Did you know that counsellor is not considered a “protected title” in BC? What this means is that theoretically anyone can call themselves as a counsellor or a therapist, even if they don’t have the training or education to justify it. Fortunately, there are organizations that provide designations to counsellors that have met specific criteria in order to register as a member. This ensures that these individuals have met specific qualifications and abide by an ethical code of practice, which ultimately protects you as a client.   This is why it is so important to ask your
counsellor about their credentials!

In BC, one of these organizations is the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). “Registered Clinical Counsellor” (RCC) is the designation provided by the BCACC. An RCC is a professional counsellor who has met the necessary standards required by the BCACC. Every counsellor who receives the ‘RCC’ counselling designation in British Columbia has met specific educational and training criteria required by the BCACC. RCCs are highly-trained professionals who specialize in providing therapy and emotional support to people struggling with varying life challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, grief & loss, self-esteem issues, life transitions, relationship concerns, and many more issues.
RCCs have expertise in supporting clients with challenges ranging from mild to severe in nature.

In other words, counselling is NOT necessarily just for those individuals in crisis or with a “mental health disorder”! RCCs must have a minimum of a Master’s Degree (typically in an area such as psychology or social work). Many have additional education and training in their specific area of practice. What this also means is that not all RCCs have the same expertise in all areas. It is essential to talk to your counsellor about their areas of interest or specialization to ensure that their approach is (1) a good fit for you and (2) appropriate in terms of the goals you have for counselling. In
any case, it is important that your counsellor is providing therapy using empirically-supported, evidence-based practices. This is just a fancy way of saying that research evidence has proven the effectiveness of the counselling technique being used. Talking with your counsellor can help
you answer these questions. RCCs must also have satisfied the BCACC’s clinical supervision requirements that are criteria of membership. This means that an experienced senior counsellor has watched and evaluated the counsellor’s practice to ensure they are meeting certain standards of practice and ultimately that they providing the best possible service to clients. Additionally, many extended health plans cover counselling services provided by an RCC. In summary, RCC members have not only met the academic, clinical competence and professional requirements, they have voluntarily committed themselves to practice according to an ethical code of conduct and standards of practice. Choosing an RCC offers peace of mind for members of the public looking to feel secure when they enter into a professional counselling relationship. You can rest assured that choosing a counsellor with the RCC designation is a safe decision.