Psychotherapy uses verbal and non-verbal communication to help people address and change negative thought patterns, feelings and behaviours.
Depending on your location, professionals may be regulated as “psychotherapists” or “counselling therapists”. Refer to psychiatrist vs. psychologist vs. social worker vs. psychotherapist to learn more about the psychotherapy designation.
Psychotherapist licensing and education in Ontario
To register with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) as a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) in Ontario, they must have completed a relevant graduate-level (master’s or PhD) degree, pass a registration exam and complete a minimum of 450 hours of direct client contact and 100 hours of clinical supervision. To be permitted to practice independently, the CRPO requires completion of at least 1,000 hours of direct contact with clients and 150 hours of clinical supervision.
Until the RP requirements are complete, qualifying members of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) can use the titles of Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) or RP (Qualifying).
Psychotherapist licensing and education in British Columbia
British Columbia does not yet have regulations in place and anyone in the province can call themselves a counsellor, therapist or psychotherapist.
Regulations are coming soon for the title of Counselling Therapist.
Until then, look for a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) or Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC). They will have at minimum, a master’s degree in an area like social work or psychology and they’ve undergone specific supervision and clinical hour requirements. There are currently 14 associations unofficially overseeing this work in BC, like the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors.
Psychotherapist licensing and education in Alberta
Alberta recently passed legislation to regulate the term “Counselling Therapist”. Alberta will also include Psychotherapist as a protected title.
Alberta is still developing a college to register and regulate psychotherapists and counselling therapists. This process is currently overseen by the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta. Registration currently requires 450-750 hours of relevant field work.
What type of counselling are you looking for?
This path is significantly longer and more expensive than a certificate, but it provides more in-depth education and a smoother pathway into the industry. Bachelors programs that specialize in counselling psychology are generally non-existent. The real specialization will take place once you enter your master’s program.
But before that, you will have to do four years, or five. Any university degree will do, meaning you can take the time to study some other interests or focus on adjacent fields. For instance, a bachelor of arts or science in psychology may give you a starting look into counselling, or you might seek out a bachelor of social work. As long as the prerequisites are met.
Regardless it would be best to do well and boost your extracurricular portfolio to set you up for acceptance into the more focused masters program. One downside of going this route is that bachelor’s degrees are often focused entirely on theory, avoiding more practical counselling skills in most cases.
If you want more hands-on education before you hit your masters, it can make sense to look for a co-op program that offers real-life professional engagement. Do your research here.
Now that you’ve found yourself at the end of a fruitful four years, it’s time to go for your masters, a prevalent option when it comes to training counsellors. It’s optimal because it offers a wealth of deepened theoretical knowledge and the chance to acquire and develop field skills. Often graduate counselling students will have to decide on a specific area of intense study for their thesis.
Researching schools here is essential, as the type of courses you take on will have a significant impact on what you learn over the next two to three and a half years (which is on top of the years you’ve already dedicated to a bachelor’s degree).
The Masters in Counselling program at the University of Northern British Columbia is one such choice with courses available for working with parents and families or indigenous communities. Another option is the Counselling Psychology MA at Simon Fraser University, which offers studies in ethics and assessment procedures. The most specialized of these schools is City University of Seattle, with the location in downtown Vancouver.
Board certification is additional assurance that registered art therapists take to demonstrate knowledge and application of the latest advancements in Art Therapy. In order to receive board certification, each candidate must demonstrate minimum knowledge in areas through the passages of the National Art Therapy Credentials Board examination. In addition, board-certified registered art therapists must satisfy all educational and experiential requirements an ongoing professional commitment to art therapy. This is accomplished through the board recertification process which requires the completion of 100 continuing education credits every five years. The recertification process enables board-certified registered art therapists to keep pace with the most current scientific evidence regarding assessment, intervention, and education as well as important legal, statutory, or regulatory issues. Achieving and maintaining certification increase competencies in order to improve services to the public and enhance contributions to the profess
Once you are a Registered Art Therapist (ATR), you may apply to carry the Board Certified (BC) distinction with your ATR credential.
Board Certification provides:
- The highest distinction you can earn as an art therapist.
- Assurance to employers, clients, and the public that you have met rigorous standards.
- A certification that is portable from state to state and is accredited by the National Commission on Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
In addition, Board Certification is a widely recognized professional designation of the major health and educational professions in the United States. The Art Therapy Credentials Board Examination (ATCBE) is a reliable and valid tool used by the licensing boards of several states.
Becoming a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) is the first step toward earning the ATR-BC. Only ATR’s are qualified to become board certified. If you have a current ATR credential, no additional education is required to apply for Board Certification. If you have not yet earned your ATR designation, take those steps first.
To earn the BC, you must pass the national examination, demonstrating comprehensive knowledge of the theories and clinical skills used in art therapy. As with the ATR, you also agree to provide services within the ethical guidelines of the ATCB Code of Ethics, Conduct, and Disciplinary Procedures.
The Art Therapy Credentials Board Examination (ATCBE) is a national exam taken for Board Certification. The exam is offered via computer-based testing (CBT). The ATCB phased out testing windows as of 2020, as such the ATCBE is offered throughout the year at over 500 designated testing centers throughout the U.S. The fee is $275. The application fee for the board certification exam is non-refundable and non-transferable. This fee covers the administrative costs of the examination and the application review.
Any current ATR may apply to take the ATCBE for board certification. If approved to take the ATCBE, applicants have a 6-month testing window. Exam approvals are exported monthly to our testing provider Pearson Vue. Once the ATCB provides Pearson Vue with the list of approved exam candidates, the ATCB is not involved with any element of the examination process. Applicants must work directly with Pearson Vue and additional information on this process is sent directly by Pearson Vue to approved applicants. The ATCB will contact examinees with the results of their examination. ATCBE results are available 8-12 weeks from the date of the exam and are uploaded to the examinee’s MYATCB accounts.
The ATCB allows candidates to retake the exam up to two times in a 12-month period. However, examinees who originally took the ATCBE between January 1 and June 30, must wait until after July 1 to submit an application to retake the ATCBE. Likewise, if the ATCBE examination was taken between July 1 through December 30, applications to take retake the exam must be submitted after January 1.
While ATCB does not provide or endorse study materials, we do offer a preparation guide to assist prospective examinees.
If you apply for the ATCBE for board certification and wish to have examination scores sent to state licensure boards a formal verification request is required for the ATCB to release scores. The verification request can be found in an applicant’s MYATCB portal.
If you are a Registered Art Therapist in good standing and have already passed the ATCB Board Certification Exam (ATCBE) as part of your state licensure in the past five years (60 months), you may apply for Board Certification using your passing ATCBE score. You must apply online and you must have taken and passed the ATCBE for state licensure within the preceding five years (60) months prior to submitting your application. The application fee is $75. Click here to apply online.
After you receive official notification that you have been approved for the ATR-BC credential, you are entitled to use the designation ATR-BC. Maintaining board certification involves completing the annual renewal of your ATR, the board certification distinction must be recertified every five years by completing and documenting 100 hours of continuing education or through re-examination.
For information regarding test dates, registration deadlines, and fees please refer to the ATCB Examinations webpage.
