functioning;
WHAT WAS PRESENTED?
(cont’d.)
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
The counselling profession:
•
applies specific and recognized evaluation and
assessment methods;
•
may also include supervision, education, training,
consultation, research, diagnosis, and referral.
SURVEY RESULTS
Titles, Definitions & Scope of Practice
DEMOGRAPHIC FINDINGS
 46 organizations and 1,146 individuals responded to the
survey.
 25.8% of respondents had been in practice 5 years or less;
15.5% for more than 20 years.
 595 (42.0%) respondents were in private practice; 397 (28.0%)
worked in schools and universities; agencies and health care
settings accounted for most of the rest.
RESULTS
Definition of Counselling and Scope of Practice
 The survey provided respondents with a research-based
definition of counselling and scope of practice.
 In both the definition and the scope of practice sections of the
survey, responses showed consistently over 93% agreement,
and always less than 4% disagreement.
 This is a remarkable expression of near-consensus,
demonstrating that while our places of work, job titles, ages,
modalities, and client bases show an amazing diversity, we
have a rock-solid core identity as a profession