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FACT-Alberta starts campaign to regulate counselling services

PHOTO. Supplied. The Federation of Associations of Counselling Therapists in Alberta (FACT-Alberta).

A campaign to regulate counselling therapy in Alberta has been started by the Federation of Associations of Counselling Therapists in Alberta (FACT-Alberta).

FACT-Alberta said in a release that it’s promising that the federal government is addressing health issues that Albertans currently face, such as the opioid crisis, counselling services for sexual abuse survivors and increasing the quality and safety of public services.

However, there is no higher board or college to regulate counselling services, which means anyone can call themselves a counsellor in Alberta, according to Nicole Imgrund, Chair of FACT-Alberta and a Canadian Certified Counsellor.

“We need to ensure that our children are getting appropriate mental health services from regulated counsellors. We need to ensure that the survivors of sexual violence are being supported by regulated Counsellors Therapists who are accountable to a code of ethics and standards of practice, and have the advanced training that would allow them to counsel in complex situations”

Imgurd said as the government moves forward with plans to offer more counselling services, they need to make sure Counsellor Therapists are regulated under a college.

Not regulating the profession could create a lack of boundaries between the therapist and the client, breach of privacy, and more, creating significant harms and can have a lasting effect on the patient’s mental health.

Nearly 1000 letters had been sent to MLAs, Minister Hoffman and Associate Minister Payne by counselling therapists and concerned Albertans since the end of March.