Continuing Education
General Considerations
Registered Counselling Therapists and Registered Counselling Therapist -Candidates are required to renew their license/registration annually during the registration period which runs from February 1 to March 31 of each year. According to the Counselling Therapists Act, 13 (1):
The Registrar must strike from the applicable roster the name of a member who does not renew their licence in accordance with subsection 11(2) from the applicable roster, effective the day after their licence expires, and the member remains non-active until their name is restored under subsection (2).
It is the responsibility of every licensed registrant to complete the on-line renewal process prior to April 1st of each year and ensure that all new and outstanding registration fees have been paid and continuing education requirements are met.
Credit Requirements
All registrants are required to accrue 36 hours of CCPA approved continuing Education Credits (CECs) in the 3-year period since the end of their last renewal period (i.e., March 31st every 3 years).
The CECs must be obtained in a relevant counselling area. A well-rounded professional will record a variety of Learning Activities and Professional Contributions. CECs need to be oriented to the enhancement of a counselling therapist’s self-awareness, knowledge, and skills; particularly those which link directly to the Entry-to-Practice Competency Profile. Professional activities related to ethics, supervisor training, sexual misconduct, and anti-racism are particularly relevant.
There are two pathways to registration renewal.
Pathway One applies only to NSCCT registrants who are also Certified Professional Members of CCPA, holding the designation Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC). Certified Professional Members in good standing meet NSCCT’s continuing education requirement for renewal of 36 continuing education credits over a three-year period, when they submit evidence of current certification.
Evidence submitted annually: ‘Letter of Good Standing’ downloaded from CCPA website.
Pathway Two applies to registrants of the College who are not Certified Professional Members of CCPA. These registrants are required to submit an up-to-date transcript from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), verifying that they have accrued a minimum of thirty-six (36) continuing education credits (CECs) in the previous three (3) years (36 months).
Evidence submitted every three years: an up-to-date transcript from the CCPA indicating the accrual of 36 CECs in the previous three-years (36 months)
Note: Excess CECs cannot be carried forward to any subsequent renewal period.
Lapsed Registration
Within a twelve (12) month period following cancellation of a license due to non- payment of fees or non-submission of required documents, RCTs may be reactivated upon submission of all outstanding documents, outstanding fees, and the $75.00 late fee.
RCT registrations lapsed for more than one (1) year but less than three (3) years from the scheduled renewal date may be reactivated upon submission of all outstanding documents, past-due fees, and the $75.00 reactivation fee. RCT-C registrations that have lapsed for more than one (1) year but less than two (2) years may be reactivated by paying the $75.00 reactivation fee.
Eligible Categories of CEC Activities
This table is the property of CCPA and is reproduced here for reference purposes only. Reference to ‘Required Documents’ are those of CCPA.
