A Guide to Understanding the Credentials of Mental Health Practitioners in Alberta

Trying to find and select a mental health professional who is “right” for you can feel overwhelming, anxiety-inducing, and confusing. It’s ironic how stressful just searching for a therapist can be. Psychologist, Counsellor, Therapist, Psychiatrist – who knew there were so many options to choose from when seeking support.

As someone who has experience both as a therapist and a client in therapy, I understand the difficulties in trying to find someone who is not only legitimate and law-abiding, but also understanding, supportive, and maybe even a decent and interesting person, let alone someone you plan to spill your heart out to, AND hope your benefits cover enough sessions throughout the year!

This is the first of two blog posts designed to help you make sense of the mental health industry and gain some tips for your journey toward self-improvement. However, please keep in mind that most of these definitions and roles are specific to Alberta.

Understanding the Labels

There are many terms and nicknames used to identify someone who works in mental health (e.g., “counsellor”, “therapist”, “shrink”, “psych”, “clinician”, “psychologist”). All these terms are essentially used to describe the same line of work – professionals who support individuals, couples, families, and/or children in managing problems related to their mental, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing. Where these terms become important is knowing when you may need a specialist or certain type of professional that has more expertise, knowledge, or training to support you best.

Credentials vs. Certifications vs. Designations

The terms “credentials”, “certifications”, and “designations” can be used interchangeably (just to make things more complicated!).

Credentials and certifications refer to the training or skills acquired by the therapist (e.g., undergraduate degree, first aid training);

Designation refers to a role or title someone has earned due to their credentials accomplished (e.g., Psychologist, Doctor).

All three terms can refer to a mental health professional’s ability to legally perform a skill or set of skills that have been approved by a professional association or regulatory body (e.g., all Psychologists in Alberta answer to the College of Alberta Psychologists). You can find a professional’s credentials in the form of acronyms behind or near their name, often on their website, business page, email address, or business card.

For example, on my LinkedIn profile, I include my current designation/role, as well as my credentials…

Mental Health Professionals’ Roles & Designations in Alberta

I've put together a chart that outlines the various titles you may encounter when searching for mental health practitioners in Alberta.

Title	Description, Role	Credential/ Designation	Important Note
Counselling Student/Intern	Completing their practicum in the field of counselling, social work, or psychology. Can see a range of clients based on their skills and supervision. Can provide individual, couples, family, and/or group therapy.	Undergraduate or social work degree. In the process of completing a graduate level counselling program.	Counselling interns are insured to work but are not yet licensed to practice independently. Counselling interns typically work for free or at sliding scale.
Social Worker	Work in a variety of settings from hospitals to schools and welfare agencies. Help improve wellbeing and lifestyle, and address broader social issues, such as discrimination, domestic violence, or unemployment, through services like counselling, health promotion, and collaboration with other professionals.	(RSW) Diploma, Bachelor’s Degree, or Master’s in Social Work. Registered with a college or body within their province of work (e.g., Alberta College of Social Workers).	Social workers place more emphasis and focus on a client’s overall social and socioeconomic wellbeing. Therapists and Psychologists tend to focus more on cognitive or psychological factors, or a blend of both internal and external factors.
Canadian Certified Counsellor	Focus on counselling services that aim to understand individual and family-level problems that contribute to problems. Provide treatment for issues ranging from relationships, stress, low confidence, depression and anxiety, trauma, mental illnesses or disorders, and more.	(CCC) Undergraduate or social work degree. Registered with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). Can work Canada-wide.	Will primarily not diagnose clients, provide medicine, or intervene in a client’s social communities. Typically covered under most private and public insurance companies.
Career Counsellor	Emphasis on professional and career development. Help prepare clients for interviews and job searching. Review resumes, provide advice and information regarding employment issues and human resources.	Bachelor’s degree or college diploma in employment counselling, human resources development, psychology, education, or social services.	Offer tools and support to help clients take action to reach their employment goals. Strength-building and communication skills. Will suggest when it is time to speak to a therapist to support with mental or emotional issues (e.g., burnout).
Life Coach	Support clients in achieving their goals, and identifies barriers, limiting beliefs, or patterns that need to change for clients to achieve a desired outcome.	Life coaching is not a regulated profession in Canada. Anyone can call themselves a Life Coach, regardless of training or education.	Emphasis on future-focused goals. Typically work in finite timelines, offering guidance as a partner and support person.
Registered Provisional Psychologist	Offer individual, group, couples, and family therapy. Provide evidence-based and trauma-informed therapy to clients through ongoing counselling, assessments, diagnoses, and treatments for issues related to the mental, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing of the client. Will typically begin to specialize and focus on a primary area of focus (e.g., trauma, personality disorders).	Master’s in psychology or Counselling. In the process of completing their internship and passing regulatory exams. Once graduated, they can apply to become a Registered Psychologist.	Provisional Psychologists are not covered by all insurance providers, unlike fully Registered Psychologist’s. Can NOT prescribe medication.
Registered Psychologist	Assess, diagnose, and treat psychological, emotional, and behavioural issues. Offer individual, group, couples, and family therapy. Will specialize in a certain area. Role can vary from Clinical Psychologist, Forensic Psychologist, Educational Psychologist, or Rehabilitation Psychologist.	(R.Psych) Master’s or Doctor’s level degree, 1,600 hours of supervised practice, and completion of ethics exams. Considered ‘senior’ after practicing for five years.	Registered Psychologists (also called R.Psychs) can become supervisors to Provisionals after five years of practice. R.Psych’s can NOT prescribe medication. Focuses on the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. Provides different therapeutic approaches that combine biological, psychological, and social factors to treat mental illnesses and issues.
Psychiatrist	Evaluate, diagnose, and treat psychiatric disorders. Provide treatment for medication, therapy, and behavioural interventions. Help manage issues such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders, drug and substance abuse, addiction and recovery.	(M.D.) Medical degree as a doctor. Additional training in psychiatry (branch of medicine focused on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders).	Can provide psychotherapy based on additional training but will primarily focus on medication management.

When In Doubt, Ask Questions

If you ever find yourself in a confusing or overwhelming situation trying to search for a therapist, you are not alone! Consider finding therapists who offer free phone consultations to ask them the necessary questions in understanding their role and services offered.

Finding the right therapist can take a little research and investigation, but once you find them, I promise it’s worth it!

If you'd like to book a free 15-minute consultation with a Balance Psych Services therapist to see if they are a good fit for you, you can contact our admin team!

info@balancepsychservices.ca

587-985-3132

If you're interested in learning about billing and insurance in Alberta Mental Healthcare, head to the second blog post in this series:

Billing, Insurance & Alberta Mental Healthcare – Let’s Break it Down…https://www.balancepsychservices.ca/post/billing-insurance-alberta-mental-healthcare-let-s-break-it-down

About Balance Psychological Services

Balance Psychological Services is a psychological private practice aimed toward healing, growth, and balance. Our mission is to ensure that every person who walks through our doors feels seen and accepted for exactly who they are, no matter the circumstances they are facing. With offices conveniently located in Stony Plain, Edmonton, and Beaumont, we are here and ready to help you find your balance. Book an appointment today.

Disclaimer

Information provided through Balance Psychological Services' blog posts is meant for educational purposes only. This is NOT medical or mental health advice. If you are seeking mental health advice, please contact us directly at (587) 985-3132.