What Do All Those Letters Behind Their Names Actually Mean?
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A Guide to Your Therapist’s Credentials
At Lighthouse Therapy, amongst our eight practitioners, we have 7 BSW, 1 BEd, 4 MSW, 3 Ma, 5 RSW, 4 RCC, 1 CCC, 1 RPT-S and we know that those letters can be confusing. When you are ready for support how do you know which counsellor or therapist is the right one for you and which designation will your benefits plan or funding source cover. It can feel like a new language made of acronyms instead of words. So, we thought we would explain a few things so you are more informed when choosing the counselling support that feels like the right fit for you.
If you are using your extended benefits plan to pay for your counselling then that plan will name one or more credentials that they cover. They will cover a Registered Social Worker (RSW), a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), a Registered Psychologist (R.Psych), or a Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC). Many plans cover RSW, RCC and CCC as well as R. Psych. There are a few extended plans that cover only one or two specifics. Please check with your plan advisor before starting sessions to make sure that you will be reimbursed.
Please note, the counselling profession is not regulated in the province of BC. What does that mean? It means that any person regardless of education, experience, or competency can call themselves a counsellor or therapist. Someone that has no education can refer to themselves this way. It is very important to gather information from who you are seeing to make sure that the important support you are receiving is from a qualified professional. Your mental health and wellness is important.
A Few Notes First:
We use the terms therapist and counsellor interchangeably. Some of us like to refer to ourselves as one and some of us prefer the other. Therapist is defined, by Merriam-Webster, as an individual specializing in the therapeutic medical treatment of an impairment, injury, disease, or disorder. Or, a practitioner of psychotherapy. Alternatively, counsellor is defined as a person who gives advice or counselling. They do have slightly different tones and implications but both mean, to us, a person that is educated, and experienced, in supporting others that are challenged with life or emotions or past experiences or mental health to move toward wellness.
It's an important point to note that none of these terms, therapist, counsellor, or psychotherapist, are regulated in the province of British Columbia. That means that any person, despite their education, training, or experience can refer to themselves as a counsellor or therapist. When you are looking for support, it’s important to understand something about degrees, registrations, credentials and designations to ensure you are seeing a mental health professional and they have adequate training to support you in the ways that you need. There has been advocacy in BC over the last several years to more closely regulate who can use what terms when advertising themselves but it has not resolved into a trusted system just yet.
DEGREES
Undergraduate degrees are also called Bachelor degrees and these require four years of study at a University.
BSW – Bachelor of Social Work
BEd – Bachelor of Education
After a person has a bachelor’s degree they can choose to take a Masters, or Graduate, degree that is about two years more study
MSW – Masters of Social Work
Med – Masters of Education
Ma – Master of Arts – there is often more language that delineates what kind of Master of Arts, Counselling Psychology is a common one in the counselling field.
Some therapists continue on to a Phd
REGISTRATIONS, CREDENTIALS AND DESIGNATIONS:
RSW – An RSW is a Registered Social Worker. A counsellor can hold this designation with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or a Masters. This means they are registered with the British Columbia Assocation of Social Workers, wrote an exam to achieve the RSW credential, and are governed by the standards of practice and ethical guidelines of this governing body.
RCC – This stands for Registered Clinical Counsellor. A Masters degree is required to become an RCC along with a specific number of hours of supervision and having a supervisor observe the counselling practice. It is governed by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors. These counsellors are able to work with clients in the province of BC.
CCC - A Ceritified Canadian Counsellor that is registered with the CCPA is a CCC. This designation requires a Masters degree and these counsellors can work with folks all over Canada.
R. Psych – This is a Registered Psychologist. We do not have anyone with this desiganation that works at Lighthouse.
RTC - Registered Therapeutic Counsellor - This designation requires no educational degrees or credentials. Any professional can apply for this designation. It is based of competencies like life experience.
RPT or RPT-S – This acronym stands for Registered Play Therapist and if it has the ‘S’ attached it indicates that the therapist has completed enough hours of experience, training, and supervision to provide guidance and supervision to play therapists that are seeking registration themselves. To become an RPT or RPT-S the counsellor must complete many hours of play therapy course work and many hours of supervision on their play therapy practice.