Learning Activities
| Term | Definition | Number of CECs | Required Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent study | Engagement in self-directed, professional reading and/or research | 1 credit per hour | CEC Form, Schedule A. |
| Peer study | • Participation in regularly scheduled, collaborative, peer learning activities such as peer supervision, peer study groups, professional learning communities • May be done in-person, or via teleconference, Skype, online etc. | 1 credit per hour | CEC Form, Schedule A. |
| Receiving post-graduate supervision | • Participation in regularly scheduled, formally structured, post-graduate supervision with a qualified supervisor | 1 credit per hour | CEC Form, Schedule B, log of dates and duration of sessions signed by supervisor. |
| Conferences, workshops, in-services, webinars | • Attendance at and/or participation in counselling/psychotherapy conferences, workshops, in- services, webinars • May be offered in-person, or via teleconference, Skype, online, etc. • Includes CCPA and Mental Healthy Academy webinars | 1 credit per hour | CEC Form, Schedule A, Proof of Attendancesupervisor. |
| Upgrading/training | • Completion of an upgrading/training course or program for additional qualifications in counselling/psychotherapy • May be offered in-person, or via teleconference, Skype, online, etc. • Includes Mental Healthy Academy coursework | 1 credit per hour | CEC Form, Schedule A, Transcript/Certificate/Diploma. |
| Graduate coursework | • Completion of a graduate level, post-CCC course related to counselling/psychotherapy. This can include practicum/internship courses. | 36 credits per 1 semester course | CEC Form, Schedule A, Transcript/Certificate/Diploma. Description of University courses can be taken from course calendar or syllabus. |
Professional Contributions
| Term | Definition | Number of CECs | Required Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Involvement | |||
| Professional membership role | • Professional involvement in roles that are directly related to counselling/psychotherapy and which promote growth and development as a counsellor/psychotherapist. | 1 credit per hour | CEC Form, Schedule A, Activity log. |
| Professional volunteerism | • Engaging in pro bono work in a professional counselling or psychotherapy capacity including consultation, crisis counselling, disaster response, etc. | 1 credit per hour | CEC Form, Schedule A, Activity log |
| Thesis/Dissertation Committee Member (Advisor) | • Committee member for thesis/dissertation that has been completed | 1 CEC per hour invested (reasonable estimate, no cap) | CEC Form, Schedule Asupervisor. |
| Presentation | |||
| Presentation development * May be counted toward CECs one time only for each presentation | • First time development of a novel (new and original) counselling/ psychotherapy conference presentation, poster presentation, workshop, in-service, webinar, lecture, seminar, etc. • Planning, researching, designing, preparing and assembling resources/materials for the first time delivery of a novel (new and original) presentation, workshop, in- service, webinar, seminar, lecture, etc. • May be counted toward CECs one time only for each first time counselling/psychotherapy conference presentation, poster presentation, workshop, in-service, webinar, seminar, lecture, etc. As such, no CECs will be awarded for the repetition of the same presentations, workshops, in-service, webinar, seminar, lecture, etc. | 1 credit per hour | CEC Form, Schedule A, Copy of invitation to present. |
| Presentation delivery *May be counted toward CECs one time only for each presentation | • First time delivery of a presentation at a counselling/psychotherapy conference presentation, poster presentation, workshop, in-service, webinar, lecture, seminar, etc. • May be counted toward CECs one time only for each first time counselling/psychotherapy conference presentation, poster presentation, workshop, in-service, webinar, etc. As such, no CECs will be awarded for the repetition of the same presentations, workshops, in- service, webinar, seminar or lecture. | 1 credit per hour | CEC Form, Schedule A, Copy of invitation to present and/or accepted abstract. |
| Professional Writing Activities | |||
| Scholarly writing and reviews | • Scholarly writing about counselling and/or psychotherapy • Includes journal article, book chapter, book • Authoring or co-authoring a published piece of writing • Reviewing journal articles, book chapters, books, etc. | 1 credit per hour invested (based on reasonable estimate) | CEC Form, Schedule C, copy of article or book. |
| Applied writing | • Applied writing for the workplace or profession related to counselling and/or psychotherapy • Includes training and procedural manuals, handbooks, newsletters such as Cognica, blogs, facilitation of online professional association discussion forums | 1 credit per hour invested (based on reasonable estimate) | CEC Form, Schedule C, copy of article or book. |
| Thesis/Dissertation Writing | • Completion of thesis or dissertation as part of a post- CCC graduate level progra | 1 credit per hour invested (based on reasonable estimate) | CEC Form, Schedule C, copy of thesis/dissertation (link to electronic version is sufficient) |
Note: For “Independent Study – Engagement in self-directed, professional reading and/or research”, this must be in the field of counselling therapy and applications for CEC credit should include the ISBN code, title, author, and number of pages read (2 -3 credits per 100 pages of reading could be awarded based on the learning outcome in schedule “A”). This is a summary of what you have learned, how your knowledge, skills, or competencies were enhanced and how the reading has contributed to your professional development. You may include a separate page if there is not enough space on the schedule.