You may be among the fortunate few who have extended benefits through an employer that cover the costs of counselling. I do not direct-bill, and I offer no assurance or guarantee that your benefits provider will reimburse you for counselling session fees.

If you want to find out, call your provider and ask whether they will cover services from a RTC. Some will, some will not because of (DRUMROLL PLEASE)……REGULATION. 

What the heck is regulation?? And why should you care?

In brief, it is a change to how people who provide mental health services are regulated.
Not helpful? DON’T CARE? SKIP TO THE * BELOW. 

Here’s a broader explanation:

Until recently, you, me, anyone could call themselves a mental health counsellor and charge people money for mental health counselling sessions. Did they have educations? Credentials? MAYBE?? Most do; they (and I) trained in counselling or other topics at reputable schools and joined self-governing organizations that conferred credentials (RTC, for example) and acted as an oversight body to govern, guide, and provide an ethical practice framework. It was unregulated (except in Quebec. Quebec has ALWAYS run a tight ship with services).

But professionals from many fields said, in effect, ‘this is whack….how can we protect the public from shady, unqualified counsellors! This is the wild west!’, and formed a lobby organization that suggested provincial and territorial governments create professional colleges for mental health practitioners (and other unregulated health-adjacent services) similar to the colleges that doctors belong to. Oh, and the new colleges will be super particular about who can join: They will have to have a certain education from certain schools with certain components, and it must be graduate (Master) level – period. So they did, and are; Most of Atlantic Canada, except for Newfoundland, and Ontario have new colleges that counsellors with a masters in counselling can join. Manitoba, Alberta, and BC will be regulated and have colleges set up within the next 18 months.

And the other counsellors? Not considered legitimate by the college, and by many employers and insurers anymore. Can you see an unregistered counsellor. Of course you can, but you won’t be reimbursed. Are they any good? Some are excellent.

*Why am I telling you this?
Because I chose to upgrade my education so that I could become a regulated counsellor whenever regulation takes effect. Regulated counsellors are more likely to be covered by insurance, and counselling is expensive. This is my living, and I need to charge for services. I’m also human, and reasonable, and will consider adjust fees if cost is a barrier.